Hello and a few questions (carbs, manual, etc)

[Clumzi]

Well, this is my first post

I have a 1980 GS 550L. It is also my first bike. I love the damn thing when it decides to run, but that has been decidedly rare and getting worse. I strongly believe the thing to be in overall good shape, but little things keep causing her to break down and make my wallet cry.

Right now I've got a carb problem. Yesterday she bled out the whole gas tank as soon as I parked her. I gave each of the float bowls a good whap, filled the gas tank back up, she kicked over, ran a few blocks, died and leaked out the rest of the gas. So I've got a stuck float valve. Is that usually the result of some debris getting into the carbs or the gapping of stuff going bad in the carbs or what? I'm planning on cleaning the carbs but while they're all apart what else should I do with them?

Also, I had a Clymer for the thing but I lost it. I'm debating getting another or getting the shop manual. What would you folks suggest? I found a great site that has various shop manauls all in PDF format online... does anyone know of a PDF online for an 80 gs550?

Thanks for everything. -nick

[snark]

First, Welcome.

Second...pull the carbs and clean them very well. The gunk you'll find inside is probably causing 90% of your problems.

Next, while the carbs are pulled change the O rings for the carb boots. They flatten out and leak as they age so it is a good bet that you'll need them. The dealer should stock them as they are used on a few newer Suzukis.

Get a new Clymer for your bike. I have the Clymer, the Haynes, and the factory shop manual for mine and I use all three. Where one misses something, the other picks it up.

What part of the world are you from? You may find a nearby GSer that can help you in person if you run into a real jam.

[Nessism]

repairmanualclub.com has the factory manual for your bike. Download is free. Basscliff also has the manual - do a search on his name and go to his homepage.

Carb clean up series here http://www.thegsresources.com/gs_carbrebuild.htm

New O-rings here http://cycleorings.com/

Don't forget to order new intake pipe O-rings as well.

Good luck.

[robertbarr]

Let me point out the obvious: If a carb (or carbs) are overflowing when the bike is not running, you have TWO problems. First, your petcock should prevent ANY flow; second, the needle valve should allow flow only up to a fixed height in the bowl (ie, not overflow). Excess fuel has to make its way past both of these parts.

(A third possibility on old carbs is for fuel to flow past the inlet seat O-ring. [n/a for VM]. That doesn't apply to newly rebuilt carbs, since the owner has just installed brand new. Right??)

I'm not 100% sure why some needle valves leak and others don't, but I'm starting to lean with Keith Kraus' suggestion, which is to use only OEM valves and seats. Simply because it works. The question why is a separate matter. (I have a theory, but no guinea pig to test it on at present).

For the petcock, you'll hear a number of suggestions. I think that the vacuum operated petcock should be kept operational, for a few safety reasons.

Several of the folks here are convinced that petcock rebuild kits are useless, and your only real option is to buy a new OEM petcock.

For now, for people who are 100% sick of carb overflow & the ensuing problems, the consensus then is to go with OEM petcock, seats & needles. it's expensive, but it seems to be the only certain way to correct this BS once and for all.

(I would add: no doubt there are people whose overflow problems began when they installed carb rebuild kit(s). The machining on the parts is often abhorent and inexcusably amateurish, and the f&^%#ing O-rings don't fit correctly. The consensus for a while now has been to buy gaskets IF you need them, valve seats & needles IF you need them, and an O-ring kit.)


The petcock does not, in any way, REGULATE the rate of flow. It should be either on or off. If you have overflow on a running bike, there's a problem with the inlet valve.

Either:

1) the float is no longer buoyant enough or is badly adjusted, or

2)the valve is bad, or is being held open by some foreign matter.

[Larry D]

These things are not extremely expensive, do some reading via the search function and learn about your bike some. A ton of info in these forums.

But be prepared to open the wallet, it may not cry, it may just sob a little.

Edit: Also put where you live so it appears in the upper right of these pages. You might have a member close, willing to help!

[Clumzi]

Wow, you guys are quick to reply! I like this place .

A little history. When I bought the bike, it had the wrong needles and seats. I bought the bike of a real winner of a guy, and by winner I mean a shyster chop shop prick. I bought a carb rebuild kit mostly just for the needles and seats but it came with new bowl gaskets (not the o-rings I don't think, but I may have replaced those too). I didn't clean everything since it looked in alright shape, but I really don't know what alright shape is having never pulled carbs apart before. The plan now is to pull everything apart and clean everything just like it says in that instuction pdf on this site.

Also, the petcock is the oem vacuum petcock. That was just installed not long ago by a local guy I do have great faith in. Needles and seats are oem as well. So, to quote robertbarr...

"Either:

1) the float is no longer buoyant enough or is badly adjusted, or

2)the valve is bad, or is being held open by some foreign matter."

I'm hoping that right there is it. Really crossing my fingers for just "foreign matter" but my luck hasn't been that good thus far.

Now, I checked the repairmanualclub.com site and it said I could only d/l 100mb per month and they didn't seem to have the '80 gs550 manual but they did have a '77 and an '83 for the 550. If I remember, both of those model years have different carbs, correct? I'll search for that name you mentioned.

Also, what about another option all together... could I poke around for a parts bike in the area and just pull those carbs? Would that make sense? Since the carbs on these model GS seem to be real screwy and give everyone trouble, is there another type of carb setup I could get off another bike? Is this just crazy talk?

BTW - I'm in Olympia, WA. Any Puget Sound GS people, PLEASE PM me! Forums are great, but real people are WAY better. -nick

[snark]

Check Ebay for donor carbs. You can sometimes find good deals there. Good luck.

[Nessism]

That '77 manual is the one you want. The download includes the base manual and all the different supplements together.

Used carbs are a crap shoot and will need rebuilding regardless, you would most likely be better off just fixing your current carbs.

Pull the carbs back off and look more closely at the float needles and seats - something is wrong there. You can put a small tube on the inlet tube and blow air into the fuel inlet and then move the float up and down to see if the air flow stops - flip the carb upright first of course. Keep at it and you will find the problem.

Good luck.