Not starting - doing my head in!!

[OzJavelin]

OK .. I've tried to search for this but "starting" is a pretty broad search term ..

I purchased by '79 GS550E and rode it around my 10arces a couple of times. Started and ran fine. I have since stripped the tank, side-covers and tail to paint. I have also replaced the happy-bars with stright ones.

Filling the carbs with a funnel and checking they were all full I have attempted to start the bike numerous times over the last couple of days and all i get is a few pops from one cyl firing and then nothing as the battery drains.

Pulling the plugs I find one and two are wet .. three and four are dry which seems to be a carb issue? If I pull the plugs I'm getting a weak spark from all except four which basically doesn't work at all. If I remember rightly swapping plugs allowed four to fire occassionally.

If I remove the plug and use a screwdriver to ground I seem to get a spark from all leads, but it looks weak?

I've checked the points, but have not removed them (I'm trying to not make too many new variables)

I'll replace the plugs (cheap) and try mucking about the coils, but the fact I'm not getting wet plugs on 3 + 4 seems to be carbs to me?

Might be a combination of electrical and carbs?

I stripped/cleaned the carbs on my ZR550 only a few months ago and didn't need to replace anything. Can I get away with stripping these carbs or will I DEFINATELY need to replace O-rings or something??

Ta,
Rod

[ryonker]

OK .. I've tried to search for this but "starting" is a pretty broad search term ..

I purchased by '79 GS550E and rode it around my 10arces a couple of times. Started and ran fine. I have since stripped the tank, side-covers and tail to paint. I have also replaced the happy-bars with stright ones.

Filling the carbs with a funnel and checking they were all full I have attempted to start the bike numerous times over the last couple of days and all i get is a few pops from one cyl firing and then nothing as the battery drains.

Pulling the plugs I find one and two are wet .. three and four are dry which seems to be a carb issue? If I pull the plugs I'm getting a weak spark from all except four which basically doesn't work at all. If I remember rightly swapping plugs allowed four to fire occassionally.

If I remove the plug and use a screwdriver to ground I seem to get a spark from all leads, but it looks weak?

I've checked the points, but have not removed them (I'm trying to not make too many new variables)

I'll replace the plugs (cheap) and try mucking about the coils, but the fact I'm not getting wet plugs on 3 + 4 seems to be carbs to me?

Might be a combination of electrical and carbs?

I stripped/cleaned the carbs on my ZR550 only a few months ago and didn't need to replace anything. Can I get away with stripping these carbs or will I DEFINATELY need to replace O-rings or something??

Ta,
Rod

Ya, you pretty much have to tear them down and really clean them. Otherwise you won't be able to eliminate the carbs. Tear them down to the bodies and dip the bodies and jets and bowls. Spray with carb cleaner and blast with air all the holes.

Then replace all the o-rings. You can get them from www.cycleorings.com
I think I have the website right. It's a nice man from this site who sells these!

Good luck!

Rick

[Rein]

check the actual voltage from the coils with a multimeter. You could always try unscrewing the caps, cutting off a bit of the spark plug wire, and then reattaching the caps, that gets you a fresh connection.

How long has it been since you last started the bike?

[Steve]

Tear them down to the bodies and dip the bodies and jets and bowls. Spray with carb cleaner and blast with air all the holes.

And, when we say "dip the carbs", we don't mean just dip and remove, or even the 15-30 minute soaking that the can recommends.
We mean a "dip" of 15-30 hours. That's right, one carb per day, one day per carb.

.

[OzJavelin]

Bought four new spark plugs .. fitted .. started first attempt and ran fine!!!