Carb Issue

[Mr Toga]

Hello everyone. Great looking website here. I'm going to be using it a lot in the next few months. Anyway, just traded a quad for a 1979 GS550E. First order of business was to get all of the electrical functioning. Done. Right now I'm working on the carbs and they're a mess. Screws are snapping left and right and everything is clogged. I'd like to rebuild them (new jets, needle and seat, screws, etc) but am having problems finding parts. I have the same carb set up as the tutorial describes (Mikuni). For whatever reason, the parts diagrams I have for the bike (bikebandit) show a different setup for the carbs. Am I using non-standard carbs? If so, where can I find parts/rebuild kit for them? Thanks everyone!

[spyder2120]

hey mr. toga. can you post a picture of the carbs? some one should be able to tell what they are. i loohed on babbitts parts fisch and they show 2 different sets of carbs for 79 550. one covers b,c,ec and the other says c,ec,n,en. ive not messed with a lot of different carb types, only vm26. if you get luckey the cafe kid may pop up and see your thread. if you have a pic then he could probably id them so you can find out what to order. i would use oem parts, usually the metal parts are good so all you'll need are the o-rings and maybe gaskets. mr. barr has the proper o-rings the autopart store variety will break down on you fast. dont forget to dip them. also try www.babbittsonline.com not only do they have the parts fishe, but they also have a spot to type in the part # to see all the bikes that use the same part (usefull for ebay shopping)?

[Mr Toga]

Here's pictures of one. There is 4 of them that mount on 2 brass rails.

[mike_of_bbg]

Those are CVs. On a 79 they should be VM, but perhaps there's a chance you have a whole engine swap? Does yours have a kick starter? You sure about the year?

You should check the jets to ensure they are stamped with the correct size for your bike (see the sticky post about factory carb specs). Generally the OEM jets are considered to be of higher quality than those in rebuild kits, and usually just need a good 24-hour soak in Gunk or Berryman's carb cleaner to remove any varnish. Make sure your screwdrivers fit very tightly and securely, particularly on the jets (but on the idle screws the head needs to be small enough to not damage the threads - some grind down screwdrivers with the diamond-shaped heads). Sometimes heat is needed for the pilot jets, and some just leave them in when they dip the bodies. On mine I could plainly see light through them before and after the cleaning while still in the carb (though I did remove them), but it's best to get them out if you can.

You should be able to get replacement bowl and top screws at most any hardware store. Mr. Robert Barr (a super contributor here) sells full o-ring kits at www.cycleorings.com , plus you can get new intake o-rings and stainless steel screws for the intake boots from him. That and some new gaskets from Z1 enterprises should get you where you need to go. The OEM needle/seat kits are quite pricey and still available (~$30/carb), but aftermarket ones don't have a good reputation.

[spyder2120]

hopefully someone will know what they are out of the two sets. i thought they would be vm26 with it being a 79. thats what i guess from thinking. lol.

[BassCliff]

Greetings and Salutations!!

Hi Mr. Mr Toga,

Pull up a chair, make a pot of coffee, kick back. Here's your homework. There's tons of good info below if you follow all the links. Everything you ever wanted to know about the Suzuki GS but were afraid to ask.

Here is your very own magical, mystical, mythical, mind-expanding "mega-welcome". Please take notice of the "Top 10 Common Issues", the Carb Rebuild Series, and the Stator Papers. Now let me roll out the welcome mat for you...

Please click here for your mega-welcome, chock full of tips, suggestions, links to vendors, and other information. Then feel free to visit my little BikeCliff website where I've been collecting the wisdom of this generous community. Don't forget, we like pictures! Not you, your bike!

Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Mr Toga]

BassCliff: Thank you! I appreciate the links and will definitely take some time to visit them

Mike: The bike is stamped as manufactured in September of 1979. Does this make it a 1979 or 1980? It does not have a kick start

[almarconi]

If it doesn't have a kickstart then its a 1980 with mikuni cv carbs.

[Mr Toga]

Thanks almarconi. I appreciate your's and everyone elses help

[BassCliff]

The bike is stamped as manufactured in September of 1979. Does this make it a 1979 or 1980? It does not have a kick start

Hi,

It's very common for the bikes of a certain model year to have been manufactured in the fall of the year before.

Where on this wide, wide world of motorcycles are you located? Feel free to fill in your location information and put your bike model in your signature file. It makes it easier for us to give proper advice. Keep up the good work.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[Steve]

The bike is stamped as manufactured in September of 1979. Does this make it a 1979 or 1980? It does not have a kick start

Yep, it appears you have one of the very early 1980 models. All of the above information is spot-on, and you should bookmark BassCliff's site for future reference. If you don't already have a service manual, you can get one there, along with a LOT of other good information.

Nice to see you have some of the electrical stuff taken care of and are working on the carbs, but before the carbs can be properly synchronized (their last step after they are back on the bike), you need to check the valve adjustment. BassCliff also has information on how to adjust the valves. Look for the Valve Adjustment (8 Valve) entry and it's accompanying Zip Tie Supplement. I also offer an Excel spreadsheet that helps a bit with the process, check the last line of my sig for details.

.

[Mr Toga]

Thanks Steve. My plan of action is to get the bike to simply start and run around the backyard. After that, then I plan on stripping the bike down to the frame and doing a full restoration, adjusting, and cleaning. I've done this on 2 stroke quads but this is my first 4 stroke.