82' 1100E Cyls 2 & 4 slow to warm up

[Anonymous]

I've been working on a GS1100E over the winter and fired it up for the 1st time today and found that # 2 and 4 cylinders were very slow to warm up. It takes about 2 minutes of the engine running before you can't touch the header pipes on those 2 cyclinders but 1 & 3 heat up really quickly. I don't think this is related to any of the work I've done over the winter because it was doing the same thing in the fall before I started any of the work. Once warmed up, it ran fine. Any ideas? I bought the bike used in the fall and only rode it for a few hundred miles before it was too cold to ride anymore but as I mentioned, it had the same symtoms before doing anything to it.

[earlfor]

Re: 82' 1100E Cyls 2 & 4 slow to warm up

The idle passageways and float bowl choke tubes are most likely clogged on the #2 and #4 carbs.

Earl

I've been working on a GS1100E over the winter and fired it up for the 1st time today and found that # 2 and 4 cylinders were very slow to warm up. It takes about 2 minutes of the engine running before you can't touch the header pipes on those 2 cyclinders but 1 & 3 heat up really quickly. I don't think this is related to any of the work I've done over the winter because it was doing the same thing in the fall before I started any of the work. Once warmed up, it ran fine. Any ideas? I bought the bike used in the fall and only rode it for a few hundred miles before it was too cold to ride anymore but as I mentioned, it had the same symtoms before doing anything to it.

[Anonymous]

mine does the same on #3, is it a hard fix, if i never messed with carbs?

[Anonymous]

I'm quite familiar with carbs but can you explain exactly where to find the idle passageways and float bowl choke tubes. I had the carbs out to install a jet kit over the winter and pulled them again today. I checked every jet and passageway I can think of. I also checked the diaphragms to make sure they were seated properly as well as the slide movement and needle valves and everyhting seems to be OK.

[earlfor]

On the outside side of your carb, you will see the choke assembly/piston on each carb. (it is covered with a small rubber boot) Directly under it, inside the float bowl, you will find a brass tube abrox 1/8" diameter and 3/4" long.
On the end/bottom of this tube you will see a pinhole aprox 1/32"
diameter. The choke function is supplied fuel through this 1/32" hole. If it is clogged or any passage in the choke/piston assembly is gummed up, the choke assembly will move normally, but no fuel will pass through it. When the choke is engaged, the idle circuits (fuel pilot and pilot air) are
inoperative....that is normal. As the choke is reduced, fuel and air pilot screws start to resume their normal function and once the choke is completely in the off position, the idle mixture is supplied fully by the fuel and air pilots. If you start the bike on full choke and then reduce choke slightly to control rpm and while the bike is running on choke only, put your hands on all the exhaust headers, if you feel any pipe that is cold while others are getting warm, the only possibility is that the choke circuit is not functioning. Once the bike is warmed slightly and the choke is in the off position, the engine will be running on the fuel and air pilots (idle circuits) If at idle a pipe remains cool or luke warm and others continue to get hotter, then there is an idle passageway obstuction. The idle passageway is a small channel that runs between the main jet and the fuel pilot screw. It is internal to the body of the carb and starts in the side of the housing of the main jet and end at the fuel pilot jet. It does not run in a straight line, so it is not possible to "ream" it out with any kind of wire or such. That would be a bad idea anyway because the diameter of the passageway is critical and should not be altered.

The choke tube can be lightly "reamed" with a bristle from a stainless steel brush. The only way to reliably clean the idle circuit passageway is to remove all plastic and rubber from the carb, disassemble it completely, and soak the carb body in carb cleaner at least overnight. Spray can carb cleaner/spray I have found is useless for this problem. It takes time for the solvent to soak and dissolve the gum build up in the minute passageway. Once soaked, I blow it out with compressed air

Earl

I'm quite familiar with carbs but can you explain exactly where to find the idle passageways and float bowl choke tubes. I had the carbs out to install a jet kit over the winter and pulled them again today. I checked every jet and passageway I can think of. I also checked the diaphragms to make sure they were seated properly as well as the slide movement and needle valves and everyhting seems to be OK.

[Anonymous]

Earl: You couldn't have explained it better that that. I read through the manual and couldn't find what you just explained to me. I have noticed that it does start to warm up considerably once the choke is turned off so it does sound like the choke tube could be blocked. I'll follow what you said about trying to "ream" it out and let you know how I make out.

Thanks a lot,


Sean

[Anonymous]

The only way to reliably clean the idle circuit passageway is to remove all plastic and rubber from the carb, disassemble it completely, and soak the carb body in carb cleaner at least overnight. Spray can carb cleaner/spray I have found is useless for this problem. It takes time for the solvent to soak and dissolve the gum build up in the minute passageway. Once soaked, I blow it out with compressed air

Would it be alright to soak the carbs in varsol since I have quite a bit of it lying around?

[earlfor]

Since for soaking, you would first remove all plastic and rubber parts. anything that would dissolve gas varnish build up and didnt react on aluminium would be fine. I have never used varsol, so I dont know what it is.

Earl

Would it be alright to soak the carbs in varsol since I have quite a bit of it lying around?

[Anonymous]

Earl: Varsol is the Imperial Oil (ESSO) trade mark name for paint thinner.

It won't do any damage to your carbs but it won't remove any scale either. I tried using it during the holiday season and it worked well for removing grunge on the outside of the carbs but that's about it. I used spray cleaner with it too but the scale is pretty tough... Luckily all I really needed was new o-rings and float valves so it didn't matter.

Steve

[earlfor]

Considering that, I would forget using it then and go to an auto parts store and buy a gallon can of carb dip.

Earl

Earl: Varsol is the Imperial Oil (ESSO) trade mark name for paint thinner.

It won't do any damage to your carbs but it won't remove any scale either. I tried using it during the holiday season and it worked well for removing grunge on the outside of the carbs but that's about it. I used spray cleaner with it too but the scale is pretty tough... Luckily all I really needed was new o-rings and float valves so it didn't matter.

Steve