1981 GS 550T- my first project

[Guest]

Here is a little background. I got this 1981 GS550T with 10K on it from my second cousin about a month ago for $500. he had it stored at his mothers storage shed out back of her house for the last 20+ years. the thing looks almost brand new.

So i go ahead and pick it up only to have his mom tell me that the key is with her son, which is 4 hours away. So i load it up on the trailer and give him a call asking to mail the key. he was very excited that i bought it and was happy to see that it will be used again. tells me he will mail it asap.

So i unload it at my farm and dust it off and take the nasty looking faring off it. i am not a fan of them at all. with taking that off i noticed now i dont have a headlight or front turn signals. i should be able to find those pretty easy on ebay.

now without a key i cannot take off the seat or open the tank, which has some sort of liquid in the tank. i assume at one time it was gas but that was about 20+ years ago.

Fast forward about 2 weeks i finally get the key. key looks almost brand new. i get the tank and seat off. petcock is compleley seized. i will get a new one of those. and i start to get the carbs off. I go to turn the throttle to release the throttle wire and it wont turn. i get the choke off easy enough but the throttle wouldnt budge. i bend the tab on top of the throttle cable so i can slide it off. The butterfly will not budge. Can old gas in the carbs make the butterfly seize and not work? i just got the carb to my work where i will work on spraying the carb with cleaner hoping to get the throttle spring to at least move. is this the right process? i will try to get some pics up here later today i need to get back to work.

I am hoping that this project wont make me crazy but i am excited about it. Thanks in advance for all your guys help. this website is pretty neat for a new bike owner like myself. thanks.

[JTGS850GL]

Welcome! here's a quick link to a ton of information and a warm welcome to the forum:

Greetings!

Old gas can indeed make a mess of a good set of carbs. A complete rebuild is in order. Here's a link that will help:

CV carb rebuild tutorial

Hope this helps!

[cowboyup3371]

Good luck on the work; you'll love how the bike runs.

[signguy35]

it seems that the slides are stuck in place. ever seen that before? should i spray carb cleaner and then pry a bit to get unstuck?

[steveb922]

Best not to pry - there are various soft bits that can get damaged. If the slides are stuck, then the carbs themselves will most likely be full of sticky muck. I foresee a full cleaning in your future...

Take the carbs off as a unit and follow the link that JTGS gave you. If you're already at that stage, let them soak in your dip, or ultrasonic, before you try to force anything.

[signguy35]

i kept spraying carb cleaner in there and they ended up moving.

So i am doing one carb at a time due to space ay my shop and plus i dont want tons of parts sitting around. everything seems to be going smoothly. i will be ordering new orings and gaskets for them today.

question about the intake boots. when i was pulling the carbs off they seem to separate from the mounts that bolt to the engine. is there a way to seal them up there? the rubber that the carbs slide into seem good yet. i am just not all excited about spending over $100 on new boots if i dont have to. Thanks.

[signguy35]

also what else can i soak my carb bodies in besides carb dip? i just read on another post of a guy putting his in pine sol? that work? or anything else?

[GSX1000E]

question about the intake boots. when i was pulling the carbs off they seem to separate from the mounts that bolt to the engine. is there a way to seal them up there? the rubber that the carbs slide into seem good yet. i am just not all excited about spending over $100 on new boots if i dont have to. Thanks.

They would be in need of replacement indeed. Bite the bullet and get new ones or it will never run right. http://www.partsoutlaw.com/oemparts/.../cylinder-head

[signguy35]

so it seems that my needle jet is also stuck. just spay some blaster down there and wait?

[cowboyup3371]

The pine-sol isn't guaranteed to work and is typically used by folks outside of the states who cannot get the Berryman's. Save yourself the future headaches and use Berryman's.

[signguy35]

ok so i ordered new orings, new carb gaskets, intake boots, oil filter, air filter element. time to soak some carb bodies and brass parts.

i was looking at oil today at Theisens today and i only say the Rotella 14W-40 diesel oil. is that what i need or is the 10W-40? is that harder to find?

i will also need a new battery, it looks like i need a 12V 10amp. where is a good place to get one at a decent price?

Thanks guys.

[cowboyup3371]

You can get a cheap lead acid at Walmart or Batteries Plus. Personally though, I prefer my Motobatt AGM

[Gold01ca]

Rotella T 15W40 Diesel engine oil is a forum favorite.

[signguy35]

so with my impact i can get the outter most screws out on my intake boots. how the hell do you get the inner ones out without the intake? they seem to be on there pretty well.

As i was taking the clutch cable off yesterday i noticed that the spring that is attached to it was broke so i am happy to have found that and i cleaned the inside of the case off. that was full of gunk.

another question. when i pull parts out of the carb dip do i rinse them off with warm water and let air dry? Thanks.

[78550GS]

Rinse with Berrymans aerosol carb cleaner and then compressed air.

The only way to make sure they are clean that I have found.