my first carb clean...and NO luck! a little help?

grasshopper4040 · July 30, 2006, 06:15:40 PM

hello again! well, i just finished my 1st carb clean...and it only took me 5 hours!!! here's the deal -- so i'm off today and decided to clean my carbs because my 97 gs500 was having trouble starting, idling really low when it did start, then pooping out. so buckets of sweat and 3 hours later i'm taking apart the carbs and ready to clean them. i open them up expecting to see lots of gunk, but they seem to be super clean! i do a bit of cleaning anyway (i'm didn't take em apart for nothing), put everything back together, and hop on hoping to ride around these last few hours of daylight.
BUT -- i press the button and no luck. it turns and turns but doesn't "catch". a couple of times it started running, but when i turned the throttle she cut off. so since i'm new to this, what do i do now?

i'm still waiting on a 'pilot' screw to come in, so maybe that will help, but if the carbs are clean what else should i do? float height adjustment and rejetting may be a bit too advanced for my scope (from what i've read on the searches), so i'm thinking of taking it to the shop.
anyone have any suggestions?

also, how much $$ do you think i'll have to drop to get this fixed??
aaarrrrrgggghhhhhhhhhhhh...

Egaeus · July 30, 2006, 06:37:11 PM

Did you clean the pilot jets? That's often the culprit with your symptoms. they have a very small orifice and are easily clogged.

annguyen1981 · July 30, 2006, 06:38:33 PM

I know this is basic, but did you adjust the idle screw?

grasshopper4040 · July 30, 2006, 06:44:43 PM

Quote from: Egaeus on July 30, 2006, 06:37:11 PM
Did you clean the pilot jets? That's often the culprit with your symptoms. they have a very small orifice and are easily clogged.

i'm pretty sure i did that...i cleaned out every hole there was (that i could see, anyway)...

Egaeus · July 30, 2006, 06:46:43 PM

Quote from: grasshopper4040 on July 30, 2006, 06:44:43 PM
Quote from: Egaeus on July 30, 2006, 06:37:11 PM
Did you clean the pilot jets? That's often the culprit with your symptoms. they have a very small orifice and are easily clogged.

i'm pretty sure i did that...i cleaned out every hole there was (that i could see, anyway)...

But did you take the jets out and clean them. You have to do that to get them clean.

grasshopper4040 · July 30, 2006, 06:48:22 PM

Quote from: annguyen1981 on July 30, 2006, 06:38:33 PM
I know this is basic, but did you adjust the idle screw?

i've been messing with that for days. unfortunately, my bike won't stay running long enough for me to actually feel it working. instead, i try to start it and if it doesn't work, turn the screw one way or another, and try to start again -- keeping my fingers crossed. if i could get the bike to keep running, i think i'd have more luck adjusting the idle.

grasshopper4040 · July 30, 2006, 06:58:54 PM

Quote from: Egaeus on July 30, 2006, 06:46:43 PM
Quote from: grasshopper4040 on July 30, 2006, 06:44:43 PM
Quote from: Egaeus on July 30, 2006, 06:37:11 PM
Did you clean the pilot jets? That's often the culprit with your symptoms. they have a very small orifice and are easily clogged.

i'm pretty sure i did that...i cleaned out every hole there was (that i could see, anyway)...

But did you take the jets out and clean them. You have to do that to get them clean.

let's see (i'm looking at the clymer wondering exactly what i did)...i got the main jet out, couldn't get to the pilot jet -- that's the one you'd need a long, skinny screwdriver to get to, right? and...ughhh...didn't remove the needle jet because i couldn't figure out that crazy clymer picture. i figured i got the 'jet needle' and that would've been enough. could this be the problem?
so i guess i have to take it apart again? or is there a way to 'flush' these areas clean?

Egaeus · July 30, 2006, 07:01:06 PM

You have to take out the pilot. That's probably your problem.

grasshopper4040 · July 30, 2006, 08:26:33 PM

any other possible issues? i'm gonna do it all again, so while i'm in there hit me up with any suggestions!

The Buddha · July 30, 2006, 08:55:00 PM

Rejet the mofo. And yes a stock bike with stock pipes and stock air box ... should be rejetted. OH yea hoses all should be hooked up right - vacuum hose and the drain hose out of airbox especially.
Cool.
Srinath.

grasshopper4040 · July 31, 2006, 01:01:59 AM

what types of jets should i get? should i just go in and clean them, or are there specific 'new' things i should pick up. as far as i know, everything is stock...including the air filter. i've found some other info on types/sizes(?) of parts:

Use 40 pilots, 150 mains and 1 #4 under each needle and air screws set to 3 out. FAQ has more detail. You do need pipe, K&N wihtout pipe = hard to tune (from you, srinath, regarding rejetting a 92 gs500 for a K&N air filter)

would these be the same jets i should use on a 1997 even though i'm keeping the stock filter?

The Buddha · July 31, 2006, 06:51:20 AM

Stock filter and you have pipe

or that also stock

In either case 125 mains and 40 pilots, and 3 turns and 1 #4 washer. Not hard to tune at all.
Cool.
Srinath.

grasshopper4040 · July 31, 2006, 10:22:30 AM

Quote from: seshadri_srinath on July 31, 2006, 06:51:20 AM
Stock filter and you have pipe or that also stock
In either case 125 mains and 40 pilots, and 3 turns and 1 #4 washer. Not hard to tune at all.
Cool.
Srinath.

thanks man! i'm off to take 'em apart once again. maybe this time it'll only take me 3 hours!! i guess the more you do it, the easier it becomes. by the way...is it bad for me to be taking it apart and putting it back together so many times? granted it's only twice so far, but if my idling problem continues maybe i'll have to do it again...

MPA · July 31, 2006, 10:32:37 AM

Quote from: Egaeus on July 30, 2006, 07:01:06 PM
You have to take out the pilot. That's probably your problem.

+1 - I missed that step the first time I cleaned the carbs, and the next time the bike sat for a week or so I had the same problems and had to do them again. The carb cleaner was able to free up some of the gunk without removing them, but when I pulled them out again there were very small openings in both.

It shouldn't take more then 30 minutes or so to do the cleaning procedure once you have the carbs off the bike.

You guys jet for a filter and exhaust? I just adjusted my pilot jet and was good to go on my EX

aaronstj · July 31, 2006, 10:46:59 AM

Quote from: MPA on July 31, 2006, 10:32:37 AM
You guys jet for a filter and exhaust? I just adjusted my pilot jet and was good to go on my EX

We jet like crazy. It's already pretty lean from the factory, and with a decent filter an exhaust, it's super lean.

grasshopper4040 · July 31, 2006, 11:58:21 AM

ok...so i've gotten my carbs out (again). i got em out waaayyy faster than yesterday (by hours!), which makes me happy...yet concerned at the same time.....
anyway, i'm gonna clean those jets for real this time, put em back in, piece my bike together and hope for the best. i called one of the local 'stealerships' (i learned that word here -- great job) and the don't have the jets i'm looking for. shouldn't they carry them cause 97 500s are the coolest? hahaaa. actually i wouldn't really know since i haven't even 'ridden' my bike yet. i'll do the rejet some other time.
also, is it important for me to 'sync' my carbs when this is all done? i don't even know what that would entail.
thanks to everyone for all your help!! actually...i'm not gonna thank you until my bike is running

The Buddha · July 31, 2006, 01:19:29 PM

Pilots - Non bleeds - part number 42-7130 - Tucker rocky.
Eyeball synch them carbs ...
And yes my little grass hopper - carbs come out fast ... very very fast ... especially more so if you dont disconnect the cables ... I just fling them over the right with cables and hoses still attached ...
Also you can replace the manifold bolts with 8mm hex caps, then shove the airbox back ... not even lifting it out and lift the carbs straight up with the manifolds still on it. You have to un hook hoses though ... else they'd snag ya.
Cool.
Srinath.

aaronstj · July 31, 2006, 01:48:33 PM

Quote from: seshadri_srinath on July 31, 2006, 01:19:29 PM
And yes my little grass hopper - carbs come out fast ... very very fast ... especially more so if you dont disconnect the cables ... I just fling them over the right with cables and hoses still attached ...

Dammit, you should've said so a couple a days ago, when it would have helped me. Never occured to me to leave everything attatched. You learn something every day.

grasshopper4040 · July 31, 2006, 02:22:59 PM

Quote from: seshadri_srinath on July 31, 2006, 01:19:29 PM
And yes my little grass hopper - carbs come out fast ... very very fast ... especially more so if you dont disconnect the cables ... I just fling them over the right with cables and hoses still attached ...
Also you can replace the manifold bolts with 8mm hex caps, then shove the airbox back ... not even lifting it out and lift the carbs straight up with the manifolds still on it. You have to un hook hoses though ... else they'd snag ya.

sensei...

grasshopper4040 · July 31, 2006, 04:30:35 PM

ok...i'm sure you've all been waiting on an update. i got back in and cleaned the jets, put it all back together (correctly i hope), and after a few tries, got her running. there were a few tiny 'backfires' when i gave her gas to keep her running. unfortunately, she wouldn't stay idling unless i was turning the throttle (well, no more than 15seconds without gas). on the plus side, there was enough time in between cut offs for me to try and adjust the idle. hopefully this was because she was warming up, and i just need to give her time...right?
when you warm your bikes up in the morning you don't have to sit on the throttle, do you?
anyway, i'm still waiting on that screw to come in from the dealer, so hopefully that will be the final piece of the puzzle. unless of course you guys and gals have more pieces...

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my first carb clean...and NO luck! a little help?