1997 gs500e with start problems HELP!

[RossLH]

Is that coming out of the valve cover or the spark plug?

[Janx101]

it is swirling around a lot... but .. looks like from valve cover .. air movement suggests that also ... needs a gasket?


only other place from that vid is from those cooling fins in the 'valley' area ... gunk build up? .. though i think the smoke would more likely just rise and stream away .. not swirl..

anyone run a motor without valve cover? ... do they smoke without valve cover like that? ... i would guess no! .. but i dunno 

[newbie1993]

How would I get that gunk out? If there is actually gunk in there?

[Janx101]

good big squirt of degreaser .. let it soak for a little.. cloth on end of screwdriver to nudge a little maybe? ...  strong water jet  from a good garden hose .. maybe a pressure cleaner but watch what you aim at!.. get most of it out probably.... thats only for in the cooling fins outside the motor though ...

if it is vapours coming from the valve cover .. dont direct water there! .. dont need H20 inside your engine!

[Kerry]

My guess is that the valve cover has been removed at least once, and that either:

• The rubber-ish gasket was not seated properly when the cover was replaced, so it (the gasket) got "pinched" and prevented a proper seal, OR
• An excess of gasket sealer was used ... but that seems unlikely as a cause for the "leak" unless it was allowed to dry and harden before the cover was replaced.

[newbie1993]

I would have to remove the cover that you're holding in your profile picture and replace the gasket?

[Kerry]

Well, pull the cover first and see if the gasket has been squeezed / crushed near the area where the vapor is coming out.  (It can be hard to position it just right during reassembly; I try to "finger inspect" it all the way around before tightening down the bolts.)

If it is crushed, see whether you think it's bad enough to need replacement.  It might be sufficient to apply some gasket sealer and seat it correctly ... but that will be your call.

[newbie1993]

I'm the exact opposite of a motorcycle mechanic... It's like you're speaking another language

[Kerry]

Hmmm.  Trying to figure out the best place to start....

Have you watched the "Valve Adjustment" video that my avatar image was pulled from?  You can ignore the actual checking and adjustment of valve clearances for now, but it might be helpful to watch the initial "disassembly" portion ... up to the point where I remove the valve cover ... and then skip almost to the end where I discuss putting things back together (which is where that image comes from).

Here is a set of related links that I keep in an electronic "sticky note".  It looks like the first 2 links don't work anymore  but the last 3 are all from my own webspace:

My GS500 Valve Adjustment Video

Streaming (Google) video
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2015554469142545363&q=GS500&pl=true

Full size, from the CD I used to ship  (550MB)
http://www.jackardisana.com/gs500/GS500ValveAdjustment.wmv

Lower resolution, with auxiliary files (221MB)
http://bbburma.net/Videos/GS500_ValveAdjustment.zip


Photos of Valve Adjustment Kits
First Kit:  http://bbburma.net/MiscFotos/100_1983_ValveToolPackage.jpg
Second Kit:  http://bbburma.net/MiscFotos/CX7530_0214_NewValveToolkitContents.jpg