Waterlogged Carbs and Valves, HELP!!!!

[restless]

Hi all, long-time lurker (I think I made an account on here at one point but couldn't recover it). I bought a GS500 as a first motorcycle mostly because I found this community when I was looking at this bike, and because I had heard how mechanically simple a GS was (something I cared a great deal about given this was my first bike and I wanted to fix it up myself). Just wanted say thanks for any help, feel free to skip the backstory and read just fun parts!

Short backstory: I bought this bike in fall of 2016. It ran when I bought it. While I was waiting to get my license, the bike sat. When I got my license the bike wouldn't run. I didn't have a place to work on it at the time and thus took it to my mechanic. He said there was the classic rust in the gas tank, carbs plugged etc. He cleaned the gas tank and I drove the bike home. I had midterms that week and was again unable to drive it for a week or two. When I came back to the bike I was experiencing what I thought to be fuel starvation or (after lurking this forum) a poorly jetted idle screw. I'd get it up and running and take it out on the street, then the bike would not accelerate over 15 miles an hour, it would immediately start stalling out. A work opportunity came up and I ended up working abroad for the past eight months in Africa. During these eight months the bike unfortunately sat (with a tarp over it) at my parents house.

Last week, I got the bike up to a friend's and pulled the tank, carbs, etc. I find that not only are the carbs blocked up, they're completely waterlogged, water (and thus rust) even got up all the way up to the intake valves that come directly off of the carbs (I can add pics below if this a confusing description). Water luckily did not get into and rust the cylinders. They appear fine. But I'm left with rust in the valves, watterlogged carbs, god knows what kind of condition the tank is in. I honestly am not sure where to start. I took the carbs up to a mechanic friend and he didn't even understand how the carbs had so much water, he thought the bike was completely submerged (it wasn't). My friend is taking care of cleaning the carbs. But I was hoping for your all's assistance with the steps needed for the bike. Sorry if this a bit broad but here's essentially what I was hoping to get advice on given my lack of mechanical knowledge of the bike:

• What are the safe steps moving forward to get the bike up and running. My friend suggested to change the oil immediately, then run the bike till it's really hot. Then change oil again and I should be fine. Slightly concerned about getting all of that rust in the valves into the cylinders.

• What are the things I should check (e.g. fuel lines?, spark plugs?) for damage and potentially replace?
  

• Lastly any ideas on how this much water could get in? The original mechanic said he washed the tank out with water. Is it possible water got trapped in the back part of the tank and he wasn't able to drain it completely? Or is it possible water just leaked through the gas cap (unsure how long it sat uncovered?)

Thanks again!!!

[J_Walker]

‎Moh roughly for Iron Oxide III [red rust] 5.5.
Moh roughly for Hardened steel 7-8 [lets assume 7 because Suzuki cheaped out on everything on the GS500.]

RUN THAT RUST THROUGH. - carbon does way more damage.

Take a tea spoon of oil or so, and poor it into each sparkplug and turn the engine over a couple of times just to lube up the sidewalls. rust is soft, but dryness causes excessive heat. just prevent it.

of course clean the rust out of the carbs. but as far as INSIDE the engine YOLO. 

[yamahonkawazuki]

When's the last time carbs were THOROUGHLY cleaned? Talking not spray but soaked in cleaner overnight?
Aaron

[mr72]

When's the last time carbs were THOROUGHLY cleaned? Talking not spray but soaked in cleaner overnight?
Aaron

BTW DO NOT DO THIS until you have disassembled the carbs and get the rubber parts out, notably the diaphragms.

And as usual don't spray carb cleaner on the intact carbs ever. ever. especially not into those carbs. ever.

I mean, EVER.

[restless]

‎Moh roughly for Iron Oxide III [red rust] 5.5.
Moh roughly for Hardened steel 7-8 [lets assume 7 because Suzuki cheaped out on everything on the GS500.]

RUN THAT RUST THROUGH. - carbon does way more damage.

Take a tea spoon of oil or so, and poor it into each sparkplug and turn the engine over a couple of times just to lube up the sidewalls. rust is soft, but dryness causes excessive heat. just prevent it.

of course clean the rust out of the carbs. but as far as INSIDE the engine YOLO. 

Hi sorry for the late response, school started and I have left the bike under storage at a friend's house an hour north. Planning to go up next weekend and knock all this stuff out.

My current planned order of operations sounds similar to what you're suggesting (will definitely integrate the spark plug tip):
1. Clean carbs completely with carb cleaner and soaking
2. reattach carbs,
3. change Oil, (concern of water getting into oil)
4. get the bike hot and run it for a bit.
5. Change oil now that hopefully the majority of the gunk has been run out of the engine
6. Pray

The other thing I've considered is that given the intakes coming off the carbs (no idea if this is the correct term) are rusty, should I try scraping out these with a putty knife/paper towel? Before doing the above...any ideas on how this water could have found it's way in?

[restless]

When's the last time carbs were THOROUGHLY cleaned? Talking not spray but soaked in cleaner overnight?
Aaron

Hey thanks for the response (and sorry for the late reply).

I unfortunately am unclear on this point. At minimum a year, but possibly significantly longer.

Thanks

[restless]

Hi All,

I figured I'd try to revive this thread to see if I could get anymore help. Spring Break is coming up for school (next week), my plan is to basically lock myself in my friend's garage for seven days and do as much work as possible. With that in mind: The bike has had problems pretty much since I got it.

If the bike is just not running, and I have no idea how this water got in. Do you all have any suggestions on things I should knock out while the bike is entirely disassembled and/or things I should check/replace given previously described symptoms (engine cutting out when throttle is engaged, rainwater somehow getting into carbs etc.)?


Thanks and any suggestions/advice is much appreciated!!

[mr72]

Presuming it's a Mk1 (I don't recall the year model), I would do this procedure to ensure the carbs are up to snuff. You need to order parts ahead of time, such as o-rings etc.

For water to get in the carbs you may have a leak. I would sift through all of the vacuum lines, fuel lines, overflow drain hose, airbox vent, vents under the fuel cover, etc. and ensure there is no vacuum leak or fuel leak anywhere, and then just have faith you have done all you can. If you don't leave it out in the rain for 8 months again without running it you probably won't wind up with as much water in it again even if you don't find the source.

Focus on making it run right. Don't get too wound up on why it got water in it.

- Clean and dry what you can
- get the carbs freshened
- do as suggested by putting a little oil in the cylinders prior to trying to run it once it's all back together
- make sure the plugs are clean and in good shape
- start it, run it, adjust carbs, and then diagnose whatever issues remain after starting with this baseline.