I just bought a 1989 gs 500, it started up fine when I bought it. when I got it home it was another story... I began to investigate and first found that the fuel lines where hooked up wrong, he had the fuel going to the upper t on the carb and it venting out of the lower t, also the vacuum line wasn't hooked up, so I hooked them up right and got it started, it started very easily and several times. The only problem was that it was leaking fuel out of the upper t, I tried the screw driver method to get the float unstuck but it didn't stop leaking. I gave up on it, turned the fuel and bike off and went inside. I figured I would have to take apart the carbs to clean and unstick the floats. I decided to give it another try before tearing into the carbs. When I came outside and tried to start it I couldn't get it to do anything, It kinda makes a wierd clanking noise down by the crank but no matter what I do I can't get it started? After I couldn't get it started I decided to start cleaning the carbs, One of the floats was stuck so I unstuck it and put the carbs back together and back on the bike. the bike no longer leaks fuel but I cant get it started now??? There is some compression(thumb method), there is spark, and it should be getting fuel, I dont get y it wont start... and I dont know what the wierd clanking noise is, could the leaking fuel have cause some damage and broke something? It's driving me crazy and I really want my bike to run, and what makes it worse is that I can even get ahold of the guy I bought it from he completely screwed me... one of the spark plugs had some fuel on it but i think it is more than a flooded cylinder? It just doesnt sound right when I try starting it. thanks
try pulling the sparkplugs out, and turning the motor over. does the motor spin over, or does it only click and not do anything else?
Quote from: 89blackgs on June 05, 2010, 01:32:27 PM..snip.. turned the fuel and bike off and went inside. ..snip..
Did you turn the fuel back on?
Also, how did you turn the fuel off? At the tank?
The stock petcock does not have an "off" position is why I am asking.
I would suggest you:
{1} charge the battery fully, or maybe try to jump start it from a NOT RUNNING car or truck that has a good 12 volt battery,
{2} make sure you have more than a gallon of gas in the tank, (looking in there won't help, add gas if you can)
{3} put petcock in "Pri", and try it again.
If that doesn't work, there are a lot of other things to try, (I'm guessing the petcock, or the vacuum to it, is messed up, that's why the fuel lines appeared to be installed wrong) but start with the cheapest and simplest stuff first. :thumb:
We need more info.
Have you checked that you haven't got a cylinder full of fuel? Take both plugs out and try turning it over.
I would say start from the petcock, check all fuel lines, clean the carb, check float reinstall if needed to make sure its set properly( check thos Orings), check the filter, charge the battery and give it a try...of course gas would sure help ... my b ike leaked gas thru my filter when i got it and i found the float was sticking .. took it apart and worked fine
When I pulled the sparks plugs out one of them had a little fuel splashed on it, I turned the engine over but it wasn't flooded enough to splash any of the fuel out, but the engine does turn over. The battery is fully charged and it has a couple gallons of fresh fuel. When I said I turned the fuel off I meant I turned it to Res, sorry lol. how would I check to see if the petcock and vacuum line is working properly? I have tired priming it and everything. I feel like I have gone over all of the basic stuff. I had it started and running good, it was just leaking fuel(stuck float) now i cant get it started at all. Would the leaking fuel have damaged anything and the clanking is bothering me I dont think it was doing that before. :cookoo:
Did you turn the gas back on at the tank?
Did you try to start and run it with the petcock in the pri position?
You said the fuel and vacuum lines were hooked up wrong, but it worked that way.
Did it ever run after you changed the fuel line routing?
If the petcock hasn't been altered by a previous owner: :dunno_black:
Pri position does not use vacuum.
On and Res do use vacuum. Res just draws from lower in the tank than On.
Don't try to do nineteen different things at once when trouble shooting.
Make notes and check off each item you check.
Due to your initial description, my guess is the frame petcock wasn't working right when you got the bike and the previous owner had worked around it.
However, since you took everything apart and put it back together differently, you should start at the beginning and follow the fuel flow step by step till finding out for sure where the problem is.
I would start at the tank and make sure that valve is on.
Make sure the fuel lines aren't pinched somewhere.
Take each fuel line going to the frame petcock off at the frame petcock (one at a time), and see if fuel flows through each.
(Have something to pinch the line off quickly till you can reconnect it, I use a hemostat, which is a kind of locking tweezers thingy that I got at Radio Shack.)
Follow a step by step process like that, following the fuel flow to the engine, before disassembling a lot of things at once and getting further confused, or spending any money.
If/when you find a problem, come on back here and ask, someone is sure to have a solution. Usually the best solution is the simplest and fastest one. (*k.i.s.s.) :thumb:
Not directly fuel flow related:
Another thing I would check asap is the oil, to make sure it didn't get a bunch of gas in it while the float was sticking.
Good luck, and keep us updated on what you find.
Jim
(*k.i.s.s. = Keep It Simple Stupid) ;)
You can confirm that the carbs are getting fuel by turning the drain screws and observe fuel running out the spout at the bottom of the bowl.
The clank is worrying. But it could be nothing. Does it sound like it is on the left side?
The carbs are getting fuel and I have tried to start it in prime, the clanking noise is coming from the right side if your sitting on it. Also the oil smells like it has fuel in it...