so after giving the carbs another cleaning for the 3rd time... in like 2 months. twice within a week. I KNOW ITS NOT THE CARBS! :/ when i got my bike to finally start it popped than started... than It ran for a few mins, an the exhaust started blowing out white smoke with a slight blueish tint, very slight.. but it was there. It stopped after about 10 secs, I figured it was water in the pipe cause it rained last night. but I don't think it was that, cause on the front right side.. Theres this..
(http://i39.tinypic.com/nesun7.jpg)
So guys, Am I screwed? Time to give up and just take it to a shop? cause I'm about ready to be done with this bike, if it aint one thing its another... Btw It wont start anymore AGAIN.
Pull the spark plugs out and see if the are:
1. oily
2. white and dry in color
3. rusty
4. wet
The spark plug will tell you almost anything you want to know.
Since the engine is air cooled you don't have to worry about a coolant system, but maybe rain getting into your gas tank. That could be a problem there.
Last time I checked my sparky's The one on the right side was rusty/kinda white dry lol? Two things in one? I'll use a better camera too. here ill walk outside and check them and let you know what they look like Now.
Quote from: ghostrider_23 on December 12, 2011, 02:57:22 PM
Pull the spark plugs out and see if the are:
1. oily
2. white and dry in color
3. rusty
4. wet
The spark plug will tell you almost anything you want to know.
Since the engine is air cooled you don't have to worry about a coolant system, but maybe rain getting into your gas tank. That could be a problem there.
the one on the left is the left side on the bike, the one on the right is the right side.
I used my good camera this time ^_^ I gotta keep it out.
(http://i41.tinypic.com/5vngn7.jpg)
One on the left is a hair rich. One on the right looks almost perfect to me. It's not nasty and black and it's not charred looking (ashy white).
It looks like you have a little moisture in the tank, maybe from the Ethanol. If the bike sits for a while the Ethanol creates water that sits in your tank and will end up in your engine. I use this stuff called X2, it's a fuel additive that takes the water out of your tank.
Change or clean the plugs and add some additive that will reduce the amount of water in your tank. Run/ride it out and with every fill-up use some of whatever additive you want to reduce water/Ethanol.
I don't know why we as American citizen allow crap like Ethanol to be put in our fuel and it is suppost to be raised up here real soon from 10% to 15%
Oh what a free world we live in :police:
Hope this helps
What could it be?.. I Hate to have to drain my gas.. its half a tank and I'm already scraping for money. but if it would fix this. i'd do it. But I wanna make sure its fine.. My gas tank is sealed pretty tightly, so I don't see how water could of gotten in. but also, GS500's have problems with their petcocks right? Could mine be bad and not allowing enough gas flow into the engine causing it to act funny? if so.. I might take a break and hold off for a week or two till I can make some money to replace the petcock/gas lines. I srsly can't think of anything that could be wrong other than this...
Relax it looks fine to me. Clean the plugs up and put them back in. There is nothing wrong with your tank or anything else, it's just a side effect from Ethanol in our fuel and what happens when a bike/car, etc sits for a little bit.
Nothing to worry about. If you can add some additive go for it, if not you'll run it out.
I'm sure this may start an Ethanol discussion later.
I have to go, but you are fine. I'll check in later tonight. No worries
Throw some seafoam in the tank, fill her up with gas, and let the chemicals do the hard work. :2guns:
Okay I got her to ride a few mins ago. She died and I walked her 7 blocks back to my house and up a hill. a little tired, But all well.. So It warmed up like it use too. 5k rpm. Put choke off and back down to 1,200 RPM. good lets ride. Took off at first. Than sputtered, than died... Its like its not getting enough fuel.. Fuel lines clogged? whats up guys.. Give me something other than, spark plus/cleaning the carb, cause both of those are fine!? Also compression is fine, Checked that... No exhaust is leaking as far as I can see/feel.
OK, here the lowdown,
You have old gas that when it sits turns into water & syrup like chemical reaction.
If it is that bad that you cannot drive it, drain the gas out completely.
Now here is where you will have to test your mechanic skills.
Chance are the bad gas got into your carb and is making the needle stick. You said you cleaned the carbs did you remove any jets? Did you put them back in the same spot? Did you take the float with needle out and clean it? Did you make sure you put it back together again correctly without messing the float level up. This is what you need to answer for yourself.
As far as the petcock goes, it either works or it doesn't. Take the fuel line leading from the petcock to the carb off and see if you have a good fuel flow on each carb. If you do then the petcock is good.
Which will lead you straight back to the carbs.
Quote from: ghostrider_23 on December 12, 2011, 06:52:10 PM
OK, here the lowdown,
You have old gas that when it sits turns into water & syrup like chemical reaction.
If it is that bad that you cannot drive it, drain the gas out completely.
Now here is where you will have to test your mechanic skills.
Chance are the bad gas got into your carb and is making the needle stick. You said you cleaned the carbs did you remove any jets? Did you put them back in the same spot? Did you take the float with needle out and clean it? Did you make sure you put it back together again correctly without messing the float level up. This is what you need to answer for yourself.
As far as the petcock goes, it either works or it doesn't. Take the fuel line leading from the petcock to the carb off and see if you have a good fuel flow on each carb. If you do then the petcock is good.
Which will lead you straight back to the carbs.
I put brand new gas in it like 2 days ago, only a half of tank tho. And yes I took the float needle out and cleaned it.. and all the jets took those out too. cleaned with a small needle. and some blowing with air from my mouth...
So far for the float height that could be whats messing everything up.. I Dont know 100% but ill look into it.. Take the crabs off for the 10th time? Possibly... GOD DAMNIT GONNA LEAVE THEM OFF SOON! But my float needle looks 100% fine. checked both of them.
I know that the floats should be about 13mm or almost 1/2 inch but how do you adjust them? anyone have pictures I read you have to bend the tongue. but I don't know what exactly the "tongue" looks like? Im guessing its that little metal piece that comes from the floats? The only metal piece on the physical floats. that is.
the plug on the right has a oil burning mark on the porcerlain. you may get this if your guides are sloopy.it happens in the first few revolutions of starting up from cold because oil has run down valve guide after engine was stopped but before it was cold .
Here's a silly question- You said you put in a half tank... maybe less than a half tank and you hit reserve on your test ride...?Worth checking...
Plugs don't look too bad. It ran ok for a short bit with them (Plugs are cheap...replace them when in doubt).
You say you cleaned the float needles etc... They can look fine and not seal right-they can get hardened and not seal well.
If I'm going through with taking the carbs off a bike to clean them - I replace the float needles, O-rings- bowl gasket ( Can't remember having a leaking bowl gasket on any of the projects but one-but they come in the kit...)
http://www.partsnmore.com/parts/suzuki/gs500e/ Part # 48-1947 (for the 89-00 bikes) $34 or so for two kits ( shipping extra I think). or you cab buy the needles/seats for 8-9$ each. They used to have a minumum order...don't know now.
Yes the metal part of the float is what you bend to raise or lower the float height. The clymer manual is a good reference for how to measure it/adjust it. 13.5-15.5 mm is the range if memory serves.
Good luck.
Letting my bike sit for a little bit, Carbs flooded. I adjusted the floats.. they we're pretty bad. Anyway. I'll make a video of me starting it up. And hopefuly IT STARTS CROSS YOUR FINGERS!!