Ok, I've looked at the diagram on the site here, and I did mark the hoses (most of them) while taking off the carb to do a clean job (had sputtering on take-off and would only run in the prime petcock position). What I find a bit odd is that the right vacuum nozzle had a hose connected to it that lead down to where the battery hose was. Also, on the diagram, it doesn't show this last T section where there is also a hose to be connected (my carb has 3 t sections rather than the two shown on the diagram picture). Lastly, I have 4 hose connections on the fuel tank -- two to the petcock and two others. One I assume is the overflow. These connections are located as follows: the one is close to the petcock on the tank, and the other is on the right side of the tank. Also, one of these hoses was very short and I had to remove it completely (I think I had to) to get some work done. In hindsight, I probably should have cataloged things better, but that is neither here nor there.
Note: I'm new to motorcycles and carbs. It has been fun so far, but very stressful as I'm worried I've made it to where the bike is not going to work when all the hoses are hooked up rather than just not running optimally.
Any help would be appreciated.
OK. How much did you un-do on the carbs? Second, is your bike a California model or rest of the world? (CA has extra emissions crap-ola).
From the carbs, normally, there are only 2 hoses. One hose is the fuel in. It goes to a lower "T" between the carbs on the airbox side. There is a "T" on the top that basically goes no where, though sometimes to a short hose with a small air filter.
The other connection is a vacuum hose from the engine side of the left carb. It goes to the fuel petcock.
The rest is the throttle cable and the choke (i.e. starter as Suzuki calls it) cable.
The petcock has 2 hoses from the tank and one to the carbs. The small connection on the back side is that vacuum like that goes to the left carb.
1. I basically just did a quick clean. Took of the diaphragm/needle assembly, cleaned the needles and made sure all the rubber was good (o-ring/diaphragm). I took off the float bowls, floats and jets and cleaned the area/jets/bowl.
2. I'm not sure how to check if it's a Cali model, but I'm going to guess that it is as it does have the canister (assuming evap canister) mounted under the battery which has a vent hose and a hose that connects to the gas tank.
I know the throttle and choke cables, and I did attach them last night after I posted this. I also identified the vacuum hose coming from the rear of the petcock and attached it to the right side of the left carb.
Now, I know the main and reserve tank lines and those are easy to get on the correct hookups (especially when I accidentally pulled out one of the brass nozzles on the tank petcock trying to free the hose).
That leaves the emissions hose to the tank which is the right connecter now that you've shown me that the bike is a Cali model (still assuming). So now there is one hose connector to the tank that originally had a short hose coming off of it (maybe 1ft long, if that) which I don't know where it goes (if this is the drain/overflow hose, why is it so short and where does it go?), one hose from the petcock, one hose that goes nowhere that was originally hooked up to the right vacuum port on the right carb, and one that is hooked up to the evap canister that was originally hooked up to the carbs.
The carburetor has 3(4 including the right vacuum port) hookups left. There are two t-sections on the airbox side of the carb. One between the top of the opening and one between the bottom of the opening. These are the ones that are in the diagram (which are casted metal). The other "t" section is located on the engine side of the carb on the bottom right in front of the float bowls. This is a rubber section with a nozzle in the middle just as with the casted metal t sections. I'm assuming that this goes to the canister since that is the only one that the other models don't have? Correct me if I' wrong.
The real conundrum is why is there a hose connected to the right of the carb that looks like somebody was creating an overflow hose? Also, can I just cap the hose connections on the evap canister, gas tank, and carbs and just remove the hoses?
I'm very confused with this thing.
I just went back and looked, and the petcock lines seem messed up as well. The main fuel hose is connected to the outlet that should go to the carb from the frame mounted petcock. The outlet that should run to the carb is leading to the main fuel hose. I'm assuming this is why the bike was dying as soon as I'd try to run it in the on position and could only get it working in reserve or prime.
I wont touch it until I know for sure that this is (for some strange reason) not how it's supposed to go on cali models.
I'll have to go look at some carbs - though I do not have any CA carbs.
Maybe someone with CA carbs can help with some pictures.
It would help if you posted pictures and told us where the diagram is that you are trying to follow for connecting things back up.
I'll try to get some pictures posted in a few minutes. The diagram I'm referencing is this one:
http://www.bbburma.net/FuelHoseRouting.htm
and
http://www.bbburma.net/FuelHoseRouting.htm
Someone probably remembers where there are photos.
The diagrams you pointed to show the fuel though the bottom illustration is hard to follow.
Pix will help to see if you have things correctly connected.
To post a picture, click the "mona Lisa" icon and insert the URL to the photo between it. You do have to upload the photo somewhere like photobucket or any other photo sharing site.
Based on a newer model, I know you can cap off all the canister hoses. I think the canister is a "feel good" thing added for environmentalists. Probably uses more energy and pollution to make that canister than it actually keeps out of the air.
Ok, I figured out where all the hoses go from various pictures I could conjure from the mighty internets; however, there's still the hose that leads from the right carb vacuum that goes nowhere. I hooked it back up as it was and the bike starts easily.
Here's the new problem. The bike starts and just revs higher and higher. I've adjusted the throttle cable as far low as it will go, but it continues to rev super high. I'm not sure how much clearance there should be between the idle adjustment screw and the bottom of the throttle, so I'm not sure if the throttle cable somehow got kinked.
I didn't mess with the float adjustments, so I don't think it could be that. Is there anything I'm missing here that would cause it to rev almost to redline as soon as I turn the bike on? Also, once or twice on attempts it would idle for about 3 seconds at a decent idle then just hop back up to redline revs.
Are you reducing the choke?
With choke off and bike warm, adjust idle screw for around 1200 rpm.
The choke is all the way off, and the throttle is as low as it will go. I disassembled the throttle assembly on the handle bars to give as much slack to the cable as possible at the carb. I was able to slack the throttle cable and the throttle on the carb didn't move, so it's as loose as it needs to be (I imagine).
So, no choke, throttle is as low as it will go, which is not even touching the idle adjustment screw. I started the bike with just the gas left in the carbs and it still rev'd very high (tach doesn't work so not sure how high).
You need to adjust the idle screw. That is the little knob on the bottom of the carbs between the 2 carbs and between the carbs and the engine. Reach in with fingers to turn it. Counterclockwise: slows down idle. The idle screw limits how closed the throttle will go. You could cut the throttle cable and the throttle will go no more closed than what the idle screw allows.
If not touching idle adjustment screw, then you have something holding the carbs open. When fully closed, no air goes in so the engine would die.
Maybe the carbs are not synced so one is always open. You can do the hillbilly test and pull one plug and see how it runs. then pull the other plug wire and compare. If running mostly on one side, then pulling the wire from one plug will make no difference and pulling the other one will kill the engine.
Pull the carbs and visually inspect the butterflies. They should look the same. If one is open a little while the other is closed - carbs are really out of sync. When t hat happens, you'll never get the engine to slow down because one carb is always open.
I suggest you get a Haynes manual (I prefer it over the Clymer, either is OK). It is important to have a good manual in your hands. They're pretty cheap and very useful.
An owners manual is also quite handy.
You can find some manuals on-line if you search. Google "gs500 manual" for some of the current links.
Yeah, the idle screw isn't making contact with the throttle anymore (loosened it so I could make sure it wasn't the idle adjustment) and it was still reving high on startup.
When I put the carbs back on, I made sure the butterflies were (to the naked eye) synched. Even though that's not that great of a test, a synch difference of that little shouldn't produce that bad of an outcome -- at least I wouldn't think, but that's why I'm here :)
I'll pull the carbs off again after a while and see if there's any wackiness going on.
Assuming it is not a throttle or butterfly issue, could this be caused by improperly adjusted floats? Second, the original owner had the fuel lines hooked up as follows: The main line was fed from the gas tank to the carb outlet on the frame petcock, the reserve line was fed to the main hookup on the petcock, and the carb line was fed from the reserve nozzle on the petcock. So basically on this diagram:
http://www.bbburma.net/FuelHoseRouting.htm, 1 went to 4, 2 went to 3, and 5 went to 7. I have since hooked them up as the picture says to hook them up. I.e. 1-5, 2-4, 3-7.
Edit: I also did order the clymer manual about 3 days ago. Still waiting on the arrival :(
It could be possible a vacuum hose is wrong or not connected.
A vacuum somewhere or lack of one could cause the carbs to stay open.
Also look for air leaks from air box to carbs. Too much air and things can't close down. I believe that's why the newer carbs have 2 throttle cables: one to pull open and the 2nd one to push shut.
Thanks for the input. I'll check the connections. I'm not sure how to check for vacuum leaks, but if I take everything off and put it back on, maybe it will fix something that was messing up.
Quite likely that it is an emissions vacuum hose on wrong and its keeping the carbs opened up.
Re-check the hoses. Pictures would help. Someone may spot something connected wrong.
ok, I'll go take some pictures. Do we have to upload pics on a 3rd party server and then link them here, or are we able to upload them here. I know all forums are different.
3rd party. Instructions also in the FAQ's
Ok here are the pictures.
Ok, this is under the carb. This hooks up to the evap canister. This is the third T section I was talking about in the initial post. The second photo will show where this hooks up.
(http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t469/00sanchez/20120314_211755.jpg)
Ok, that hose in the first picture is the one on the far right in this picture. This is the evap canister. The larger hose hooks up to the gas tank on the right side. Although I forgot to take a picture of it.
(http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t469/00sanchez/20120314_211732.jpg)
This is the petcock. The reserve will be hooked up on the right side with the nozzle that is pointed towards the ground and the main line will be hooked up on the left side with the nozzle pointing left. The hose next to the main nozzle leads to the bottom T section on the carb that connects the two float bowls on the air filter housing side of the carb. There is a hose hidden behind there and that is hooked up to the right (inside) side of the left side carb (clutch side).
(http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t469/00sanchez/20120314_211629.jpg)
This is the top view. The hose on the right side (top of picture) of the bike is the large hose from the evap canister. It will hook up to the right side of the gas tank. Working down, the next hose will be hooked up to the air filter housing (left it off to fiddle with throttle). The last hose will be hooked up to the upper T section (seen here just below the unattached nozzle on the air filter housing).
(http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t469/00sanchez/20120314_211526.jpg)
Ok, here we can see the choke cable and the vacuum hose hooked up to the left carb.
(http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t469/00sanchez/20120312_212919.jpg)
Here is the throttle cable (middle of the pic). South of that is the top T nozzle that will hook up to the gas tank (cali model). Behind the throttle, again, is the choke cable.
(http://i1061.photobucket.com/albums/t469/00sanchez/20120312_212913.jpg)
Ok, I talked to a three people now, and they are all saying it's probably a stuck choke; however, the cable operates the choke fine, and there are no hangups. Is it possible that while the slide to open and close the choke seems to operate when the carb is installed, the choke mechanism is actually not working? If so, how would I check this?
Be sure the choke rail is pulling the choke brass piston on each carb and pushing it back in
Just checked them. Both pistons are moving fine.
Just a thought. One of the pilot jets looked like it had been stripped (I couldn't get it out without stripping it further). Is it possible that this could be caused by metal flakes clogging the jet?