Hello everyone,

As you have seen in my previous posts, I am trying to bring a 96 gs500 back to life. I have cleaned, painted, scrubbed, greased, broken bolts, fixed bolts, scratched, sniffed and sniveled over this bike for the past 2 1/2 months only being able to work on it for about 2-3 hours every evening and some weekends.

Well, I am finally to a point that I am ready to get it started and I have hooked the wiring harness back up and installed the carbs and any necessary engine parts. I hooked up my temporary gas can (anti-freeze overflow bottle from Autozone) and the carbs poured gas. I tried to sort that out the first evening only to realize later, DOH! I am a dummy. I had the hose connected to the outlet of the carbs.

Next evening I go out and hook it up correctly, no leaks! SO, I connect the jumper cables to the truck and push the start button and for a few times and only for about 1/2 second, the thing roars to life. Afterwards, I notice some oil leaking from the left side cover. (Got to look into that first.) But after some attempts to set start it, I could never get it to fire off again.

I have a compression gauge but the fittings are too large. (Harbor Freight Tools) so I can't fully test the compression to see if there is enough. I only know that putting my finger over the spark plug hole, it pops my finger off the hole, so I would assume some pressure.

I also checked the spark plugs and both "look" like they are getting a good spark. The right side looks clean and new but the left side looked a bit black and wet, so I am still assuming too much fuel on that cylinder.

So I guess that only leaves the carbs, I had initially taken them apart when I first bought the bike and I have cleaned them thoroughly and inspected all the parts which seem fine. The only problem I noticed was that someone prior to me buying the bike, had pinched one of the carb diaphragms between the body and the black cap. I straightened this out and put it back together carefully and after checking both today, it seems fine and fits correctly in the grooves.

Any suggestions that you all have I would greatly appreciate. Links to reading on the subject, (I have the manual so I am starting over there and I have also read the wiki pages but will re-read those again.)

I have a K&N Lunchbox, cut / open Pipe (For now) and stock jets which I know are problems with my setup so I have a kit ordered from The Buddha.

Thanks a bazillion!
CB

When you cleaned the carbs, did you pull the pilot jet out and make sure that it is clean?  I had one cylinder not firing all the time at idle and it was due to the pilot jet being clogged.  I also pulled the idle air screw out and made sure the passage was clear.

Oh, and if you have the carb's mounted, you might as well check the float height before you take it all apart again.

i like that spelling

Send em if you're sure is carbs, like I said in the PM's ... maybe plugs, I can trouble shoot carbs with symptoms, like misfire when accelerating or lack of acceleration etc etc, not start and clean carbs = problem is elsewhere IMHO.

IMHO, Clean carbs and all else being OK, it should start, run like crap but still get started for sure.

Cool.
Buddha.

Be careful.    Yanno Buddhapest is a registered carb molesterer 

Well, I pulled the carbs off again and decided to pull them apart again to see if the need cleaning. Apparently, I had an oring in the set screw of the left carb that has deteriorated and could be causing most of the problems. Also, I did not realize that the white plastic pieces come out so the first time around, they didn't get removed and cleaned / inspected. So it looks like I will be getting an oring kit as well.

What is the best / safest carb cleaner? I have used choke and carb cleaner but that stuff is nasty. Burns your skin and overall just caustic.

Yamaha brand carb cleaner is the best stuff to use. Get it at the local dealers. Its less toxic than some of them out there.

Yamaha carb cleaner turned carbs black - if used full strength ... I wont recomend it at all ... maybe diluted 1:10 with hot water ... maybe and max 1 day soak.

Spray is better, but like he said, it burns wherever it contacts your body like there aint no tommorow. Eyes and face protection a must.

Cool.
Buddha.

The Ken swares(sp) by the O'Reilly's stuff.

quick question.  what would cause fuel to leak out the overflow tube when the bike is running.  it was doing it even with the bike off and i found the needle above the float stuck.  fixed that but it still leaks when running.

sounds like float needle got stuck again

if so then why was it leaking even when the bike was off before (and no it wasn't on prime) and now only when it is running?

Whoo Hoo! It will start! It will run.....for about a second. I finally got my tiny o-rings in and had a moment to sit down to clean the carbs and get them all back together. My problem now is that I am not getting enough fuel. I can put my hand over each intake and the vacuum will pull fuel through and get the motor to crank but it won't stay running. Good news is that at least it does want to start!

Now, I am assuming that once I get the jet kit from Buddha in, everything should be good? Or should I at least be able to get this thing to idle terribly?

EDIT: I guess I should also mention that I have installed a K&N Lunch Box (due to not having any filter at all) and I am running an open pipe at the moment. Would this cause the bike not to have enough vacuum at the intake to pull fuel in?

Wait a sec ... you put your hand what ... and what it do ...

You honestly at this point need to make sure you got fuel flow ... and past that I suspect spark plugs.

Yea yea buddha jet kit ... going tommorow.
Cool.
Buddha.

If I put my hand over the intake (left first) it produces enough suction to get fuel flowing. Then it tries to start. I only had a little fuel in a radiator overflow bottle so I am wondering if maybe not enough fuel flow was geting there. I also had to quickly put my hand over the right intake too.

Rad bottle good for 1 hour of idling. And atleast 10 mins riding round the neighborhood. Fuel flows by gravity (you hang it on mirror right ?). You may just be jetted off, but you should get 1/2 decent revs in driveway still.
Cool.
Buddha.

Yep. I had it hanging from the handlebar. I didn't have but maybe 1/4" cup of fuel in the little tank. Surely that's not the problem? Everything on the carb is stock so you're saying that I should still be able to get it to start and even though it may run terrible, it will still run? Or could the fact that it is running lean cause that sort of problem? (With lean carbs and too much air?)

1/4 cup ... please it oughta be 1/2 full ... sorry need more fuel.
It should start but run like crap under load yes. It will run fine in your diveway though.

Cool.
Buddha.

Okay. I will give that a shot. The carbs were cleaned really well and as far as I can tell, everything was back in the right place. 2 turns on the air mixture / pilot screw.

Thanks, CB