My GS500E clean up

[MrSporrer]

with the airbox on, today I took the petcock apart and can't seem to find any problem, I also drained some gross looking fuel from the carb. but after putting everything back together if i turn the frame petcock to prime then try to drain the carb nothing comes out on either side? does this mean something is blocking the passage of fuel?

on a separate note upon flipping the tank over with gas in it the gas cap started pouring fuel all over me. Is this a bad gasket in the cap possibly?

[SilnMe]

When you took the carbs apart did you check and clean your jets? It doesn't take a big piece of crud from old nasty gas to bugger them up. Sounds like you have a bad frame petcock. If the inside of your tank is in bad shape it won't matter how many times you clean those carbs, they'll clog every time.
You need fresh gas, a clean tank and then run your fuel line straight to your CLEAN carbs. Leave out the petcock for now. Try to start it without the airbox and see if you can get it to idle.

[J_Walker]

if you're sure nothing is gummed up in the petcock or the tank petcock. you can remove it with 2 screws under the tank, if you've got half the fuel, you can tip it towards the top of the tank. or the sides. or just drain it. and remove those two screws and check the inner screen.

Also it kind of sounds like the idle screws [you have two of them on the bike.] one you see with the plastic cap that you can mess with with everything installed. and one where the throttle cables are attached its just a screw and you have to adjust it off the bike..

[MrSporrer]

So first off I jump the gun on the carb not draining in PRI because after i posted that I went back out and it would drain but i couldn't take time to do it at the moment, so i just needed to give it a few minutes to get through the carb. today i will drain them and see if the gas is super dirty or not.

This is the first I'm hearing of a second idle screw, where is it at exactly? you said near the throttle cable, so on top of the carb somewhere? a picture would be super helpful.

finally does anyone know if my fuel system is dirty if I can use an additive like "SEAFOME" I've heard its praises sung here and other places as a clean all! but will it only work if the engine is already running? Thank you for all the help on the bike, I got my motorcycle license through the MSP last weekend and I'm getting antsy to ride!

[SilnMe]

Your fuel system essentially consists of your tank, carbs,  frame and tank petcocks and hoses if I'm not mistaken. You might want to keep it simple. Are you getting flow from the tank fuel chicken? Frame petcock? Carbs clean? Clean fuel hoses?
Also, I think the screw jwalker is referring to is the carb sync screw. If you haven't already, you might want to go through the sticky that was posted on the forum....and maybe get yourself a haynes or clymer manual.

[Swift63]

I just had the same problem on my '95 bike. Almost identical situation, bought used on CL for about $700. She was idling at about 3500 RPMs after warmed up. I cleaned the carbs, petcock, and replaced the fuel lines and she works like a dream. My frame petcock was completely trash and I had to get a rebuild kit for it.

As for your concern with flipping he gas tank upside down there should be a vent underneath the gas cap that leaks if you flip the tank (ran into that problem when I removed it to get to the carbs). 

Hope this helps, once you get it running people will be stunned a bike this old performs so well.

[MrSporrer]

Okay so tomorrow I'm probably going to clean the carb, should I buy a rebuild kit and jets? Or just clean and put back together. The frame petcock, and tank petcock work so the problem is definitely in the carb. I probably could use an air filter too. Pictures tomorrow if I take apart the carb and frame petcock.

[MrSporrer]

Okay so after eliminating the frame petcock and tank and just running from gas can to carb, new air filter installed, and it starts up then idles at around 3500 to 4000 rpms and idles for 5 to 10 minutes until it stalls unless I blip on the throttle.

So basically idles high and stalls at the low end, do I need to rebuild the carb or just clean it? Ugh this is frustrating.

[MrSporrer]

Woah! New problem? Maybe this symptom will help figure out the answer, so I just tried putting the bike into gear, and it died. So could this mean that an electronic problem is pulling electricity and at low rpms the alternator isn't providing enough power to spark!? Ideas? Help!? Solution?! Thank you to anyone who has helped and will help this community is the best!

[Janx101]

In gear and dies.. side stand down or side stand switch/wiring faulty

Dying after short time. Maybe fuel flow or vacuum lacking/leaking with changed lines?

High idle. . Carb boots or mixture wrong?

Others should be more exact with info. But I wouldn't wrap it all together. . Solve one problem at a time.

Change/investigate too much simultaneously and its hard to be sure you have individual items corrected

[SilnMe]

In gear and dies.. side stand down or side stand switch/wiring faulty

Dying after short time. Maybe fuel flow or vacuum lacking/leaking with changed lines?

High idle. . Carb boots or mixture wrong?

Others should be more exact with info. But I wouldn't wrap it all together. . Solve one problem at a time.

Change/investigate too much simultaneously and its hard to be sure you have individual items corrected

Did you try ugging the vacuum port from the LH carb? If you have a CA set up this may be leading to a vacuum leak that may explain the high idle. You got it started though, awesome! Don't give up you're almost there!

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[SilnMe]

Stupid spell check. ***plugging***  and I'm not sure of just CA models have this vacuum port, maybe someone else knows. Still need to and see if you left it open though.
Janx is right, one.problem at a time.

[MrSporrer]

So I ordered a new side stand relay because I replaced my side stand switch already. I guess i really am gonna have to take apart the carbs and clean them.

[Physic55]

The black on white really works well together. I'm debating doing white forks too but with black frame and black cherry tank and fairings....

[MrSporrer]

thank you, and that sounds cool deep red and white frame. i'm thinking of doing white stripe down the tank and front fender

[MrSporrer]

The carb and petcock are cleaned! but i'm missing those springs under the air screws so i ordered a pair off bike bandit. now i have to wait till Thursday for my sidestand relay then we'll see if its any better.

[MrSporrer]

Carb back in, same issues, bike still stalls anywhere bellow 2000rpm. No idea where to go from here, replaced the sidestand switch and relay yet bike stalls in gear. Starting to consider taking it to a mechanic, In over my head.

[Physic55]

Carb back in, same issues, bike still stalls anywhere bellow 2000rpm. No idea where to go from here, replaced the sidestand switch and relay yet bike stalls in gear. Starting to consider taking it to a mechanic, In over my head.

Sounds like a air/fuel mixture problem. Is there a pop or burp coming from the carbs before it cuts out?

[MrSporrer]

yes I have experienced fuel vapor puffing into the airbox after stall, but I set the airscrews to 3 turns out as stated by the manual.

[Big Rich]

Mr Sporrer, if you start a dedicated thread to your carb problem, you're much more likely to get responses.

To me it almost sounds like it's running on one cylinder. Try pulling one spark plug boot off at a time while it is running (but don'thave your other hand on anything metal when pulling the boots!). If the engine dies when you pull one boot but not the other, you found the problem side.

When you said you cleaned the carbs, how exactly did you do it? If you're running on both cylinders but can't keep a decent idle, your pilot jets may still be clogged.