Idle/stalling

[ershd]

Hi I’m new to the forum! Glad I found it, I just picked up a 1980 GS550E. I got it started with the choke on and would stall immediately once pushed back in (or keep reving it) Pulled the carbs and sprayed some carb cleaner into the jets and put it back on and same thing. Pulled them off again and pulled the plugs off the pilot jets to access them (what are those plugs for?) took them out and inspected them for clogs, looked fine. I really don’t want to put them back on again until they are done right. I’ve ordered a carb kit and waiting until they arrive before I do anything. Is there something that typically causes these symptoms? Thanks!

[motorbox1]

Completely disassemble the carburettor and clean it ultrasonically. Clean thoroughly. Then assemble and adjust with new seals. After that it should work.

[der_martinator]

Hi and welcome to the forum.

You should also check the ignition, the spark plugs and connectors. Do you still have a contact ignition? Then check whether the contacts still open properly, the gap and whether the capacitors are still OK. Likewise the centrifugal advance unit - does it still move freely? Then measure the flow of the ignition coils on the secondary side and check the spark plug connectors at the same time. They should have a resistance of approx. 5kOhm, not 100k or more. The spark plugs themselves can have a sticky coating on the insulator, in which case the spark no longer establish at the electrode but low down. This produces symptoms similar to those you have described.

Cheers Martin