82 suzuki gs550L starting probs...

[az_bandit]

hi... my name is jacki, and i just purchased a 82 suzuki gs550L, and to get it started first thing in morning, or first time for day, i have to remove the seat and spray starter fluid in the intake, and when riding it idles way too high... does anyone have any idea what might cause this?, or how much is gonna be to repair?

[richtazz]

Welcome to AF.

It sounds as if you have a vacuum leak. Due to it, the engine is sucking air in ahead of the throttle plates and choke which is leaning out the air/fuel mixture and causing your high idle and hard cold start.

I believe that engine has the rubber boot style intake. The rubber boots are bonded to a metal plate that bolts to the head, and where they are glued together is a common place for vacuum leaks to start.

[jeffcoslacker]

You beat me to it Rich.

I concur. Needing a shot of extra fuel to start cold screams major lean condition.

The "choke" on these carbs is a misnomer...it's actually an enrichener. When you push the choke control, a plunger is raised that allows more fuel to bypass the normal idle circuit.

Sometimes the linkage might come off one or more plungers and fail to lift when you choke it. Watch the carbs when you move the choke control, make sure you see all the plungers being moved.

If not that, massive air leak would be suspected. Chances are that someone turned the idle up high enough to overcome the vacuum leak, that's why it idles so high. It probably won't idle below that speed sucking air as it is.

I just went through some trouble with my old Yamaha XJ650...it was really wanting the choke for an absurd length of time and being hard to start. Finally it began missing at idle and I knew what the problem had to be.

One of the carb boot to cylinder head gaskets had cracked and a big piece was missing from it. Sucking air something awful. Some have gaskets, some have o-rings. Don't know which you have.

As rich said, if the boots are cracking that will suck air too. I've had some success repairing boots with black RTV gasket silicone.

Spraying some WD-40 around the boots while it runs may show you the problem. The engine will react when it sucks the spray into the leaks.