My air filter is all gooey
Josh Sirota
because I think it applies to anything carburated.
Anyway, I've been having trouble getting my '85 Suzuki GS550E to start.
I've checked to be sure that the carbs have fuel in the float bowls, that
the plugs are firing, and that the choke is working. Still, it doesn't even
CONSIDER starting. The plugs seem to have a weak spark, so I'm going to get
new ones tomorrow.
Finally, although I didn't think it would help, I pulled out the air filter.
The filter is a foam type, and it's totally soaked. The color of the liquid
is fairly red, but it's sticky, unlike the super-unleaded that's in the tank.
I can't imagine what's gotten all over the filter. It appears to have come
from the carburator side of the filter rather than from the air intake
because the housing isn't sticky, but the inside of the manifold also seems
to be coated with this gooey red stuff.
What could it be? Is this the problem or merely a symptom? I'm going to get
new plugs and a new air filter tomorrow, but I think I may just be treating
the symptoms and not fixing the problem.
Thanks for any help. Please e-mail any advice, and I'll summarize and let
you all know what fixed the problem (I hope).
Josh
--
Josh Sirota
Sun Microsystems, NSE group
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Josh Sirota
>Anyway, I've been having trouble getting my '85 Suzuki GS550E to start.
>
>The filter is a foam type, and it's totally soaked. The color of the liquid
>is fairly red, but it's sticky, unlike the super-unleaded that's in the tank.
>I can't imagine what's gotten all over the filter. It appears to have come
>from the carburator side of the filter rather than from the air intake
>because the housing isn't sticky, but the inside of the manifold also seems
>to be coated with this gooey red stuff.
I went out and looked at the filter again. Whatever it is is definitely
oil-based ... may even be engine oil, but it's hard to tell. How could
engine oil get all over the air filter? The bike has no crankcase breather
or other such exhaust recirculation system.
Actually, I do have one suspision ... the previous owner told me that the
bike had a K&N air filter, which require spraying with a reddish oil.
However, this filter is foam and I thought foam filters are supposed to be
used dry. So, maybe he THOUGHT he had a K&N and sprayed the filter,
rendering it useless. The bike has only been driven on one 5 mile trip,
and then started a couple of times, since I bought it ... perhaps it took
that long to get the oil to the carbs if he oiled it right before he sold
it to me (when he gets back in town in a week I'll try to interrogate him).
If this theory is correct, what kind of damage may have been done to my
carbs? And I'd love to hear any other theories ...
Randy Davis
|Finally, although I didn't think it would help, I pulled out the air filter.
|The filter is a foam type, and it's totally soaked. The color of the liquid
|is fairly red, but it's sticky, unlike the super-unleaded that's in the tank.
Well, it simply sounds normal... The filter is *supposed* to be oiled, and
most foam-filter oil I have bought happens to be red (and it *is* sticky). The
description you mention about it being all over the inside of the intake
sounds like some nimrod got a little over-excited with the foam filter oil,
which is actually easy to do, especially with the flat foam filters that are
difficult to squeeze the excess oil out of...
I WOULD NOT replace the filter. If it has too much oil in it, go get some
Kal-Guard Foam Filter Cleaner (this stuff works GREAT) and foam filter oil,
both of which you will need as normal maintenance items for your bike, and
clean the filter then re-oil it (SPARINGLY). Possibly also use the foam
filter cleaner to clean out your intake that you said was covered with the
stuff also (the cleaner seems to do a good job dissolving oil).
Don't think the air filter is your problem, though....
Randy Davis UUCP: dell.dell.com!rjd
1K Ninja Pilot (ZX-11 Pilot soon - deposit's down)
ARNIE SKUROW
foam, and requires the red sticky oil that is sprayed on it to be effective.
However, it only requires a small amount. Some people have a tendency to over-
spray the stuff on filters, thinking it will be better, when in effect, it
isn't.
Arnie Skurow
Keith Tomkins
> |Finally, although I didn't think it would help, I pulled out the air filter.
> |The filter is a foam type, and it's totally soaked. The color of the liquid
> |is fairly red, but it's sticky, unlike the super-unleaded that's in the tank.
Stock foam filters from Suzuki are supposed to be used oiled. You
should clean it in a solvent first and then apply about an ounce of motor
oil. Gently squeeze out the excess. DO NOT WRING OUT THE FILTER AT ANY TIME!!
If the oil in the filter now is red, it is probably K&N filter oil. This
stuff is good for K&N filters, but doesn't work as well in the stock filter.
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Keith Tomkins *
3Com - Enterprise Systems Division * All I ask for is the chance to prove
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k...@ESD.3Com.COM *
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Steve Kaess
the plug gap correctly also.
as to the air filter it's a oil soaked type. you should wash it out with
ivory or other dish soap and then resoak it in oil. ask a suzuki place
what type to use, they'll even have it in stock!!
--
Steve Kaess at The Black Cat's Shack (Fidonet 1:109/401)
Internet: Steve...@f123.n109.z1.fidonet.org
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Steve Kaess
filters required a special oil. just call a shop up and get the
straight dope. oil will not hurt the carb if it flows through the air
passages. if it passes throught the fuel passages it's another story.
you can keep the filters off, and spray some starting fluid through the
carbs to aid startup. be aware that flames will shoot out the carbs when
you do this, so be away from spilled gas, and be sure not to get to much
starter on the rest of the engine.
Paul P. Austgen
probably starving the engine for air. Most folks seem to
inevitably over oil foam filters.
Josh Sirota
>Anyway, I've been having trouble getting my '85 Suzuki GS550E to start.
>
>oil-based ... may even be engine oil, but it's hard to tell. How could
>engine oil get all over the air filter? The bike has no crankcase breather
>or other such exhaust recirculation system.
Well, I'm pleased that I got quite a lot of responses on this one. They all
boil down to one basic thing:
1) Foam air filters *ARE* supposed to be (lightly) oiled
2) Even if the previous owner seriously over-oiled the filter, no
significant harm should have come from anything.
So, armed with new spark plugs, some starting fluid and some carb cleaner, I
went to get the bike started. I cranked and cranked and cranked and cranked,
and, oh! What was that?!?! Did it actually fire once? Big smile emerges as
I continue to crank, and it sounds like maybe it's actually going to start.
Yes! It started! It stalled. But this is progress. More starting fluid.
Got it running. Only two cylinders. Why? Must have gotten only one of the
carbs clean. Keep cranking. No luck. Too late, might be keeping the
neighbors up.
So, I went to sleep knowing that I got the bike half running.
Next evening, I start trying to make sure that I haven't done anything
stupid, like reconnected the #3 and #4 spark plug wires backwards. No
labels. Check the service manual. Yup, looks like one of the coils serves
#1 and #4, not #1 and #3 as I had them connected. Okay, switch 'em. Touch
the start button. It started!!
So, now the bike is running fine, thanks to a significantly dryer air
cleaner, new plugs, and lots of cranking. Thanks for all the responses.
Now, I have one more further problem ... the bike stalls when I come to a
stop. It idles okay when I start it, but when decellerating to a stop, as
soon as I disengage the clutch, it stalls. Why might this be?
David Hebert
I had a '79 Kawasaki 650, and it had Mikuni carburators on it.
I found that if I didn't start the bike for a few days to a week,
the number 3 carb always got gummed-up. If you leave the gas purge
ON (even though your owners manual tells you not to do this), the
carb will not get gummed up, and the engine will run on 4 cyls
instead of 3 (which causes it to stall when you come to a stop).
Steve Kaess
on to start, idle a short while, pull it 1/2 way up, ride a short while,
and turn the choke off. carbs might be big time out of sync. the idle
speed might be too low, there might be a vaccum leak. good luck