Suzuki 2 Strokes

Hey guys .. I could use some help

I recently got a 1976 GT185 which I would was hoping would be my first bike to bring to life.. the guy selling it, made it clear it wont start.

I've gone through as much as I could myself, and now I'm stuck.. I can use some advise

I cleaned both carbs.. they look as good as new now.
I've gone through the manual carb setup process, and configured them to be in "default" setup, as the book suggests. (screws, and float "play")
carb boots seem to be in good working order.. a couple of superficial cracks, at the very corners.. I dont believe they would cause any problems.

my problem is that when I try to start the bike, it doesnt appear the any fuel gets sucked up from the float pan.. I know fuel makes it down there, 'cause if I unscrew the pan screw a little fuel start dripping down.

so I know i got fuel, but it does doesnt travel up, and never makes into the cylinder.. I also confirmed it, because the spark plugs are dry.

I've experimented a little.. if I take both air filters off, and exhaust pipes, .. open up throttle, and spray starting fuel all they way through, I can actually can get the bike started.. and one time it even continued running after starter fuel burned off (for maybe 20-30 seconds), so I'm guessing fuel from carb started flowing in.

If I put exhaust pipes back on, and try the same method, I can no longer get the bike started.

I checked compression.. right cylinder was @ ~96psi .. left @ ~ 105

I'm guessing its some vacuum problem, but I just dont know what else to check..

your advice is very much appreciated.

Just because your plugs read dry doesn't mean it's not getting fuel. If plugs are wet, it means that the bike is getting too much fuel. If the bike starts and runs periodically it means it's getting fuel up until it stalls and consumes what little it is getting. So, that tell me one of two things. That your float levels are set too low or you have plugged up pilot jets. Some people have a misunderstanding of what it means to properly clean carbs. Did you completely disassemble them and properly soak the jets in a proper carb cleaner ? Did you make sure all jet orifices were clear from debris ? Simply spraying carbs with an aerosol cleaner doesn't cut it. Especially, on bikes that have been sitting for long periods. You have to clean carbs the correct way. Could also be your petcock or vacuum connection. I'm not familiar with the 185 petcock or carburetor vacuum connection. But, all carbs and petcocks are the same if you have a vacuum assisted carb and petcock on it.

thank you for the reply.. I appreciate it.

I took the carbs apart completely .. took the gasket, and all rubber o-rings off, and soaked everything over night.. and then I used carb cleaner spray .. and shot it through every whole I could find in the carb .. and made sure liquid came out from somewhere else

I will, however, clean again. ( i guess it wouldnt hurt) .. and while at it .. i will confirm floats setting.

when I try to start the bike... I can hold the starter on.. and it tries.. but there is no fuel coming in.. so i keeps kicking over.. with no success..

that goes for both electric start and kick starter..

but per your recommendation .. I will go over carbs again

Aerosol carb cleaner is junk. It's absolutely worthless for a few reasons. Unless, you use it to freshen up carbs quite frequently. Like every couple of years. Buy a proper carb cleaner that is made of a stronger concentration to properly clean and soak the jets for one for about 48 hours. You can buy a 1 gallon can of Berrymans at Walmart for $20. That is the first step. Even though you may have been sure to clear the jet debris. If you have a rusty tank, it will immediately clog the jets that you may have just cleared if the rust hasn't been addressed. You have to address the tank by using an inline filter at the very least. The proper way is to seal the tank so that it doesn't continue to happen. All it takes is several rust particles floating around in your fuel to cause headaches if that isn't addressed. The jets have to be removed to properly clear any possible debris, tarnish or gum.

Check the petcock for fuel flow and check/clean the filter in the bottom of the petcock.

Cliff wrote:Check the petcock for fuel flow and check/clean the filter in the bottom of the petcock.

Good. Check to see if the vacuum hose is connect correctly to the carb. Check to see if the petcock flows in the prime position without the fuel hose connected to the carb. Then check if the petcock flows fuel in the run position by sucking on the vacuum line by mouth without the fuel line connected. It it does, petcock is good. If not, your diaphragm or complete petcock needs replaced. Filters on these petcocks don't completely stop all rust particles if your tank is bad enough add an additional inline filter as an aid. But, most of these tanks have enough rust that they all need to be sealed. That's pretty close to being a guarantee on all of them. Sometimes the tanks have enough rust to clog other inlets and outlets of the petcock. Stopping or slowing down fuel like Cliff suggested.

Thanks Guys.. will check and confirm all you mentioned.

I will be back .. and will let you know how it all turned out


question.. which one is the vacuum hose on the carb ?

I have 2 horizontal "tubes" connecting the carbs together.. one is of the fuel flow.. and the other I dont know what for.

and on the bottom from each of the carbs I have individual (drain?) hoses

question.. which one is the vacuum hose on the carb ?

The GT185 does not have a vacuum hose, you are correct in that it has a single hose from the petcock to the left carb, two cross connect tubes to the right carb and 4 small drain hoses, two on each carb.

Another thing to check is whether the mufflers are stopped up. Qdds are against both being stopped up at the same time, but with kids around you never know. Also, check that you have the carb. slides in the correct carb. It is a common mistake to swap them by accident. The cut away MUST be on the side of the carb. where the air box connects. It sounds like you almost have it, keep plugging away!!!

thank rbond..

I ran compressed air through the exhaust pipe.. 'cause I thought it may be the case too..

I didnt know about slides needing to be in correct carbs.. I dont think I mixed them up.. but maybe previous owner did..

I will confirm when I go over the carbs again.

yeah .. I know I'm missing something small.. and I appreciate everyones ideas..

Petrol fuel goes 'off' after several months. Drain the tank and try some new gas. Like the others say, the carbs must be scrupulously clean. 'It'll do' doesn't cut it. ALL the jets need to come out and ensure they are perfectly clean - don't poke a wire through them though. Fit new plugs too and make sure the battery is always well charged as it might turn the engine but only have enough left for a weak spark.

Thanks Alan..

I drained the tank .. and tried to clean it (found some stuff on youtube with vinegar.) .. though I dont think I did a very good job .. will need to do again soon.

also replaced the inline fuel filter..

When I was cleaning the carbs.. I took them apart to every little piece ..and did dunk it in a gallon of carb cleaner overnight..

but I will do this again.. just in case..

I also have the manual for the bike.. that describes all the default settings.. I will confirm those again.

.. so as of right now.

carbs were taken apart and cleaned
air filter replaced
new fuel .. and attempted to clean the tank
confirmed exhaust pipes are not blocked by anything.
checked carb boots .. they appear to be ok

Make sure that the 'vinegar' is washed out well with clean water, then dry the tank well with your wife/girlfriend/bit of 'stuff'/whatever's hair dryer, then put some fresh fuel in there and try it. It's surprising how such a small amount of crap can cause such big problems.

yes.. I filled it to top with vinegar .. left it over night
drained it,
washed it with distilled water + baking soda ..
did that multiple times

dried the tank.. I did use hair drier and compressed air and sun ..

but I again.. I dont think I dried it quick enough .. cause I already saw flash rusting.. so I may tray cleaning again.