Need Help! Bike has been sitting for over a year.

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Chief

Chief

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Joined
Apr 25, 2010
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Location
Kentucky
First of all, any help on this would greatly be appreciated. I just bought an 83 gl100 and it has been sitting for about a year. The guy said he started it last fall but has not been started since.. The problem i am having is i put a new battery on it but when you try to start the bike, it sounds like it dont have enough power to turn it over. When you hit the starter button you can hear the starter kick in and when you let off of it you can hear it spin out. What does this mean? The motor may be stuck? Should i try to push start it? PLEASE HELP... I am ready to ride

Thanks
Keith
 
Ok, first off welcome to the site. This is the Q&A site. Now, does the starter engage the motor or does it just spin independently? Are you choking the motor upon initial start-up? Has gas sat-up in the carbs for that whole year? Did you look at the spark plugs, they will tell you alot of useful info if you listen. Lets start there with the easy fixes first. :builder:
 
Keith, welcome to the site from New Jersey! :clapping:

First, take the plugs out and see if you can spin the engine. It might be hydro-locked from liquid in the cylinders. (Gas leaking in from carbs if bike was left on side stand, water leaking in through air filter?)

BTW, don't stand over the spark plug holes while turning the engine over, you might get wet! :smilie_happy:

If it still will not turn, on the left, back side of the engine, there is a cap on the stator. Remove the cap and insert a 12mm socket (1/4" drive works for me) and pull up gently (like tightening the bolt) and see if you can turn the engine manually. If that doesn't work, there might be bigger issues.

Get back to us then!
 
Thanks Guys,
I can hear the starter engage, but will not crank the engine, engine has not cranked over yet since i have had it. Acts like the battery is almost dead. but new battery with a fresh charge on it and it still wont do it. I believe next step is going to be to take plugs out and go from there. :beg:
 
When I first got my bike I had to jump it from a car to break the starter loose from setting for 4 years, since I did that it's started fine with no problems. There is a chance you could fry the electricals, so do this at your own risk.
 
a lot of times the the bad starter turns out to be bent valve and jumped timing ....just today me and nakedtob were talking and this same deal happen to him the sarter of corse was fine and he had to get another head .
 
well, today i have learned a whole lot of what is going on. apparently the carbs are so gummed up that any gas i put in it is making it all the way down to the oil. So now i guess i get to take the carbs off and try to find some body to clean them. YEAH ME !!!
 
Did you try to spin the engine with the plugs out? I had my carbs leak into the intakes and stop my motor. pulled the plugs and watched the spray fly! BTW, the gas mixed with the oil does a great job of cleaning out the innards! Just don't try to run it that way. :smilie_happy:
 
could be a belt issue... back off the valve adjusters also... with no presuure on the the valves it will possibly un jam a valve/head binding... ( had to do this when I changed belts and the motor would not turn any more..until I found out the issue tooth and half off in timing)..
 
I bought an 83 1100 last Sept. and it was running terrible. And these were the fist carbs I ever overhauled, save for putting a kit in a small briggs engine once. I used the Randakk kit and the instruction manual he has and it it really not that bad a job.
Plus, these guys on this forum are as good as or better than a service manual. They helped me a lot. I hope the carbs are your only problem. Good luck and keep us posted on your findings. Everyone adds a little to the pot and we all get educated!
 
joedrum":2s7iyr3n said:
like to see were your at now on this chief that last post was a bit big ...but things like this are common on sitting bikes it dosnt mean its realy bad off
Click to expand...


Well, sorry for taking so long to reply, BUT, i drive a truck and have very limited time to work on it.

Here is what i have found out today, i have quit worring about the carbs for now. I believe the motor is locked. I thought that it might be hyper locked, so i pulled the plugs and still couldnt get it to crank, so we put the bike in high gear and tried to push start it without the plugs in it and it still would not crank over.

So i believe i have bought a major pile of junk..... :(
 
If it's frozen then it was probably sitting for more than a year.

Have you drained the oil?
What does it look like, any water in it?

I would squirt some tranny fluid into the cylinders thru the plug holes and let it sit a couple days then try hand cranking it from the stator bolt. If it still won't turn then squirt some more oil in and try hand cranking again in a couple days.
Put some card board under the exhaust headers because oil is going to drip out.
 
Did you drop the oil out? If so, did you find any water in it? My '82 was donated to me and it also had a stuck engine. Dropped the oil and only water came out (not good). To top it off, we pulled the engine and found this inside:

#4 piston rod.JPG


Not to scare ya, but I found out the PO ran out of oil and tried to run the bike to his house in a less than sober condition. :smilie_happy:

Pull the valve covers and check the condition of the valve train. Look for signs of rust (or any other thing out of the ordinary). If there is water in the engine, pull the plugs and spray PB Blaster in the cylinders liberally. Wait a few days and try to turn the motor by hand via the stator bolt. If that doesn't work, you might want to consider pulling the heads to get a look at the cylinders to see what you are up against.
 
mcgovern61":p8af6qt0 said:
Did you drop the oil out? If so, did you find any water in it? My '82 was donated to me and it also had a stuck engine. Dropped the oil and only water came out (not good). To top it off, we pulled the engine and found this inside:



Not to scare ya, but I found out the PO ran out of oil and tried to run the bike to his house in a less than sober condition. :smilie_happy:

Pull the valve covers and check the condition of the valve train. Look for signs of rust (or any other thing out of the ordinary). If there is water in the engine, pull the plugs and spray PB Blaster in the cylinders liberally. Wait a few days and try to turn the motor by hand via the stator bolt. If that doesn't work, you might want to consider pulling the heads to get a look at the cylinders to see what you are up against.
Click to expand...


Brilliant minds think alike :clapping:
 
ok, you all have managed to calm me down some, but where exactly is this starter bolt at that you all are talking about?
 

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