She's been sleeping for 30yrs.
Moderators: oldjapanesebikes, H2RICK, diamondj, Suzsmokeyallan
- Dusaki
- On the street
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2010 8:15 am
- Location: Cincinnati
She's been sleeping for 30yrs.
Hello everyone.
I recently purchased a '76 GT550 for $500. The bike has not ran since 1980. It was put away wet as well. I have just cleaned and rebuilt the carbs along with cleaning the tank. I also had to remove the three scavaging line in order to drain the injection oil that had seaped past the pump. Everything seems to be in working order. I am only concerned about one thing. I would like to try and fire her up this weekend, but I am unsure about the oil injection working properly after thirty years. I did remove the pump and turned it by hand. Oil did flow rather slowly from the six ports. My question is this. Is it safe to say that the pump is in working order? I just don't want to fire this thing up and stick a piston right off the bat. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks
Also, the bike came with a set of chambers installed.
I recently purchased a '76 GT550 for $500. The bike has not ran since 1980. It was put away wet as well. I have just cleaned and rebuilt the carbs along with cleaning the tank. I also had to remove the three scavaging line in order to drain the injection oil that had seaped past the pump. Everything seems to be in working order. I am only concerned about one thing. I would like to try and fire her up this weekend, but I am unsure about the oil injection working properly after thirty years. I did remove the pump and turned it by hand. Oil did flow rather slowly from the six ports. My question is this. Is it safe to say that the pump is in working order? I just don't want to fire this thing up and stick a piston right off the bat. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks
Also, the bike came with a set of chambers installed.
2003 Kawasaki Z1000
1996 ZX7R Streetfighter
1976 Yamaha XS650
1976 GT550
1974 CB360
850HP TripleX USAC Sprint Car
1996 ZX7R Streetfighter
1976 Yamaha XS650
1976 GT550
1974 CB360
850HP TripleX USAC Sprint Car
- johnakay
- I likes them jubblies
- Posts: 2365
- Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2008 11:19 am
- Country: UK
- Suzuki 2-Strokes: bike
Re: She's been sleeping for 30yrs.
welcome aboard.
get petrol and two oil mix 50/50 and fill your crank case up to the bottom cylinders and leave it for a few days.this will softened the crank seal and may save them from destroying themselves.
there's no guarantee.
it depends if the previous owner turn the engine over or not.
if the any two stroke bike has been stood for a few years it is best to do the above.some you will save others you wont.
get petrol and two oil mix 50/50 and fill your crank case up to the bottom cylinders and leave it for a few days.this will softened the crank seal and may save them from destroying themselves.
there's no guarantee.
it depends if the previous owner turn the engine over or not.
if the any two stroke bike has been stood for a few years it is best to do the above.some you will save others you wont.
If I wanted to make a life-long career out of
working with the mentally retarded I would
have opened a Harley Davidson Dealership
working with the mentally retarded I would
have opened a Harley Davidson Dealership
- Dusaki
- On the street
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2010 8:15 am
- Location: Cincinnati
Re: She's been sleeping for 30yrs.
Thanks for the info. The PO did say that he would fog the motor once a month. The engine does crank over easy and has quite a bit of compression. If I can recall correctly, the bike only has 8600mi. The 50/50 mix is a great idea. There was about 2qts. of 2cycle oil and wd40 inside the lower case. I found that out the hard way when I cranked it over the first time without the plugs. Nothing like dodging oil coming from the heavens.
If the crank seals were to harden, would I be seeing any oil from the stator or points side when I removed the covers?

2003 Kawasaki Z1000
1996 ZX7R Streetfighter
1976 Yamaha XS650
1976 GT550
1974 CB360
850HP TripleX USAC Sprint Car
1996 ZX7R Streetfighter
1976 Yamaha XS650
1976 GT550
1974 CB360
850HP TripleX USAC Sprint Car
- johnakay
- I likes them jubblies
- Posts: 2365
- Joined: Wed Oct 15, 2008 11:19 am
- Country: UK
- Suzuki 2-Strokes: bike
Re: She's been sleeping for 30yrs.
she would be smoking hell of a lot even when warm(after riding 10 miles or so ,once warmed up ,upon her up it she clear if not then......) that a sign of shot seals
If I wanted to make a life-long career out of
working with the mentally retarded I would
have opened a Harley Davidson Dealership
working with the mentally retarded I would
have opened a Harley Davidson Dealership
- tz375
- Moto GP
- Posts: 6213
- Joined: Mon Nov 03, 2008 10:47 am
- Location: Illinois
Re: She's been sleeping for 30yrs.
To be 110% safe, after you drain out that 50/50 mix, add a 40:1 mix to the fuel tank for the first fill, or just tip some of your 50/50 mix in the tank and fire it up.
- Coyote
- Moto GP
- Posts: 3404
- Joined: Tue Oct 21, 2008 2:41 pm
- Country: USA
- Suzuki 2-Strokes: GT550x2, GT750, GS1000
- Location: Tulsa, Oklahoma
Re: She's been sleeping for 30yrs.
If you got ANY oil from turning the pump by hand you should be good to go. Oil runs very slowly to the combustion chambers and even slower to the crank bearings. Did the oil pump shaft raise and lower while you were turning it? Thats the pumping action.but I am unsure about the oil injection working properly after thirty years. I did remove the pump and turned it by hand. Oil did flow rather slowly from the six ports.
To be safe as stated above, put a half gallon of 40 to 1 premix in the tank. Leave the lines cover off and look for air bubbles. If the bubbles are moving along in short jumps, the pump is working. Now ride the bike for at least 10 miles. This is enough distance to expel any air bubbles from the system. If after that the lines are free of air bubbles, drain out the remaining premix from the tank and fill it with straight gasoline. Mine seems to do OK on 87 octane E10.
Keep us posted!!
I was born with nothing and still have most of it left.
.
1978 GS1000C
1976 GT550 ongoing money pit.
.
1978 GS1000C
1976 GT550 ongoing money pit.
-
- To the on ramp
- Posts: 444
- Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2008 5:31 am
- Location: Killen Alabama, USA
Re: She's been sleeping for 30yrs.
I saw that bike, wasn't it on Craigslist? Suzuki pumps are very dependable but you can't run one without it on premix only because the crank bearings will not get oil. Sounds like the lower end was already full of oil so maybe the seals stayed soft and will be OK. Get a new battery and try her out and post some pics when she fires up.
2007 Suzuki V-Strom DL650
- H2RICK
- AMA Superbike
- Posts: 1659
- Joined: Sun Oct 19, 2008 11:07 am
- Country: CANADA
- Suzuki 2-Strokes: GT550A, GSF1200SK6 currently
- Location: Cowtown aka Calgary, Canada
Re: She's been sleeping for 30yrs.
Welcome, dusaki, from another 550A owner.
If you want to be sure about the pump working or not and want to bleed the lines quickly, you can hold the pump lever wide open while the bike is idling at about 1100 RPM or so. That SHOULD expel all the air in the injection lines.
If you are STILL getting air bubbles after 2 or 3 minutes at idle with the lever held wide open then you have problems with the pump and/or cracks in the lines somewhere.
Yes, you can run 40:1 mix in the tank while doing this....but your neighbours won't be happy at all......unless THEY'RE stroker fanatics too.
If you want to be sure about the pump working or not and want to bleed the lines quickly, you can hold the pump lever wide open while the bike is idling at about 1100 RPM or so. That SHOULD expel all the air in the injection lines.
If you are STILL getting air bubbles after 2 or 3 minutes at idle with the lever held wide open then you have problems with the pump and/or cracks in the lines somewhere.
Yes, you can run 40:1 mix in the tank while doing this....but your neighbours won't be happy at all......unless THEY'RE stroker fanatics too.

GT550A Mint & Original
H2A Semi-Hot Rod Built From A Basket Case
KZ650C2 Mint & Original...mostly
GSF1200SK6 Bandit...My LD Ride
Additional H2 projects In Boxes.....
MBD Sufferer
H2A Semi-Hot Rod Built From A Basket Case
KZ650C2 Mint & Original...mostly
GSF1200SK6 Bandit...My LD Ride
Additional H2 projects In Boxes.....
MBD Sufferer
- Dusaki
- On the street
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2010 8:15 am
- Location: Cincinnati
Re: She's been sleeping for 30yrs.
Thanks for all the tips guys. I did get her running this weekend. I did the 32/1 mix in the tank. She smoked pretty bad for about twenty minutes. I drained the fuel and the smoke cleared right away. The oil pump is working properly. I think the jetting is off a bit. It kind of stumbles until you get past 1/4 throttle, but once you get to 5k rpm the pipes really kick in. I'll try and get some photos up this week.
2003 Kawasaki Z1000
1996 ZX7R Streetfighter
1976 Yamaha XS650
1976 GT550
1974 CB360
850HP TripleX USAC Sprint Car
1996 ZX7R Streetfighter
1976 Yamaha XS650
1976 GT550
1974 CB360
850HP TripleX USAC Sprint Car
-
- To the on ramp
- Posts: 444
- Joined: Mon Oct 20, 2008 5:31 am
- Location: Killen Alabama, USA
Re: She's been sleeping for 30yrs.
Sounds like pilot passages still stopped up, may need to clean carbies again. The hole in the pilot jet is tiny and the carb bodies can stop up too.
2007 Suzuki V-Strom DL650
- Dusaki
- On the street
- Posts: 26
- Joined: Fri Oct 22, 2010 8:15 am
- Location: Cincinnati
Re: She's been sleeping for 30yrs.
The bike idles great and raps up quickly when there is no load. The bike came with expansion chambers. I'm not sure if the PO jetted accourdingly. I'll do some more tweaking with the air screws to see if the bottom end cleans up. Currently there 1 1/2 turns out.\
Oh the bike was on Craigslist.
Oh the bike was on Craigslist.

2003 Kawasaki Z1000
1996 ZX7R Streetfighter
1976 Yamaha XS650
1976 GT550
1974 CB360
850HP TripleX USAC Sprint Car
1996 ZX7R Streetfighter
1976 Yamaha XS650
1976 GT550
1974 CB360
850HP TripleX USAC Sprint Car