83 Kawi 750LTD starting issue

So i've been trying to get my 83 Kawasaki 750 LTD started recently and am having issues. The bike has been sitting for a long time..and for quite a while outside. had to go and get a new battery for the bike and got new plugs. Accidently flooded the crap out of the motor then let it sit for a couple of days before putting in the new plugs. The bike straight up wont start. I have checked and am getting spark in all 4 cylinders, have gas in tank/carbs. We tried to tow the bike to get it started but no dice! Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Evan

have you tried to hit it with some starting fluid ,
also if it sat that long you are prob going to have to pull the carbs and clean them

I haven't tried to use any starting ether...worried about damaging the engine, i've only used the stuff on seriously old and beat up vehicles.just spray it in the airbox i'm assuming?

Will take off and clean the carbs early next week. Do they just need a good spray with brake cleaner or what?

I would do a through cleaning , but you can use several cans of carb cleaner to see if you can get start, what is the condition of the fuel fuel filter

Well after draining the float bowl's and dealing with some serious amateur issues, we got the bike started using brake cleaner in the intake. You should have seen the gunk in the air filter when we removed it.Bike is now 'running' but will not idle and will only run when the choke is on. I made it on like a 2 min ride before it finally died as well. When the choke is turned off, the bike dies almost instantly and is not responsive to throttle. Any have any ideas how to fix this issue?

Clean the carburetors by first disassembling and dipping them then clean ultrasonically. Be sure to replace all jets. Use a new air filter element... do NOT reuse old element. Also, change the oil as it is surely gas fouled and diluted and could potentially cause engine damage.

Post edited by: wiredgeorge, at: 2007/06/26 10:36

I would flush the tank out as well, you dont want to keep adding junk into new cleaned carbs

revoming carbs will be the next thing on the list. What is the quickest way to remove the carbs? It appears they are in there considerably tightly and the screws to unbolt the 4 carbs are inaccessible...

There should be clamps (like hose clamps) on each rubber manifold from the carb's to the engine. There is just a screw to tighten them or loosen them.
Undo those and take the rubber boots off from between the carbs and the airbox.
Remove fuel line.
Unhook throttle cable from carbs.

That's about as easy as it gets.

ya ok its off...carb looks clean though, no gunk! This is after sitting for 6 years as well, odd....Should it still be dissassembled and cleaned?

Yes, disassemble the carbs and clean out all the passages. You can eithter do this by leaving them in a dip for a day or two (as WG suggested), or by using carb cleaner and blowing air through all the little air passages (a somewhat tedious task). Be sure to remove the rubber bits to be certain they do not disintegrate from exposure to the carb cleaner/dip (they will). As you do this, consider whether you should pick up carb rebuild kits, so you have new rubber bits and gaskets. When you have the carbs apart, inspect the rubber diaphrams for cracks and leaks.

Before you run gas from the tank into the carbs, make sure the inside of the tank is clean, and all the old gas is replaced with fresh. It also helps to add some Seafoam or other carb cleaning additive to the gas from time to time. You should also remove and clean the petcock and in-tank filter screen, and replace (or install) a new in-line fuel filter.

Once you get the carbs and fuel system cleaned out, you will be able to hunt down any other problems and issues. It does sound to me that your carbs are not working properly, and are probably clogged with crud and gummy varnish. You need to remove it all, or it will just clog up again and run like crap, if at all.

When a bike has been sitting for a long time, you should also remove, clean and re-lube the timing advance mechanism (under the right side front engine cover). You may have spark, but it may be a the wrong time because the advancer is stuck.