Rich w/ stock jets and pods and exhaust? 81 GPZ550

Okay, I just tested my float levels. I musnt have done it accurately enough last time because i got different results this time.

The far left float level is about 3-4 mm above the measuring seam
the left-middle is about the same
the right-middle is perfect
the far right is about 5-6 mm below the measuring seam.

Could this be causing me to run like this???
jeeze i hope so. How would i adjust float? I figure you have to bend the float somehow but i would rather hear it outta yall.

Proxy- i can look at the wires tonight. what do you mean arcing to the engine or frame? Im pretty new to motorcycles. I have only been riding about a year.

Thanks for putting up with all my bs guys!
Look forward to hearing from yall again!

LeopardPepper

Hey man thanks!

What do you mean they tested good? Like they would show spark but occasionally they would cut out and not work? Ill keep an eye on em and see if they ever fail to spark. $68 for a new pair isnt too much but its money i dont have right now. Ill replace em if they go out or ill do it in a month or so when i have $$$.

Thanks man!

Sorry to mislead you, but they are $68 apiece. I tested mine with an ohm meter. You test primary and secondary resistance, which tested fine on my bike. Also do a voltage test to see if you are getting 12 volts to each coil with the key on. You can buy aftermarket coils from Z1 for less money if you decide to replace the coils.

Sweet, can do. So $68 x 2? lol i hope mine are good for now.

If i cant get it goin myself ill take it to the shop to see if they can figure it out with me. Ill have em test the coils while im at it.

The problem with intermittent coil failure is that they can be tested and seem to be just fine, but fail after riding some. My old junk coils still test like they are brand new, but have internal problems that only show up after running awhile. I hate to see you throw money at new coils that you may not need, so try to make sure. I have been working/riding on motorcycles for more than 30 years and still just made an educated guess that my old coils were bad when I replaced them.

Hey, I went and looked at em. They are marked "Nichiwa LD05f"
They also do not look 30 years old.
Im guessing they are aftermarket and not too ancient.


Do you have any clue about the float height being the problem here?

I need yall lifelong riders to help a poor newbie out!

Yes your float levels need to be equalized at the correct level and yes that can be a problem. Those spark plug caps are the OEM caps that came with the bike, although they could have been replaced. You just unscrew the old caps from the spark plug wire and they should test at 5,000 ohms of resistance each. They have a little resistor inside them that occasionally goes bad.

Okay. Ill read up on how to adjust float levels.

Wow i would have figured that they were knock-offs. Ill pull the caps off and take them to the bike shop and see if they will test them. it prob wont cost more than a few $ right?

Believe it or not im actually in the red right now financially for this month. Im a college kid with a part time job and i depleted my savings to buy the bike. Then i got a $250 speeding ticket. So right now im just trying to make ends meet. I wont have any spare money for about a month and a little.

thanks for listening to my sob story

Ill get all that stuff checked out when i can afford it. Ill try to fix the float levels for now and hopefully the problem will be worked out.

I appreciate it mayne

As for the arcing. Sometimes old wires can leak and the spark takes the least resistance. If they are resting on the engine or other grounded metal they will cause a misfire. At night it is easier to spot as you will see the spark jump from the wire to the metal. My father has it happen with a couple of bikes. May not happen all the time. Use a plastic piece to move the wires around a little while watching but do not get in touch with it or you will jump half out of your skin. Don't get discouraged you will find it and it will feel good when you do.

Okay ill do that tonight. Do i test the whole length of the wires? Ill see a spark just like i would in a plug?

Ill take the wire starting at the plug and ill work my way up to where it connects at the other end. Ill do this with all four wires and see if i find a spark.

Trust me, Ill be safe. on my last bike i was checking the spark for the first time and i diddnt know to ground the plug. I was holding it and it shocked the ever loving hell outta me.

Off the top of your head, do you know how to adjust the float levels? Do i bend the float towards the ground to lower the level? And up to raise the level? are there any tricks of the trade?

I dont know if you read my post earlier, but my float levels are a bit off. I retested earlier today. the left two are too high and the far right is too low.

Would this cause serious bogging and inability to accelerate?

thanks again fellas

leopardpepper wrote: Trust me, Ill be safe. on my last bike i was checking the spark for the first time and i diddnt know to ground the plug. I was holding it and it shocked the ever loving hell outta me.

More Fruit of the Looms have suddenly changed color because of this phenomenon than any other reason.

Do you remember what the main jets looked like?
If they were slotted screws, then they are not original. The originals were hex-head.

Also, yeah be sure to have the plugs grounded to the motor when checking for spark. Never stretch a spark more than 1/2 inch. More than that and you may reduce the coil's high voltage capabilities. The coils will test ok, and seem to even work ok at low RPMs, but at high RPMs at wider throttle openings, they will fail to spark because they have openings in the internal insulation.

What kind of filter? Is it a paper filter? Those can cause fuel starvation, which will cause a huge bog, but may idle ok.

Replace it with a metal screen type. (5/16" connections.)

But for now, just run it without a fuel filter as a test.