The #4 header was much cooler than the other three and I don't think that it was firing on that cylinder. Is there a way to check if it is a carb problem or an engine problem? It doesn't make much sense, but I pulled the spark cap off of #4 to check for a spark and when I did, the bike died...
The bike fires two cylinders at once and current flow for spark is from one plug to the other. Pull an ignition lead and you lose two cylinders.
Also, I turned the drain screws out on all 4 carbs but no fuel drained out the tubes. If I turned the screws out far enough the fuel began running out of them, but still no fuel came out the tubes.
No surprise there. The drain screws on your bike aren't coupled to the overflow tubes at the bottom of the bowls. It's a 550, not 750.
From all of my reading of other threads, I am guessing that the advise will be to take the carbs apart and clean them and rebuild all the floats and seals, but I am very intimidated by this job.
Many in this forum believe carb rebuilding is some sort of "rite-of-passage". Or, if they had to suffer through it everyone else should, too.
I'm rather a minimalist. Rebuild them if certain facts point to its necessity.
First drain each carb bowl and catch what comes out. Is is clean? Are there bits larger than 0.016 inch? Particles larger than this can clog up slow jets. If it looks like mud, brace your self for a carb clean. Otherwise, get some carb cleaner in a spray can with one of those plastic tubes for the nozzle. Poke this into the carb drain hole and spray a goodly amount in there. Catch the drainage. Two reasons; Carb cleaners can eat the paint off your engine case, and you want to know when crud stops coming out of the carb. Flush each carb in this way. Then turn on the petcock with the drain open and catch that too. If you can get gas to come out clean from the drain hole, then move on to the next carb bowl.
When you've done them all, run the engine for effect of your efforts. If Number 4 is still unhappy, you can then remove the float bowl from that carb, with it still on the bike, by removing four screws. The inside of the bowl and carbs should be reasonably clean. If not, then you have an obvious rebuild ahead of you. Otherwise, unscrew the slow jet next to the main jet "tower". Soak it in some of that carb cleaner and when you can see light through it after blowing through it, screw it back into the carb body and replace the bowl.
Run the engine for effect. And, with a bit of luck it will run much better, and the headers should all get hot.
Worth a try. If it doesn't work out, you'll still have to rebuild carbs. But, if it does, you've saved some work and time.
Cheers,
