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Air box covers seals

Dogma

Dogma

Forum Sage
Hello again. I've been trying to find the seals that go between the air box and the chrome covers on the end. Mine are torn and warped. The problem is, I can't find them on any of the fiches. On the airbox fiche, the covers are 7 and 8, but no seals.

Where else can I look to find these?
 
Not available. Use Weatherstripping from Lowes or another Hardware store.Most 850 Owners have done this and the rest will have to.:)
 
You will only be able to join the First Circle of the Hallowed Order of the Shaftie after performing our ancient ritual of sealing your airbox end caps with weatherstripping, cut up mouse pads, or whatever you can find that will form an airtight seal and still allow you to service the air filter.

Thus will you learn self-sufficiency.

Thus will you learn of the incompleteness of the manuals and fiches.

Thus will you learn the importance of an airtight intake system.
 
You can also make a gasket with some silicon. Apply a liberal coating to the metal air box covers, cover the air box with saran wrap, put the covers on lightly with some longer screws, but do not tighten until after the silicon has set 24 hrs minimum
 
Hey howdy hey!

Hey howdy hey!

Mr. Dogma,

Don't forget to put the weatherstripping on the top of the air filter cage too.

Looking back over your posts, I see that I have missed sending out the "official" unofficial welcome. So if I may...

Let it be known that on this day you are cordially and formally welcomed to the GSR Forum as a Junior Member in good standing with all the rights and privileges thereof. Further let it be known that your good standing can be improved with pictures (not you, your bike)! :grin:

Perhaps you've already seen these, but I like to remind all the new members. In addition to the carb rebuild series, I recommend visiting the garage section via the GSR Hompage and check out the Stator Papers. There's also a lot of great information in the Old Q&A section. I have some documentation on my little BikeCliff website to help get you familiar with doing routine maintenance tasks (note that it is 850G-specific but many tasks are common to all GS bikes). Other "user contributed" informational sites include those of Mr. bwringer, Mr. tfb and Mr. robertbarr.

And here are some more gems of wisdom from one our dear beloved gurus (whom I see you've already met), Mr. bwringer, with ideas on basic maintenance needs (depending on initial condition), parts, and accessories.

***********Quoted from Mr. bwringer************
Carburetor maintenance:

Replace the intake boot o-rings, and possibly the intake boots. Here's the procedure:
http://bwringer.com/gs/intakeorings.html

Here's an overview of what happens with this particular problem:
http://cycleorings.com/intake.html

You'll also want to examine the boots between the carbs and the airbox. There's a good chance these are OK, but check them over.

And finally, if things still aren't exactly right, you'll want to order a set of o-rings for BS carbs from the GS owner's best friend, Robert Barr:
http://cycleorings.com

Once you receive these rare rings of delight, then you'll want to thoroughly clean and rebuild your carburetors. Here are step-by-step instructions that make this simple:
http://thegsresources.com/gs_carbrebuild.htm
*************End Quote*************
**********<quote Mr. bwringer>**********
Every GS850 has (or had) a set of well-known issues that MUST be addressed before you have a solid baseline for further troubleshooting.

It's a vintage bike, and it's quite common (as in, every single GS850 I have had contact with) that there are multiple problems that have crept up and slowly gotten worse over the years.

It's not like a newer vehicle, where there's generally one problem at a time.

These common issues are:

Intake O-rings (install NEW OEM or Viton only - common nitrile o-rings will quickly deteriorate from heat)

Intake Boots (install NEW -- these cannot be repaired)

Valve clearances (more important than most people think)

Carb/airbox boots

Airbox sealing

Air filter sealing

Petcock (install a NEW one)

On '79 models, install new points or Dyna electronic ignition (or at least verify that the old points are working correctly)

On all models, it's fairly common to have problems with the spark plug caps. These are $3 or $4 each, and often worth replacing if you're keeping the stock coils/wires.

Stock exhaust with NO leaks or holes -- good seals at the head and at the junctions underneath.
**********<end quote>**********
***********Quoted from Mr. bwringer***************
http://denniskirk.com
Put in your bike model and see what they have.

I would definitely double and triple the recommendations to use Cycle Recycle II and Z1 Enterprises as much as possible. These guys are priceless resources. Z1 tends to have slightly better prices, CRC2 has a wider range of goodies available. If you're near Indy and can bring in an old part to match, CRC2 has a vast inventory of used parts.

http://oldbikebarn.com seems to be slowly regaining a decent reputation, but it's still caveat emptor. They don't have anything you can't get elsewhere at a better price anyway.

OEM Parts/Online Fiches:

http://www.babbittsonline.com/
Decent parts prices. Spendy shipping. Don't give you part numbers at all. Useful cross-reference if you obtain a part number elsewhere. Efficient service.

http://bikebandit.com
Fastest. Middlin' prices. Uses their own parts numbering system to obfuscate price comparisons -- can be very confusing for large orders. Cheapest shipping, so total cost usually isn't too bad.

http://flatoutmotorcycles.com
Slow. Cheapest parts prices, crazy shipping costs. Don't expect progress updates or much communication. Real Suzuki part numbers.

http://alpha-sports.com
Exorbitant parts prices. Different type of fiche interface that's quite useful at times, especially with superceded part numbers. Real parts numbers. Shipping cost and speed unknown due to insane, unholy pricing.

Stainless Bolts, Viton o-rings, metric taps, dies, assorted hard-to-find supplies and materials, etc.:
http://mcmaster.com
Fast, cheap shipping, good prices. No order minimum, but many items like bolts come in packs of 25 or 50. Excellent resource.

http://motorcycleseatcovers.com
Great quality, perfect fit (on original seat foam), and available for pretty much every bike ever made. Avoid the textured vinyl -- it's perforated.

http://newenough.com
You DO have riding gear, don't you? Great clearances, always outstanding prices and impeccable service.
***************End Quote**********************

Here are a few extra links:

Cycle-Re-Cycle Part 2
http://crc2onlinecatalog.com/

The ever popular Z1 Enterprises
http://www.z1enterprises.com

The Rice Paddy (salvage/used)
http://www.ricepaddymotorcycles.com

Ron Ayers Motorsports
http://www.ronayers.com

I believe that you have acquired the finest all-around classic motorcycle in the entire world (but I may be a little biased). Thanks for joining us. Keep us informed of your progress. There's lots of good folk with good experience here.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
(The unofficial GSR greeter)
walmart_greeter2.jpg
 
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SqDancerLynn1 said:
You can also make a gasket with some silicon. Apply a liberal coating to the metal air box covers, cover the air box with saran wrap, put the covers on lightly with some longer screws, but do not tighten until after the silicon has set 24 hrs minimum
Click to expand...

Could you explain saran wrap please?
 
Elementary, my dear Watson!

Elementary, my dear Watson!

Mr. Suzuki_Don,

The saran wrap will allow the silicon to cure in the shape of the airbox without sticking to it. After it's dry, pull off the saran wrap and the beads of silicon are shaped just like the air box ends. This procedure may even last longer than the weatherstripping. I weatherstripped mine a year ago and it looks like it could use it again.

By the way, thanks again for your gasket making tutorial. Anytime you'd like to visit, it's still at my little BikeCliff website.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
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Q - Could you explain saran wrap please?

A - Cling film

Thanks,
 
Thanks everyone! I didn't realize I was up against a rite of passage. What are the consequences of these things not forming a good seal? Will fixing this cure engine surging in the wake of a truck? (The carb vent lines are already behind the airbox).
 
Dogma said:
Thanks everyone! I didn't realize I was up against a rite of passage. What are the consequences of these things not forming a good seal? Will fixing this cure engine surging in the wake of a truck? (The carb vent lines are already behind the airbox).
Click to expand...

The thing will run dangerously lean. I just built up a silicone seal on mine, and sold it to my future father in law. I hope it works, beacause if it doesn't I'll be fixing it again.
 
BassCliff said:
Mr. Dogma,

Don't forget to put the weatherstripping on the top of the air filter cage too.

Looking back over your posts, I see that I have missed sending out the "official" unofficial welcome. So if I may...

Let it be known that on this day you are cordially and formally welcomed to the GSR Forum as a Junior Member in good standing with all the rights and privileges thereof. Further let it be known that your good standing can be improved with pictures (not you, your bike)! :grin:
Click to expand...


Thanks for that last tidbit. I was just getting around to figuring out what it's going to take to seal this thing, and there is only the residue of a seal on top of that filter cage. About the pictures, this is the best I can do for now. It looks cleaner in pictures. I'll upload better pics to a more appropriate thread when I get it back together.
 
So far, so good!

So far, so good!

Mr. Dogma,

Thanks for the picture. We love the before, after, and "in process" pictures.

You want absolutely no leaks in the air intake system. There are just a few specific passages in the airbox to draw air into the system. This is part of the "balance" between jetting and exhaust.

Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff
 
Dogma said:
Hello again. I've been trying to find the seals that go between the air box and the chrome covers on the end. Mine are torn and warped. The problem is, I can't find them on any of the fiches. On the airbox fiche, the covers are 7 and 8, but no seals.

Where else can I look to find these?
Click to expand...
Welcome, Dogma.

Rite of passage indeed. I was able to save the top half of my airbox... um... rubbers, and save some time on the crafts project. The pics are here.

While you're at it, there's a wee (1/8" thick?) space inside up at the top of the airbox. It's like a channel that runs the length of the unit, and it's where the air flows from the breather hose flange into the airbox. I should say that it's where the air is supposed to flow. It tends to rust in there, and over time it builds up in the narrow space till it clogs it completely, restricting the breather, and potentially causing pressure to build up in your crankcase. This, in turn, leads to extra oil leaks.

I cut a wire coat hanger and put a 90? bend about an inch from the end of the wire. It fit the channel nicely and worked great as a rake/broom for the rust sludge that was clogging mine. The channels open at both ends (at least on my '81 it is) so pushing or pulling the sludge worked equally well.

Someone else on the forum suggested 2mm TIG welding wire, which I'm sure would work great. Whichever you have on hand.
 
Roostabunny,

Thanks for the heads-up. I didn't even notice that groove in there. My airbox is generally soaked in oil, so it's due for a general cleaning. I'll be sure to find it now. Great tip on reusing the top half of that gasket too. I'm hoping to come up with a reusable seal on the caps, instead of just laying in silicone every time I close it up again.
 
Dogma said:
Roostabunny,

Thanks for the heads-up. I didn't even notice that groove in there. My airbox is generally soaked in oil, so it's due for a general cleaning. I'll be sure to find it now. Great tip on reusing the top half of that gasket too. I'm hoping to come up with a reusable seal on the caps, instead of just laying in silicone every time I close it up again.
Click to expand...

Yeah, check out my pics - I got the weatherstripping stuff from Ace, and I've had the covers off and on a couple of times since then. Totally re-usable. It also worked to replace the disintigrated foam seal between the air filter and the airbox. Maybe they sell OEM gaskets, but getting weatherstripping into place inside that airbox is near impossible to get a perfect seal, even if you can get every last bit of that oil-soaked gasket gunk out.

My tip - scrape out all the old foam from the airbox and then attach the new weatherstripping to the filter, not the airbox. Easier to clean (for good adhesion), and waaaay easier to install with the filter just sitting on the bench. I was careful not to roll the new "gasket" off as I re-installed the filter, and it went in no problem.

In defense of the silicone plan - if you do the Saran trick correctly you'll get a seal that's molded to your covers but is only stuck to the airbox, so it's reusable, too. Hard to visualize, I know.

I had a thought that maybe some non-stick cooking spray (or a dab of canola even. Butter?) on the back side of the airbox cover would work even better than Saran? It'll release, but it's less likely to mess up the curing of the silicone than harsher chems like WD40 or PB Blaster. Haven't tried it. Either way, cooking spray is underrated as a shop tool. Can you tell it's Friday afternoon?
 
By the way, if no one's recommended it yet, evaulate your airbox boots. Depends on how hard they've gotten in 26 years, but fresh ones go onto the carbs very much easier. Also, they seal, which is the point of this whole excercise. Mine were pretty hardened and felt like plastic. I didn't even realize they were made of rubber till I got the new ones.

Figure on $40 for a set of four, assuming you need them. I think Flatout had the best parts+shipping price, if you don't mind the wait.
 
Roostabunny said:
Figure on $40 for a set of four, assuming you need them. I think Flatout had the best parts+shipping price, if you don't mind the wait.
Click to expand...

Awesome! I somehow missed the link to the pics earlier. One question about that foam tape: Isn't open-cell foam... permeable? But it wouldn't make sense for weather-stripping to be permeable, would it?

I had a quick fiddle with the boots already. I'd say they're currently about halfway between your new and old ones. Install/uninstall is plenty easy. I'll take a closer look when I clean it all up. I hope to keep them, as I'll be spending enough on the front boots and o-rings already.
 
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