Intake Leak? No O-rings/16valve

[UncleMike]

Before taking my carbs apart, my hard starting and rising rpm's lead some to believe I had an intake leak.

My carbs were indeed very dirty, and most of the jets were at least partially plugged.

That said, before putting them back on, I want to make sure I'm doing a thorough job. My intake boots seem very soft and pliable. Should I do anything else to check for leak spots before putting the carbs back on? I never found any leaks with the misting method.

Thanks,
Mike

 

[UncleMike]

Just in case I'm not being very clear, which I know I'm guilty of:

Should I be cleaning off the intake boots? Greasing them up? Hi-temp silicone? Anywhere else I should be looking before I slap the carbs back on and fire her up?

Thanks,
Mike

 

[UncleMike]

I promise I did do a search on this, but I couldn't find info for the TSCC engines. Everyone just suggests to replace the boots and the o-rings. My boots are good and I don't have o-rings on this engine, so I'm at a bit of a loss.

Mike

 

[cloudbreakmd]

Squeeze the boots and look for cracks... If not mount them, start the bike and shoot them with carb cleaner and watch/listen for a rpm variance.

 

[UncleMike]

Squeeze the boots and look for cracks... If not mount them, start the bike and shoot them with carb cleaner and watch/listen for a rpm variance.

No cracks. And before the carb cleaning I did the mist test, but not with carb cleaner. No change. Just want to make sure that I'm doing everything I can or am supposed to do before I remount the rack and synch, you know?

Any job worth doin',...

 

[cloudbreakmd]

Sounds good so far, but if those boots do not seem pliable... replace them. Is this on the 750T?

 

[mark]

Just in case I'm not being very clear, which I know I'm guilty of:

Should I be cleaning off the intake boots? Greasing them up? Hi-temp silicone? Anywhere else I should be looking before I slap the carbs back on and fire her up?

Thanks,
Mike

I don't think there is any benefit to putting anything (grease etc.) on the boots themselves. It won't prolong their life. You could wipe them off, and if they are new, a little silicone spray might help get the carbs on, but other than that I wouldn't put any kind of protectant on them or anything. They're good to go.

If they are bad, as previously stated, they'll get hard, crack, or pieces will flake off.

 

[Dink]

I use rubber grease on my boots. I found silicone spray made them harden.
Dink

 

[tfb]

1. I don't have any O-rings on my GS(X)1100S, either -- just the rubber intake manifolds which slip onto the rear of the cylinder head. And then the carbies slip into them.

2. Don't use any silicone sealant anywhere on your fuel system, as it is fairly easily dissolved by petrol. Maybe a smudge of grease to help them on, after you've warmed them up in some hot water or something like that. Or you could try a hot air gun (*not* a hair dryer... there's petrol close by!).

3. In any case, if the rubber has lost its flex, which is only a matter of years, replace them. Coz if they're not letting air in now, it's prob. only a matter of time until they do.

 

[omaharj]

Perhaps the airbox itself, and the filter and cover? The seal on my filter cover was bad,made a difference.:-D

 

[UncleMike]

Perhaps the airbox itself, and the filter and cover? The seal on my filter cover was bad,made a difference.:-D

Now there's somewhere I hadn't checked. Thank you.

All my rubber is soft and pliable. No cracks or anything. Thank you everyone for your contributions. I just want to make sure I'm doing the job right!