GS1100SD air box to carb boots ??

[Guest]

I just spent 2 hours hack sawing and cutting the rock hard boots & lock rings out of my airbox. My question is installing the rings that go inside the new boots, wow what a battle that was. Is there an easier way I dont know about ? I got them all back in but it was a fight to the finish ! I put them in from the outside with a screw driver but it was a half hour each. Every time you get one side in the other pops out.

[chuckycheese]

Rings

I did that job and remember it was kind of tedious but I'm sure it didn't take me nearly that long. As I recall, I used 2 screwdrivers and just pushed them in a tiny little bit at a time.

I haven't thought of it since because I doubt, very much, if I'll ever have to do it again.

[hampshirehog]

Pass on what you were doing but that should only take a couple of minutes - did some only yesterday on the 750 baby brother.

The trick is to squeeze them so that the ends overlap - they then pop in easily and expand back to size. No need for screwdivers.

Also, for removing old boots, throw the whole airbox in a sink of hot water (hotter the better), wait 5 minutes and the boots will have gone all rubbery soft again (only temporary while they are warm). Easy to just pull out then. Note you do need to use a screwdriver to prise out the old lock rings.

[Katarat]

The 1100 rings are 1 piece, no squeezing the ends together. They are some tight fitting SOBs too.

[hampshirehog]

If they are the endless type you just smear them and the rubbers with Vaseline and push them in at right angles and twist / spin in one movement.

[Katarat]

Thats what I did & they arent even close "slipping " right in. I probably should have waited for a warm day instead of a cold rainey one or put a hair dryer on them first. Im pretty sure after 50 years working on bikes I could slip them right in if thats what they did

[hampshirehog]

If the rubbers are new then as long as it's not minus 20 outside there's no point warming the rubbers (they're all buttery soft anyway). Maybe yours are just tight - vaseline has always done the trick for me (no gay comments please.....).

[Katarat]

It was raining & 48, that was probably the problem. I used a rubber friendly electrical silicon lube. The boots were new