Airbox Question

[dieselhead]

Hey y'all, just pulled my airbox out and found the tube sticking out of the top (don't know the name) is pretty rusted. Is this a case of needing an entirely new airbox? Or can I make this one work w/ some cleaning?
The boots feel loose inside the airbox too (they can jiggle around now that it's pulled out), but I assume once everything is jammed back in there it creates the seal?
Either it was torn, or I tore it pulling the thing out, but my snorkel needs to be replaced as well it seems.
Tried to put up pictures but kept saying "upload failed." Please forgive my "newbie-ness."

[azr]

I had an airbox who's breather hose broke, I just used some 'metal putty' for the lack of the proper word and it worked/looked fine. If your boots are turning pretty easily I'm guessing they are fairly hard in which case you might want to buy some new ones. They should seal tight and not be able to turn that easily.

[Charlie G]

Most of the air boxes i've seen are plastic and won't rust. If in doubt about the boots replace. Tears are not good.

You need to tell us what bike you have by placing it in your signiture. Do this by going to user cp in the upper left of your screen. Edit your signiture and list your bike.

Members download their photos to a site like photoucket. Copy the image code from the picture you want to post and paste it on a thread post.

cg

[dieselhead]

Thanks, Charlie G. I was trying to figure out how to do that...

[dieselhead]

Thanks, azr.
I've only been to Victoria once, but you have a gorgeous town. We rented scooters and rode all over it.

[eil]

That's the crankcase breather tube. Mine was very rusty too. What I did was roll up some sandpaper (can't remember what grit, 200 or so?) and work it around in there for about 10 minutes. A good stiff wire brush of exactly the right diameter would work better, but I couldn't find such a thing locally. I then sprayed just a bit of rustoleum inside. Apart from that, I'm not sure there's anything else that can be done. I'm considering it yet another maintenance item that should be performed every few years.

Agree with azr and Charlie on the boots. If they're not perfectly pliable and squishy all the way around, they won't seal properly. New boots will sit snugly inside the holes.

[dieselhead]

I really appreciate your taking the time to comment, eil.

[dieselhead]

http://i.imgur.com/TQlszdWh.jpg Here's a picture of the rust. I think I can still make it work. The rubber doesn't appear to be stiff or have cracks.

[eil]

I don't think that tube is supposed to come out... it should be welded in there. the integrity of the airbox might be suspect in this case. What's the overall condition of the rest of the airbox? Remember that you can't have any leaks. Air must only enter via the snorkel (not sure if all models have one?) and only exit via the carb boots.

If you're sure the rest of the airbox is good, you could try the "metal putty" that azr mentioned. Perhaps JB Weld or regular epoxy would do as well. You shouldn't need anything with a ton of strength or high-temperature. Whatever will hold it in firmly and seal it up good will work.

[BassCliff]

Hi,

...Tried to put up pictures but kept saying "upload failed." Please forgive my "newbie-ness."

Found this on some guy's website.

Posting Pictures To GSR

Be sure to resize your pictures to something like 800x600. Larger pictures don't fit on smaller screens.


Thank you for your indulgence,

BassCliff

[eil]

Just saw the pic... wow, that's pretty bad!

Okay, doesn't look like that tube can be reused. If the rest of the airbox is okay, something that *might* be permissible is to just seal up the hole that it came out of and put a filter on the breather tube where it comes out of the engine. Something like this: http://www.z1enterprises.com/ItemDet...item=TU40-0376

Or you could get a longer breather hose and somehow putty/epoxy it directly into the airbox. (It can still be disconnected on the engine side.)

Or you could source a new airbox. I see one on eBay for a '78 750 for $40 shipped right now. That's not a bad price if it's in good shape. I think this airbox was common to a number of models, so there are probably others if you do the cross-referencing and searching.

[dieselhead]

It's pretty good, eil. However, the previous owner had installed the air filter and, I guess, removed the foam that makes the air cleaner snug against the lower housing (top of air filter, if that makes sense). Wish I'd taken a picture to explain this better. Anyway, basically the air filter had a 1/8 gap all the way around it. Who know how long it's been sucking unfiltered air in... Despite that, the bike has ran great for me other than needing a long time to warm up before it will even move.
Slowly but surely I'm making it a reliable machine!

[eil]

I know the foam you're talking about... if you're not already aware, that can be easily replaced with weather stripping from any hardware store. Make sure it says "closed-cell" on the package.

[GSXR7ED]

AirBox IPB

http://i.imgur.com/TQlszdWh.jpg Here's a picture of the rust. I think I can still make it work. The rubber doesn't appear to be stiff or have cracks.

There should be a proper seal on the top of your Airbox. My "T" has a plastic spout where the hose connects with a clip. In your picture, there doesn't appear to be a seal into the airbox except the metal spout and it looks like it's just dangling. You may need to buy the whole Airbox since the spout isn't listed as a part to purchase.





Here's where I found the IPB (Illustrated Parts Breakdown)

http://www.alpha-sports.com/Parts/SM78.htm

Ed

[dieselhead]

Eil, yup, found that guide. That will come after I figure out if this thing is even reusable!