Frozen intake boot bolts...

[tom203]

I must be missing something here,This should be a snap with a small genuine vicegrip- break top bolt free, remove,then rotate boot slightly to free opposite bolt or just use vicegrip end on and twist

[WingMan71]

Thanks for all the suggestions and experience guys.

I'll give it a shot this weekend and see if I can get them loose.

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[hikermikem]

I must be missing something here,This should be a snap with a small genuine vicegrip- break top bolt free, remove,then rotate boot slightly to free opposite bolt or just use vicegrip end on and twist

This has always been my go-to as well. Take time to get a super firm grip on those screw head from the side & all goes well...

[WingMan71]

Well...

Here's what I tried:

1. My DeWalt cordless Drill. Even at the highest torque setting on the collar (15) it wouldn't even budge the screws.
2. My DeWalt cordless Impact Driver. It buggered up the first screw head really badly. Lots of power, but no torque control on it.
3. My trusty old manual impact driver and hammer!

I had to remove the battery box from the bike on the left side to get enough room to get the impact driver in place and then lined up about a foot long piece of 2x2 wood to the back of the impact driver, through where the battery box was, and smacked that with a hammer. Got the two boots on the left side out this way. Had to cut slots in the head of the screws first since they were mangled.

So, I've got two collars off and two to go.

Looks like I'm gonna have to remove the entire air box from the bike so I can get room to swing a hammer on the right side of the bike.

The "get one screw loose and then rotate the intake boot to loosen the other screw" method is NOT working on my bike. The boot spins, but the second screw head doesn't. It just stays put.

Also tried to latch onto the screw heads with a Vice Grips. No-go. Can't get enough meat under the jaws to hold good enough.

These things are just nasty stuck and there's no room on a 650GL!

I may end up cutting the heads of the screws off these last two with a Dremel tool, pulling off the boots, and then getting the screw shafts out with a Vice Grips. That will be my last resort.

In the mean time, my carbs are getting dippped.

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