Carburetors won't fit

[Guest]

Installing my carburetors back on to my 82 gs850 and the carbs won't fit in to the engine intake boots. the first carb goes in good but the other three don't line up correctly and are short. #4 is even short by a half an inch or so. I don't if I have the boots installed wrong maybe the carbs are mixed up. Like I said I'm just confused as to why they won't line up and seat correctly. Any help is appreciated greatly.

[Phred]

Can you post some pics of the carbs and the boots? The boots are slightly angled and may not be installed correctly. The screw ports for the vacuum gauge should be pointing to the correct sides for the left and right so that you can set up the gauges. Other than that you can take a look at the carb tutorial on Basscliff's website and see if you put them together properly. The pictures are very explicit.

[60ratrod]

an easy-ish way to install the carb bodies is to loosen the carb intakes, slip the bodies in the manifolds, then tighten down the manifold to head screws. this is easiest with allen screws, but if you have a multi-bit driver, use the best fitting tip inserted into a 1/4" socket on a 1/4" drive ratchet, or what ever size socket the tip fits in. mostly you just need to tighten down the top manifold screws, remove the carbs, then tighten the bottom screws, and you should be good to go. if you haven't checked or replaced the manifold O-rings yet, now might be a prime time to do so

[Mr.humbucker]

You probably have this solved by now ... But if the three carbs are not lining up then it is likely that the carbs are not set in the right frame or mounting bars. 850 carns are mounted wider than 650/550 and likely 750's. If the carbs have been rebuilt there is a chance that someone has placed them in a set of mounting bars from a 750 or 650/550 which would explain the reason they are short laterally.

[Steve]

If the carbs have been rebuilt there is a chance that someone has placed them in a set of mounting bars from a 750 or 650/550 which would explain the reason they are short laterally.

The only way to shorten them and not cause other problems is to use all the other hardware that goes between the individual carbs, too.

The spacing of the carbs is also controlled by the length of the throttle shaft on carb #2 (it's shorter on the 550s and 650s), the fuel T and the mounting bars.

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