82-550T-getin' da carbs back in?

[Buffalo Bill]

Geez, who designed this? I'm trying to get the carbs back in and there is no extra space between the frame and the engine, for the airbox and the carbs.
I'm thinking I should take the #1 and 4 intake pipes out, just to downsize the struggle, and that's the best that can be done.
Any body have a better idea?
P.S. 30 years later.
This work could be so much easier if Suzuki and everybody else had just split the airbox, so the carbs could slide out.

[rphillips]

Never worked on a 550T, but if like other GS's, it just takes force to bend & twist the rubber boots till the carbs go in. A real PITA. Be sure the airbox is loose & slid back as far in the frame as possible.

[jetta90]

Buffalo Bill, my 1983 GS 750 is just a bear of a job to get the carbs back on. On my bike I need to loosen the airbox so it'll slide back a bit (1/2" maybe). If memory serves me right, I also need to loosen the battery box behind the air box in order for both to slide back a little.
They won't slide back much but just enough to maybe eliminate a few choice swear words during the carb install.

[spyug]

I have the 83 750 also and I'd agree with Jetta's recollections. A tight fit but you get a bit more room by taking off the battery holder and moving the airbox back. For some reason, you can't get the airbox out (don't know how they got it in there) but it will move back about 1.5 inches or so.

I find a shot of silicone or lube or WD40 or whatever in the throats of the manifolds (boots) helps the carbs slip in. Do the same on the airbox boots to get it back on.

I also find putting the carbs in from the right side is a bit easier as you don't need to fight with the clutch cable from that side.

It is also a titch easier if you connect the throttle cable before the carbs are popped into place.

I find liberal cussing also helps

Good luck with it.
Cheers,
Spyug

[Gib]

When I put mine back in, I think I may just loosen up the engine mount and try to tip it forward a bit. They are a pain in the ass.

[jetta90]

..........spyug is right. On my 1983 750 as well, the battery box comes out NOT slides back. Then you can slide the air box back a bit which enables you to have more wiggle room to get the carbs back in.
Either wd40 or a little water and soap sprayed from an old windex bottle makes the rubber nice and slippery to help things along.

[Nessism]

The 550T only has about 1/2 between the airbox and the frame. Loosen the bolts and slide it back as far as possible. Other than that, good luck. Some silicone lube on the boots might help so try that, particularly if your boots are old and hard.

[ckohlersr]

I'm not sure if this will work with a 4-cylinder, but here is what I did the last time I put the carbs back on my GS450L: First, I replaced the intake boot screws with socket-head cap screws. This allows tightening the screws with limited space. I installed the boots using only the top screws, pivoted them upwards, and snugged the screws. This gets the boots out of the way and gives you plenty of room to install the carbs - easily, with very little effort. Once the carbs are into place, push them completely into the airbox boots. I also had the airbox loose, and as far back as it would go. In this position, it leaves enough room to pivot the intake boots back into position, install the bottom screws, and tighten everything up. Be very careful that the intake o-rings stay properly positioned. I had no trouble with mine staying in place. Overall, for me, this method worked out way better than previous attempts.

[Buffalo Bill]

550s are different guys, they're even tighter.

When I put mine back in, I think I may just loosen up the engine mount and try to tip it forward a bit. They are a pain in the ass.

I was thinking I may have to try something like this. You just reinforce my own view of options.
You 750 guys, I want you to know I already tried each of your suggestions, I been here before with my 1100G, but this 550 is much tighter. I got the airbox loose and it's squeezed right up against the frame but I still need another 1/2 inch for clearance. The rubber boots are too short to give.

[Nessism]

I was thinking I may have to try something like this. You just reinforce my own view of options.
You 750 guys, I want you to know I already tried each of your suggestions, I been here before with my 1100G, but this 550 is much tighter. I got the airbox loose and it's squeezed right up against the frame but I still need another 1/2 inch for clearance. The rubber boots are too short to give.

Are your intake boots hard and inflexible? If so, you could try to heat them with a heat gun or hair drier to soften them. Other than this, just stuff the carbs back in. Removing motor mounts is silly, just stuff the carbs back in like thousands of other people.

[Dave_17954]

how did you get them out?

[TheCafeKid]

Getting them out is just as hard as getting them in. I can say from recent experience on a 81 550L....HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! (points and laughs at you) Sorry, totally uncalled for, but misery loves company. Kidding.

Seriously tho, HEAT those airbox rubbers up. When i first put that 550L i worked on back together, it had sat, unrun, as far as I can tell, since 2002. This was just a couple months ago. So as you can imagine they were pretty stiff. I had to remove the carbs a second time because one of the float bowls were leaking cause the float valve was stuck. After having run for a few weeks, and the boots and airbox rubbers getting warm and what not, they were MUCH MUCH easier to get in and out. Having said that, you DO kinda have to assault them a bit, smashing them to get the carbs in and out. Dont worry, it wont hurt them. just be carefull you dont bend the clamps. I found it was easier to take the clamps off, then open them completely and put them back on rather than dealing with misshappen ones later on.

[Buffalo Bill]

A little of this, a little of that.

I'm not sure if this will work with a 4-cylinder, but here is what I did the last time I put the carbs back on my GS450L: First, I replaced the intake boot screws with socket-head cap screws. This allows tightening the screws with limited space. I installed the boots using only the top screws, pivoted them upwards, and snugged the screws. This gets the boots out of the way and gives you plenty of room to install the carbs - easily, with very little effort. Once the carbs are into place, push them completely into the airbox boots. I also had the airbox loose, and as far back as it would go. In this position, it leaves enough room to pivot the intake boots back into position, install the bottom screws, and tighten everything up. Be very careful that the intake o-rings stay properly positioned. I had no trouble with mine staying in place. Overall, for me, this method worked out way better than previous attempts.

I tried a variation of this, by just pivoting the outside tubes downward. It was a big help. Undoing the forward and lower engine mounts may help too but, that would be just more work.
I'm glad it all worked out, because I forgot to hook up the throttle cable first. So now I have to do it all over again.
Thanks Guys!

[Fishman]

I have a 550T as well. As an aside, supposedly, that model was only manufactured in 1981.

I've taken out my carbs and reinstalled them about 50 times . . . well, I'm exaggerating, but at least a dozen times. I've not had to do anything special, but I do have new intake rubber at the head. Slide the airbox back, spray silicon lube in both sets of rubbers, front and back, then slip the carbs in from the side with the front of the carbs canted up above the head intakes. Install the carbs on the airbox rubbers first, then push the carbs back and down to get them into the intake rubbers. They deform quite a bit, so if they are hard, that could prove difficult. Doing it this way has given me no problems so far after initially figuring it out. Of course as you say, be sure to hook up the cables before you slide the carbs in all the way.

Hope this helps a little. You shouldn't have to do anything fancy to get it to work.