Stock air box won't match up to carbs properly.

[Anonymous]

I am trying to install my just cleaned carbs. They are successfully attached to the intake ports. However they will connect solidly to teh plastic stock air box side. The middle ports just push in, and the rubber sleeve won't go over the carbs.

What should I do?

[Anonymous]

Have you checked to be sure its ok.

Have you checked it out to make sure the rubber pieces have not come out of what ever they are supposed to be socketed,or groved in on the air box. Once in a while I have to take out the air filter and reach up into the air box to get the boots to go onto the carbs. I usually have to push and manuever it back and forth a bit to get them all the way down on the neck of all the carbs. Just make sure you dont scratch the side plates with the chrome air box covers while you push it arount. Best to get them off.

[Anonymous]

How do you get the chrome side plates off?

I have one screw and 2 rivets holding them on. I don't really feel like riveting them back on.

I've tried using a piece of wood as a lever or reinforcement to get them on, but no luck. My hand is too big to fit in the box to try and push them on the boots.

[Anonymous]

It took me alot of trial and error to get them back on last week on my 550L. The engine side went on in a jiffy, but the airbox was a major pain. I had to get them back out of the engine side (they go back on fairly easily), and just keep wiggling the carbs till they lined up and - more or less - fit into the airbox boots.

Loosen up the boots' clamps as much as possible. Take them off if necessary. I found that by tilting the carbs DOWN, then pushing them INTO the boots, the bottom parts of the boots would go on pretty well. Then tilt the carbs back up again (not too far, you don't want them to pop back out of the bottom), make them more or less level with the engine, and push in some more. Now the upper side of the boot lips should be close to where they are supposed to be, on the carbs. Use a screwdriver to GENTLY coerce the rest of the boots to wrap around the carbs - kinda like a shoehorn. Try working on the inner boots first, as they are the hardest to line up. Once you have 'em all in properly, tighten clamps back down till they're SNUG only.

Now move the carbs around a little (more wiggling) so they slip inside the engine's intake boots - careful not to move 'em too much, or they'll come right out of the airbox all over again. Once you think everything is in properly, give it a double and triple check on both sides, looking all around each boot to make sure they are all on right. A good seal is required here. Tighten down all clamps.

If the boots keep squishing themselves back into the airbox, try prying them out GENTLY and carefully with a needlenose. Those boots can be expensive, so don't tear 'em up. Oh, and if you haven't done this yet, removing the two screws that hold the airbox to the frame (up top, ahead of the air cleaner lid) will give you a little bit of leeway to move the box around.

It takes alot of patience and effort, and quite a bit of finesse. If they're driving you crazy, stop for a little bit and do something else - have a drink or a snack, whatever. Then come back to the carbs.

This is what worked for me, hopefully it gets you through this as well. Best of luck, and keep us posted.

[Anonymous]

I share your pain! About 6 months ago I had exactly the same problem with the carbs on my '82 GS750 TZ and posted about it on this forum. There was a bit of debate about how important it is to get a close fit on the airbox side. I don't think we ever did settle it completely but the general view seemed to be that you must have a secure connection between the carbs and the intakes but that it's not so important on the airbox side. That certainly seems to be the case. The carbs on my bike now fit snugly against the airbox but they don't actually fit into the 'boots' on the airbox. If I start the engine and spray carb cleaner around between the airbox and the carbs it doesn't have any effect on the engine speed so I'd say the carbs are in tight enough, even if not quite as they're meant to be. I don't know, perhaps the bike would go even better if I finally got the carbs properly mounted but, as it is, it doesn't give me any cause for complaint.
Were the carbs correctly mounted before you removed them? They weren't on my bike so at least I have the comfort of having got them back in as I found them.
As I said, I feel your pain. This problem drove me crazy for two weeks. I lost count of the number of times I dismounted and re-mounted the carbs.
Good luck

Roger

[focus frenzy]

In my case, I found it to be waaaayyyyy easier to assemble the carb rack and air cleaner with them off the bike, then carefully install the whole assembly on the bike.
this works for sure with the big shafties and also works with some other models.

[saaz]

I have not had an airbox on my bike for many years (80s) but I do remember the airbox was a pain to refit on the carbs. The rubber hardens, making it difficult, particulalrly in colder weather. The centre ones are a real test!

Try using a hair dryer to heat up the rubbers until they are pliable. They usually fit on straight away then. A little spray lube does not go astray either.

[Anonymous]

Hi
I agree with saaz as the rubber gets old it go's hard and srinks, heat them up I used washing up liquid.
In the end I got new ones it turned 3hr fiddle into a 2min job.

[lhanscom]

I did that airbox thing once. Then I bought Pod filters, I'd rather rejet then have to do that airbox thing.

[Anonymous]

With my 850, I'm pretty sure I connected the airbox to the carbs first and them put the whole mess on the bike. Just my 2 cents.. Goodluck.

[Jay B]

Man I must be doing something right. I can have my carbs back on and the bike runing in about 15 minutes. I never have any problems as everything just slides into place with a couple of wiggles. I must be the lucky one.

[Anonymous]

I've tried using a piece of wood as a lever or reinforcement to get them on, but no luck. My hand is too big to fit in the box to try and push them on the boots.

*** I believe your boots hardened and shrunk with age - this is the reason why do you have a problem. Make sure your airbox front is disconnected from a frame and rear part of it. I disconnect a battery box from a frame too, to have more space to move the airbox.
Where do you live in Toronto - I am from Mississauga and pherhaps could take a look at it.

Adam M.