Topic: Removing carbs from engine

[buda74]

I am at the point to remove the carbs on a 75 cb750. The boots that connect them to the engine are rock solid. I have unscrewed the bands, but still can not remove them, I have even carefully tried using a crow bar but I still can not budge them. Does anyone out there have any suggestions or tricks, I am ready to remove the engine, but want the carbs off to prevent damage. Any help would be appreciated.

buda74

[MoMo]

Use a heat gun to soften the boots, then use the pry bar but have a block of wood wedged between the wood and the fins.  Works every time and will not damage the fins...Larry

And then use the wintergreen/xylene mixture to more or less permanently soften the boots.

[CycleRanger]

Be REALLY careful about prying on the stay plate!!  (The aluminum plate that holds carbs.)
It's REALLY easy to crack it!  Just ask the PO of my bike!

+1 to the heat gun.  Above all, be patient and take your time.

[Shane72]

When removing banks of carbs with stiff boots, I rely on a tip I learned a few years ago...

2 sets of ratchet straps around the most solid part (top or bottom, close to the middle of the set), wrapped around from both left and right.  Find solid anchoring at the rear of the bike for each of the 4 hooks and increase tension evenly side to side.  If the straps are not placed well you can tear them, and/or potentially break stuff.

The benefit of this method is that the tension stays right where you want it, for as long as you need, regardless of other factors.

The same method can be employed (in reverse) to reinstall a set if you want/need to.

Saves a ton of sweat, and much frustration for me...YMMV   

Have yet to run into a set that can withstand this method (quite a few the last few years...), no broken parts yet...

Good luck,

Shane

[wedoo2]

Nice to hear about the ratchet straps.  What I used to put mine back on.   

[ekpent]

+ 2 or 3 on the GOOD  heat gun with a up and down wiggle pull motion and some muscle. Wear a good pair of heavy leather gloves also so you don't bark up your hands or fingers when they do come off.     

[70CB750]

Be REALLY careful about prying on the stay plate!!  (The aluminum plate that holds carbs.)
It's REALLY easy to crack it!  Just ask the PO of my bike!

+1 to the heat gun.  Above all, be patient and take your time.

Yes. It hapenned to me. Had to make a new one from piece of 6061 

[octagon]

broke a plate too, and after that figured out a heat gun works well. maybe it's paranoia but i drain the float bowls and blow some compressed air over the carbs to keep gas fumes to a minimum.

[nancy]

If your carb boots are that hard - and why wouldn't they be as 36 year old bits of rubber,...why keep them? I'd cut through with a hacksaw blade. Remove the rack without stress,..then remove the remainder at the head by slitting through the rubber after heat application and use of a box knife. New boot rubbers after. What are they - $5 each?

[MoMo]

If your carb boots are that hard - and why wouldn't they be as 36 year old bits of rubber,...why keep them? I'd cut through with a hacksaw blade. Remove the rack without stress,..then remove the remainder at the head by slitting through the rubber after heat application and use of a box knife. New boot rubbers after. What are they - $5 each?

Wish they were 5, actually they are  about 27 each from Honda.  they can be softened with the famous wintergreen/xylene mixture once removed...Larry

[nancy]

Flip to that price - shop somewhere else - I bought just one from David Silver and it was $10NZ...without shipping costs...and that was only this year. That's about $7US.
Replica part that fits perfectly. Will your bike know the brand? Not.
Anyway - genuine Honda part is also shown at $16NZ - thta must be about $12 of your dollars.
http://www.davidsilverspares.co.uk/

[d9canada]

I have always had good success just using about a 2 foot piece of cedar about an inch and a quarter square as the pry bar.. done two 550s and three 900Cs, just place the pry horizontal across bike ahead of the carbs, far tip of the pry on the cylinders and gently bring tension against the float bowl of the outside carb nearest to you.  Sometimes I go from side to side to loosen them up a bit and squirt a little WD40 on the insulator tube ends to get a little to maybe work inside.  Never broke a fin or damaged a carb.  Ten minute drill.  Soaking your insulators in xylene can put some flex back in them.. search the threads for more info.

[buda74]

Thanks everyone for the advice, I decided to go ahead and cut them off, and replace them. I figured being so old it wouldn't hurt. All the advice was much appreciated.