I am sure many have commented on this over the years but I really struggled with getting my carbs on and off even after having read varioous posts on the subject. After some experimentation I seem to have mastered the easiest way. I can have the carbs off in 15 minutes and back on in 20.
Here is how it goes..........
1) Remove the air filter and it's casiing, remove the throttle cables, remove tank.
2) Loosen the clamps on the carb engine side and actually remove the airbox side clamps as it just saves them from getting bent and in the way generally. You can slide them around and off pretty easily.
3) Now push the airbox to carb rubbers back in to the airbox a bit using fingers/blunt screwdriver whatever. You dont need to push them right through just back about an inch util they are off the lip that holds them in the right location relative to the carbs. Dont use sharp tools as you will just ram a hole in them !!
4) Now you have gained a bit of extra space and the carbs can be pulled off the intake and waggled free pretty easily.
5) To get it all back together slide the carbs back in and push them on to the carb inlets as far as you can. From the right seems easier for some odd reason.
6) Now to get the air side rubbers back on- for the middle two rubbers put your hand through the hole in the back of the plenum chamber and push them towards the engine back out to the right position. Bit fiddly but a combination of pushing and rotating works pretty easily
7) For the two outer rubbers you can pull these through from the engine side easily to their right position
Put all clamps back on and tighten, refit cables and tank and ride off in to the sunset grinning that you are now truly a 500 four carb Jeddi
Two things that help
A) A spray of silicone lubricant or similar helps with the pulling/pushing of the aire side rubbers.
B) If the rubbers are old and brittle you are going to break them so always good to get a replacement set if they have not been off for xxxx years
I hope this is of some help to others - I really struggled until I got this technique and it's just so easy.
I guess this only fails if you have such giant hands you cant get them inside the airbox but they'd be some mighty big hands I think
