Topic: Seeking clever tricks on how to rectify an air leak without removing the carbs.

[Autoground]

Hi all, long time.

1980 CB650. Carbs are dialed in right, but I had sudden onset intermittent lurching. I sprayed some lube around the carbs and saw some changes in RPMs, but the smoking gun was leaning in and hearing a hissing noise from the rear of the carbs (as in towards the airbox) when opening the throttle.

Please god, don't make me have to take these carbs off again. Who's got a story of having fixed an air leak without removing the  the carbs? I'm beggin ya.

[OldGreyBeast]

I changed the intake manifold o-rings on my bike without actually removing the carbs, just shoved them back enough to get the new o-rings in there.

One of my bikes a previous owner solved a leaky airbox boot problem by just absolutely slathering it in silicone.  It's not pretty, but in his defense it did work.

[Deltarider]

An airleak has to be diagnosed first. Just replacing them is not a good strategy. On my bike after all these years and all these miles only one of them leaked, this after a mechanic had reinstalled the manifold incorrecly. The other three are still the originals the bike got at the assembly line.

[carnivorous chicken]

If it's behind the carbs, even something like shoe goo will plug an air leak if it's cracked rubber or plastic. But you've got to find out exactly where it is, which will eliminate the need to just slather something everywhere.