Topic: ...helps get carbs back on...especially when cold!!!

[Lumbee]

 ...so I'm out last night in 40 degree weather (thats frigid for Baton Rouge) and when I pulled the carbs off this bike they were a total bi-atch to get off so I knew they weren't going back on without a fight. The rubbers were so hard they felt like mild steel!

...so then the little squirrel in my head starts running on his wheel. I'm thinking, if the rubber was warm they'd go on alot easier.

I could take the carbs in the house and let them sit for a few hours? That would take to long, and they wouldn't get very warm.

I could pull the rubbers off and boil them or run them under hot water or something? Still very time consuming, and by the time you get the boots back on the carbs they will have cooled off.

So my solution? Pulled out the trusty rusty harbor freight heat gun and hit the boots for about 30 seconds each. That softened them up and they slid right on. Well maybe not slid right on, but they went on alot easier.

Holla...

[btripp]

Lumbee,

  That's a great tip.  I actually had to pry mine off with a broomstick between the engine and the carbs!  It was cold then too, and I think the rubber is hard.

  I had been dreading putting them back...

  Thanks for the info!

  -Ben

[Bob Wessner]

Borrow the wife's (girl friend's) hair drier. You can use a lower setting and go back and forth warming them without the danger of too much heat.

[Jonesy]

Boiling the boots in hot water works good in the summertime for old, hardened rubber... Probably would cool off too fast in the winter temps. I like Bob's idea.

[Jim Shea]

What is a "harbor freight heat gun"? Is it what we call a blow torch?
If so, that amount of heat would probably effect the integrity of the rubber? Rubber does not heat and cool down well!

[bistromath]

No, it's basically an overblown hair dryer, in this case from Harbor Freight, an electronics/hardware store renowned for selling cheap #$%* at cheap #$%* prices. 

[Lumbee]

...sorry...forgot about our euro brothers...like bistro said, basically is a hair dryer for your shop...used mostly on heat strink plastic for your electrics...

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=35776

[Jughead]

And Stripping Paint.

I thought I would have a Biatch of a time getting the carbs back on my 750 F2 the First time I cleaned the Carbs but they went on Nicely after I just about Dropped a Nad.I lubed them real good with some grease and Stuck #1 on then worked the #2 Boot Around the Intake a Little and Pushed it on about 1/2 way.Lined up the Boot with #3 then Pushed #2 on a little more then Lined up #4 and Gave another Smaller non Nut busting Push and they all Popped on.It was slightly Warmer than 40 Degrees though.My Boots are getting a little on the Hard order.

[Bob Wessner]

And Stripping Paint.

Or scorching wood siding if you tarry to long in one spot. Yup, I did that. 

[skamania19]

Borrow the wife's (girl friend's) hair drier. You can use a lower setting and go back and forth warming them without the danger of too much heat.

Technically valid point. However, compared to the heat I'd catch from my wife...
I'm going to buy an old one at a garage sale and keep that in the shop.

[scott_cb650]

Soaking the boots in solvent also softens them up for a long time.
If they're really hard, like hard plastic, it may take 12 or more hours.
If they just need refreshing, a few hours can do the trick.

If you soak them too long and they swell, you can bring them back to normal in the oven, however, your next roast may taste a little funny.

Scott

[Lumbee]

...yea, I tryed the boiling in winter green oil thing, and can't say it helped much.  Although I only boiled them for a 10/15 minutes, so it probably takes longer to see any real effect...

[Philly550K1]

sometimes Harbor Freight has Jacko-lanterns on sale....

[jdpas29]

OMG OMG OMG!!!  i have the PERFECT METHOD TO GETTING CARBS BACK ON!!!  listen up....

you remove two of the boots on one side from the CARB BODIES and the two on the other side from the BLOCK

 it's very easy this way 

[Bob Wessner]

Has anyone else tried this? It does sound plausible.

[dusterdude]

yes it do

[scondon]

Long ago someone posted that they used a section of 2x4 to lever the carbs in. I tried it and it works brilliantly on even the stiffest, hardest carb boots. Quite effortless and very satisfying. I keep a 4 foot section handy and no longer sweat when reinstalling carbs. Thanks to whoever posted this method originally.

[Lumbee]

...I can see the 2X4 for removing...are you saying you use it to put them on too?

[Objectionableone]

I use Siilicone spray cleaner, a little on the rubber and a little on the carb and she slides right in.     Motul being my fav-o-rite brand.  It can be as much fun as a heat gun. 

[clarkjh]

That old rubber is a "B&^%H" to get back in the airbox, expesially(sorry for the speeling) if you've had backfires into the airbox.  I think the PO had to put a fire out in there at some point.

James

[Terry in Australia]

Has anyone else tried this? It does sound plausible.

Ha ha, if they're that old and hard Bob, it's been my experience that you don't have a choice! If they're really hard they could well not be sealing too good, so if your bike appears to be running lean, it's probably sucking air betwixt carb and boot.

if you can afford it, buy a nice soft new set from David Silver Spares (I did on my F2 as the originals were cracked) or if your budget doesn't permit new parts purchases right now, buy some nice thin stainless hose clamps from your local hardware store, soften each boot in boiling water to soften them, and do the clamps up while they're still soft-ish, and they should be fine.

A little grease or WD40 inside the boots makes fitting them a "piece of piss" (Aussie for Easy) to refit, but don't do what some "drongo's" (self explanatory) do and wack the carbs with a hammer or block of wood. Cheers, Terry.

[HondaMan]

I like the silicone spray. Works fine, won't hurt anything...

[scondon]

...I can see the 2X4 for removing...are you saying you use it to put them on too?

     Yeah, it works great. Stick the 2x4 through the bike, behind the carbs, and lever it between the rear of the carbs and the frame downtube. Push one end of the 2x4 forward and carbs 1&2 should seat, then walk around the bike and push the other end forward and the whole carb bank pops in with a satisfying "shhhtuck!"

     Getting them off is pretty easy. Just loosen up the bands and push down on the rear of the carbs while straddling the bike.

[sixshooter]

here is how i do it,get boots started on the intake wrap a tie down strap(one with ratchet) around the engine then around the filter end of the carbs, all four center of carb.now ratchet snug shake carbs up and down ratchet a bit and repeat in just a short time those carbs will pop right on

have a good day
sixshooter

[Lumbee]

..interesting procedure six...would never have thought of that...