Wit's End....Airbox

[Xtracho]

When I left for Brazil in January carbs were on and I was having fits trying to get the boots on the airbox back on the intakes. Well...I'm home now and dammit the frustration continues. Airbox is in but I cannot, for the life of me get those boots on. Seems I get one on, go to another, and the one I just finished slips off. I loosened up the bolts on the intake runners, slipped a screwdriver in to shim it up, downward pressure on the airbox. Still no luck. I'm home for a week before I head back down until end of June. Sure would like to get this done before I leave and maybe get a day or two of riding in too.

Is it me? Am I just missing the easy method? I mean this is getting to the point of feeling totally unable to get this done.  

[R J]

Spray a little WD40 or silicone spray on the rubber boots inside.

Lower the air box down and press  level and equal.

The boots will start to slide on and need assistance on the last bit of the lip.

It just takes patience.

Keep doing as you are doing, it will finally give in and let ya gets your nerves back.

[hubcapsc]

Seems like me and Stanley Steamer did it this way over at his house once:

http://www.valkyrieriders.com/shoptalk/AirBox%20VentHose/AirBox.htm

I didn't resort to any string tricks when I did it on my bike. RJs wd40 suggestion
sounds good. You didn't just loosen the hose clamps, you took them off or
raised them up out of the way?

Check (with a mirror if needed) that they are indeed all on on the back sides
before you declare success...

-Mike

[Xtracho]

Seems like me and Stanley Steamer did it this way over at his house once:

http://www.valkyrieriders.com/shoptalk/AirBox%20VentHose/AirBox.htm

I didn't resort to any string tricks when I did it on my bike. RJs wd40 suggestion
sounds good. You didn't just loosen the hose clamps, you took them off or
raised them up out of the way?

Check (with a mirror if needed) that they are indeed all on on the back sides
before you declare success...

-Mike

Thanks RJ...I'll try the WD-40. And no Mike, I just loosened the hose clamps and left them in their original position. I've got the mirror to check the back sides as well. Right now, just taking a break before I break something.

[John Schmidt]

Here's what I do, takes all the effort out. First get the box into position, then put the filter and lid on. Get a 4" piece of 2x4 and lay on top of the lid. Next, take a ratchet tie down strap and loop it over the 2x4, then hook it on the engine guard on either side, has to be on the horizontal part underneath. Ratchet it down and it pulls the airbox down into place and will hold it there while you install the rubber intakes. I always install the bolt first that's at the rear, then go to the intakes. I've never needed to spray anything on them.

[HayHauler]

I didn't spray them either, but maybe that would have helped.  MY problem was the lip on the inside was folded under and keeping the boots from holding.  JoeValkSantaFe pushed down on the top of the air box while I slipped the boots on.
Like John, I started with the rear bolt, then moved onto the boots.

Good Luck,
Hay 
Jimmyt

[Thunderbolt]

What they said plus I always take the band clamps off and leave them off until I know that the boots are all on correctly.  It isn't that hard to form them into a "C" shape and snake them around the boots.  If you have one of the small extendable mirrors you can use it to check that they are on correctly or look in from the other side with a flashlight.  Been a while, but I think there is also a coil on the left side held on by one bolt that you can remove temporarily to get a little more room to maneuver the airbox.

[salty1]

Don't forget to make sure the other lines on the bottom of the airbox are in place. Don't ask. 

[fudgie]

I been lucky and had no problems the 10x mines been out. I use 1 hand and lean into the airbox and keep downward pressure until all the tubes are tightened.

[Wewaman]

Listen to what Salty mentioned check the bottom of air box and attach hoses.   Also if I remember right you did the desmog and I don't know about you but I put a bracket back on backwards and the hose plug that came with the desmog kit that plugs the bottom of the air box was riding on the bracket that I installed backwards preventing me from getting everything to stay secured.  I got everything clamped but when I went out the next day they were pulled off of the carbs.  Just learn from one of my MANY mistakes.

Wewa

[Motorider]

The boots can rotate clockwise and counter clockwise in the air box. Make sure they are all pointed with the correct orientation to their respective carb.

[Xtracho]

Thanks everyone for the help. Got them on with the ratchet strap and a little WD-40. Frustration over. Gonna get the fuel tank on tomorrow, fire her up, see how she runs, then sync the carbs. Again, thanks to all of you. Lesson learned.

[Chrisj CMA]

Thanks everyone for the help. Got them one with the ratchet strap and a little WD-40. Frustration over. Gonna get the fuel tank on tomorrow, fire her up, see how she runs, then sync the carbs. Again, thanks to all of you. Lesson learned.

In the future, if you feel you need a lube where rubber is going over metal.  Rubbing alcohol works as good as WD-40 but dries faster and leaves less residue

[hoosier jaybird]

Nice tip, Jeff. I'll remember that one. Jaybird.

[da prez]

as someone else suggested - hand sanitizer - but you have to work fast.

                             da prez

[twdurdentwd]

I had mine out multiple times but the only issue I had reinstalling it was an issues with one of the smog lines being in the way, also the throttle cables. rocked the rear in then squeezed the front. Voila 

[R J]

I've come to the conclussion that several of you DO NOT have the patience to be working on the Phat Lady.

We have a couple of techs at the shop that way.   Any resistance of installing or removing a part, they get in a rage of terror and tool tossing.

About an hour ago I was watching the shop for the son so he could go to school for a conference with a couple of teachers about his attitude.

I wasn't happy with the grand kid over this as I have talked to him about this behavior before.

Vell anyway to make a long story short, both of these Techs got into a shouting match with our Parts Chaser.   I heard the commotion and stepped in.

Told the 2 Techs to knock it off and get back on the job or pack their Tool boxes.    Told the Driver to walk off next time and come to either me or the son for help.

1 Tech said you old fat *ucker, you can't fire me.  I said no, but I can sure as hell make life miserable for you here.   

Right now he is packing his tools up and has a trailer waiting in the shop aisle to load it up.    He has done this a couple of other times and about the time he is ready to set the tool box on the trailer, he asks if he can come back to work.

I'm waiting for that to happen now and I'm going to say you packed it, you walk it on out of here.

Ooopes, (sp) here he comes.  Tool box on the trailer but the fork lift hasn't been moved from under it.

Be back in a few.   Well that took longer than I expected.   But I'm back and he no longer works for the establishment.

His last comment as I was writing his paycheck was I have 2 hours on that one in my stall.    I asked him if it was finished, he said NO, I said NO pay then, get goin lad we got work to do today and you are blocking traffic.

Last I saw of him was he was rolling down the street very very slowly.

I'm waiting on his wife or his Attorney to call now, so I can get the final say in he QUIT, no comeback allowed.

Honestly, I have really been wanting to fire him, but him quitting is better.

Cheers for our side.

The son will probably do cart wheels down the shop floor when he hears this or piss and moan that he has to go to work today to cover for the one who quit.

He just came in and I told him.   He is happy and I'm ready to leave for home.

Cheers & Peace.

[twdurdentwd]

Vell then.

And I agree...even when taking the tank off, if doing so doesn't urge you to want to detail every nook and cranny, then maybe that patience isn't there for some.

For the record, my engines coming out this weekend to replace the god forsaken rear case (for the 2nd time), and you can bet your last buck she's gettin a spa treatment

Thomas

[R J]

I like the spa treatment.

Did you hydrolock for the 2nd time?

[twdurdentwd]

I like the spa treatment.

Did you hydrolock for the 2nd time?

First time was a complete hydrolock, second time was while petcock was in "off" position and engine cranked and ran...with a nasty clank clank of the case breaking and i'm sure the starter idle gear is missing a few teeth as well.

I'm beginning to suspect since I purchased it with 6-6 exhaust, the exhaust was changed without a re-jet. 

Needless to say this will be the last time replacing this case...the jet kit is going in.

I might as well do all the mods I was planning now as well and have the jet kit ordered custom for those mods (nothing like ordering the same thing twice).

Removing the baffles
6 degree trigger wheel
airbox delete with individual spike filters for each intake
desmog.
Then Re-Jet accordingly

[big poppa pump]

Thank you all for your great tips. I had my airbox out this weekend for installing the Audiovox CC. I was able to get my airbox in without any problems. Took me little less than 30 minutes to get all the boots on and the airbox bolted. Used some silicone lubricant around the lips and the boots just went right on. Did right side first and then the left side and installed the bolt at the very end.