is it just a matter of unscrewing off the nut number 39 to gain the access to sliding the throttle lever boots on, or is there more to it?
It would be nice if it was that easy -- but it's not. Usually, with that nut removed (39) and the throttle fully opened, you still won't have access to the slide rod top. Normally it requires removal of the carb rack an then removing the carbs from the rack to get the rod to pass through pivot piece #41. Then to top it all off, the carbs will need to be re synced. The small slot in the slide rod top and nut number 39 is what is used the set the individual slide height and then is 'locked' with jam nut number 43.
There is a small groove in the lower part of jam nut #43 that retains the top of the boot. The large groove in #43 retains the lower lip of boot #71. I found that the retention strap #44 would not tighten on the new boots. Maybe the rubber is thinner than original. I solved the problem by benching the straps and used black wire ties instead. When it's all done correctly, the only part you should see is the hex on #43.
I was born with nothing and still have most of it left.
is it just a matter of unscrewing off the nut number 39 to gain the access to sliding the throttle lever boots on, or is there more to it?
It would be nice if it was that easy -- but it's not. Usually, with that nut removed (39) and the throttle fully opened, you still won't have access to the slide rod top. Normally it requires removal of the carb rack an then removing the carbs from the rack to get the rod to pass through pivot piece #41. Then to top it all off, the carbs will need to be re synced. The small slot in the slide rod top and nut number 39 is what is used the set the individual slide height and then is 'locked' with jam nut number 43.
There is a small groove in the lower part of jam nut #43 that retains the top of the boot. The large groove in #43 retains the lower lip of boot #71. I found that the retention strap #44 would not tighten on the new boots. Maybe the rubber is thinner than original. I solved the problem by benching the straps and used black wire ties instead. When it's all done correctly, the only part you should see is the hex on #43.
Many thanks for your help, it's certainly more complicated that I would have hoped for, I'm a bit of a novice! What do you mean by "carb rack"?
The long flat casting that the carburetors bolt to. Also houses the throttle stop. Remove the throttle cable and any drain hoses. Loosen the three clamps on the rubber intake boots - closest to the carbs. Then just pop the whole assembly off. This sometimes requires a pry bar. I use a 3 foot length of 3/8 pipe.
Re-assembly: Lube the carb intake boots and the carb necks with oil. Heat the intake boots with a hair dryer or heat gun to make them pliable. Then just shove em' back on.
I was born with nothing and still have most of it left.
The long flat casting that the carburetors bolt to. Also houses the throttle stop. Remove the throttle cable and any drain hoses. Loosen the three clamps on the rubber intake boots - closest to the carbs. Then just pop the whole assembly off. This sometimes requires a pry bar. I use a 3 foot length of 3/8 pipe.
Re-assembly: Lube the carb intake boots and the carb necks with oil. Heat the intake boots with a hair dryer or heat gun to make them pliable. Then just shove em' back on.
Back to the original question. why do they melt?? The ones on my GT550L are original, with somewhere around 150,000 miles on them, but a parts bike I picked up (GT550A with 12,000 miles) which was in indoor heated storage and hasn't been started since the late eighties has them melted into a puddle of goop!!
@ Scorch, I agree, when I bought my 380 thirteen years ago, those bellows were just shreds and goop. They still are, and the bike runs like a champ.
I'm speculating here, but the volume of air that could find its way down past the pull-rod, into the carb body and then around the slide etc must be minimal compared with the airflow through the carb throat. It may disrupt idle a little, but as soon as you start opening the throttle I wouldn't have thought it would make much difference to mixture.
As an experiment I may try and seal around the pull rod and carb tops using some flexible plastic wrap, just to see if it makes a difference.
1976 GT380 - wounded by me, and sold on
2006 SV650S - killed by a patch of diesel and a kerb in Feb 2019
2017 SV650 AL7 - naked and unashamed
While we're on the subject of bellows boots, anyone have any suggestions on locating the lower boot clamps. Suzuki does not offer them anymore. I've looked around at hardware stores, for a similar style small thin clamp, but haven't found anything similar yet. The boots do seem to still stay in place good without the clamps, but I'd like to find some since they are supposed to be there.
76 GT500 - restoration project in work
4 other 76 GT500's
1.5 GT550's
4 GT380's
5 T500's (72-75 models)
4 GT750's
Suzuki GT hoarder...and a bad case of OBD.....(old bike disease)
