1987 VFR700F2 intake boot issue

Hey everyone. I poked around here a bit last year because I picked up a 1987 VFR700 for $500. I was just trying to get the thing to fire off and see if it was worth going any further with the thing. Whelp, I'm glad to say after a thorough cleaning for the carbs, she fired right off. We put a bunch of rust remover in the tank to get it to loosen and remove it. It's still not great, but it got a good majority of it. Good enough that I slapped the bike back together and put in some fresh fuel and fired her off over the weekend.

And that's when I found that there is an intake leak. I can pull the choke about half off before she just sputters and dies. Turning up the idle speed does very little. At first, it helps, then doesn't help much at all. I sprayed some carb cleaner on the front right carb boot and the idle picked up. So I know I have an intake leak. Now when I was putting the bike back together, I bought brand new intake boots and used them. So I know they aren't (or shouldn't be) cracked or torn. But the clamps bottomed out when I tried to tighten them. It seemed a bit odd, but they had been tight before hand so I didn't assume there was an issue immediately. Now it seems that there is a problem. Could I have gotten the wrong boots? It almost seems they are too large in inner diameter, but too thin in wall thickness. Is that possible? They were in genuine OEM Honda bags, but I don't have them with me currently. I can get my hands on the part number tonight. Is there any fix for it? I haven't heard of anything, but figured I'd ask. Also, is there anyone that can confirm the correct part number so I make sure I don't keep causing issues with wrong parts? I don't assume I put them on wrong, but anything is possible, so I'll be checking again to make sure. Any other ideas gents?

Thank you!

 

Make sure you have them on in the right direction. I am positive there is an intake and a carb side to them. Toecutter may have another idea or be better able to help.

 

I've read that. I am going to make sure I put them on correctly, but I think I did. If there is some mark to look for, where would it be? I'm fairly certain mine were not marked as far as carb/engine/intake sides. But, I may have been in too much of a hurry. I'll be pulling them back off some night this week. I've got front forks and chain/sprockets in route to me as well. Planning on rebuilding the front and real calipers, new fluids/oils all the way around, and get this intake problem sorted and see where I stand with a quick ride. She looks in good shape, so I'm hopeful I can get a good riding season out of her.

Thanks for the heads up on the boots. I'll definitely check that when I pull it all back apart.

 

It has carb printed on the top edge inside the notched cut-out.

 

I pulled the carbs back off last night. My boots have no identifying marks. So I made sure they all popped on and I believe they should all seal. What I did find was a loose screw on the top of the right rear carb. Definitely would have caused and air leak. Tightened that one and the rest as well. Put them all back on, and it didn't want to fire off. I plan on trying again tonight. I think I just need to play with things because it would fire and die with in a second or two of the starter stopping.

 

If one side doesn't say "carb" i suspect they're not genuine OEM replacements. You can remove a small spacer between the screw head and the nut for more tightening if needed.

 

Yeah, I may need to remove that spacer. There are no words written on my new boots. But yeah, the old boots do have Carb written on one side. I got 3 out of 4 tight enough, but one seems to still be holding up. I sprayed carb clean on them and only one still raced the idle. It'll now take some throttle, but after it pops up it doggs back down again. Going to try and see if I can get some extra tightening from that one and if not, I'll see if I can maybe do some electrical tape to get it tighter. Something to try and work.

At least it's running decent. Hoping to get it 100% tomorrow.

 

Electrical tape ?? LOL that !!


Worst-case fouled-up carb installation results in something like this:

 

Hi, I have a 83 & 84 and the boots on them are not directional. My 83 had high idle when warm/hot until I replaced the boots. The screw you mentioned between boot and head is where you probe to sync carbs. I have had to reclean carbs more then once. I should spend more time cleaning them I hate to redo stuff. Well i need to get the 84 back together, good luck on your project. Peace

 

What was the part number on the bags?

 

The boots were in fine condition when I pulled them off. I popped them on and off the carbs and intakes to try and determine a direction, but came up empty. There were some markings, C9 or such a letter and number on all of them. So I put those on facing up. Seems to have worked on 3 out of 4. lol. The clamp that's having issues I can physically spin with a finger when I tighten it. Do they stretch over time? Or is the boot perhaps too thin?

I'll grab the part number from the bag when I open the shed again. I am home sick today with infected bursitis in my left elbow, so I'm hoping to get some good work done on this thing before I have to go over for my antibiotic shot this afternoon.

My Dad suggested the electrical tape on the boot. I'd rather not, but I also don't know what my options are besides buying a new boot and waiting a week for it to come in. And I'd at least like to hear the thing running right before I actually try and put a bunch more money into it fixing the other problems it has. Is there another quick short term solution while I order a new boot?

And the screw I'm talking about is the carb boot clamp screw. Nothing to do with the adjustment. I'm not messing with that stuff, though I know I Need to get it done once this thing is back on the road. I had a professional in the area clean the carbs for me. I worked with him at a local motorcycle shop MOM's in Foxboro and trust his work.

 

Honda 16212-MB6-010, is what used on my bikes. Well I have not finished the thousand yet, still waiting on parts. Peace

 

If that clamp is loose after normal tightening, it sure points to a smaller boot diameter. Chinese copies now ?

 

Whelp, haven't gotten much done with the bike. Had an infected bursitis in my left elbow put me out of commission a couple days. At least I avoided a hospital stay from it. I didn't go and grab the bags for the intake boots yet, but they were in genuine Honda bags. I was trying to get the OEM stuff, so if they're wrong, I had a wrong part number. I'm looking around for the correct numbers and hoping I can get them shipped in early this upcoming week where I'm not sure when this rain will let up.

 

http://www.bikebandit.com/houseofmotorcycles/1987-honda-interceptor-700-vfr700f2/o/m151647#sch18153

here they are at Bike Bandit number 8 good luck. Manuauel and my recollection says they should say carb on the carb side