Intake boots: O-rings? C-clips? What are these?

[Anonymous]

GSers -

I took two of my intake boots off to see what kind of shape the seals were in (I suspect them of leaking). On the metal part of the boot, there is a groove and a kind of c-clip (it looks like a miniature piston ring) in the groove. Does this somehow make a seal? Or is this bad engineering and should these be replaced with o-rings?

-Dom
-82 GS1100GK

[Anonymous]

orings

Are you sure that your not looking at old and hardened orings that have split,

[bwringer]

Bad:

http://cycleorings.com/intake.html

Gooooood:

http://bwringer.com/gs/intakeorings.html

[Anonymous]

So those things are RUBBER?

Wow, I never would have thought they'd wear like that. They act like metal, though I guess if I actually tried to bend them they'd snap apart. Well, thanks guys!

[earlfor]

Yep, those things are "O" rings and are SUPPOSED to pliable rubber. :-)

Earl

So those things are RUBBER?

Wow, I never would have thought they'd wear like that. They act like metal, though I guess if I actually tried to bend them they'd snap apart. Well, thanks guys!

[KEITH KRAUSE]

When installing the new o-rings, apply some hi-temp' bearing grease to help them last. Replace the stock screws with Allens. Torque the manifolds to 6 ft/lb.

[randyshipp]

When installing the new o-rings, apply some hi-temp' bearing grease to help them last. Replace the stock screws with Allens. Torque the manifolds to 6 ft/lb.

I'm getting ready to replace these o-rings, and I just want to be sure that this is the consensus on how to treat these o-rings as they go on the bike. Also, is there any kind of additional sealant that would/should go between the metal part of the intake boot and the cylinder head? When they came off the bike, there's a reddish-brown sort of glazed surface there, and I wondered whether that was a leak pathway, or the remains of some old sealant or whatever.

I just want to be sure I do this right the first time. Thanks!

Randy...

[bwringer]

No sealant, just a light coating with a teeny dab of grease.

[randyshipp]

No sealant, just a light coating with a teeny dab of grease.

Thank you very much...hopefully I'll have this thing back together by next weekend!

Randy...