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How to baffle the Rocketman?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rocketman
  • Start date Start date
No 29 is the o-ring everyone is talking about, a tiny leak here may give exactly your symptoms.

Dink
 
Well for $1.19 a piece, I think its a no-brainer that they will be replaced (as an excorcism I think is kind of pricey these days!.
 
Yup, part #29.

You've, um, seen this, right?
http://bwringer.com/gs/intakeorings.html
Lotsa pictures and everything.

If you haven't already removed the intake boots, there's a 99.9999% chance you'll need to resort to extreme measures to remove the cheesy philips head screws holding the boots on. You can cut a slot with a Dremel tool and use a chisel or impact driver to get 'em started. Once they crack loose, you're home free. Other than that, it's easy. The original o-rings are likely hardened to resemble ceramic -- more than one person has mistaken old o-rings for metal pieces!

If you drill the heads off the screws, you might nick up the intake boots a bit. If you're replacing them anyway, you may or may not care.

The screws are 6mm diameter X 20mm length, and you can get tasty stainless steel allen head replacements at most hardware stores (you need a hardware store -- large home stores do not have them).
 
I think BWRINGER's comments are right on, but I am pretty sure that one other thing that could do this would be if your electrical system wasn't putting out 12V+. Then the coils could work somewhat randomly. I admit that I wouldn't expect to have one cyclinder that was the only cool one on each ride.

Good Luck!
 
I really appreciate your advice. The boots on the air box side and the engine side and o-rings are original but are in nice pliable condition. Even if there was an air leak (which I've already checked numerous times) , I can't imagine how this would cause an inermittent combustion problem that migrates randomly from one cylinder to the other. It seems to me, it would constantly affect the one cylinder with the leaky boot, not all 4 randomly. Same holds true for the idle circuit; assuming the carbs have been torn down and rebuilt and cleaned numerous times, including blowing compressed air through the fuel line to almost force fuel injection into the carbs, and blowing out any specks of residual crap, and then cleaned out again, why the heck does the cold header keep moving form one place to another? It's odd that I never have any wet plugs either. You would think after riding for a while on 3 cylinders, that the 4th non-running cylinder would be soaked, but its not. And its not like I'm dropping a cylinder only at idle when I stop; its just that's the time I notice it, and on acceleration after that.
Are you missing any washer on the carb intake boot calibration screws.I would spray wd-40 behind the intake boot where the fins meet the boot.I would go ahead and replace the o-rings anyway.They are cheap and if they are original they are shot..Make sure your air intake side boots are also not leaking.
 
Intake air leak, or intermittent electronic ignition fault?

If I was a betting priest, I'd have another beer. After a second, I'd probably lay money on the air leak.
 
Yes, I saw the intake o-ring article and should have tatooed it on my forehead. If the o-rings were my problems all along, I will smack myself a few times (but not too hard). O-rings are definitely in my bike's future, as well as re-checking the "packing" in the airbox.
 
Use a Vice-Grip on the screws, Tconroy set me up with this advice and it works too good to be true. Start at the top screw, clamp the grip on as tight as you can get it and tap with a small hammer to loosen it. It works!! Then, using a samll piece of wood placed on the metal flange of the intake boot, grab the hammer and hit the wood in a counter clockwise direction...the boot itself will back the screw out. If it doesn't come out on the first try, rotate the boot clock wise and repeart. All of mine came out using this method and didn't even scratch the boots. It works that easy, no drilling grinding nothing! Give it a try!
 
OK guys, time to rock and roll. Just ordered 4 new intake o-rings and 4 new intake boots from Flat Out. Will be taking the carb rack out for the ZILLIONTH time yet again. Let's see if I can set a new GS record for removing carbs, with my eyes closed, both hands tied behind my back, submerged in a tank of water, feet shackled, hanging 100 feet in the air! I'm sure you ALL know what I mean, like been there and done that! I will be replacing these parts as soon as they get here, as well as adding stainless steel allen head bolts as suggested by BWRINGER previously. If this cures my migrating cold cylinder problem, do you think I'll have to have the carbs synched (or "sunk") again, or will they be good to go as is? Also, since these o-rings have never been replaced in 24 years, assuming the phillips screws are not going to be happy being removed, any preliminary ideas so as to avoid having to notch the heads or drill before the heads strip out or break off? Anything I can soak them in for a few days which will make extraction easier? Thanks again everyone.
 
PB Blast works wonders.....

When I bought my RM250 all they used on that thing was cheap screws so using a pair of needle nosed vice grips I got em off no fuss no muss :)

HTH
 
Retail, i think i picked up some cans at walmart :)

All the big chain auto parts place should def have it though
 
Also, since these o-rings have never been replaced in 24 years, assuming the phillips screws are not going to be happy being removed, any preliminary ideas so as to avoid having to notch the heads or drill before the heads strip out or break off? Anything I can soak them in for a few days which will make extraction easier? Thanks again everyone.


Check on page three (3) I left you a tip on the screw removal problem. I've done it and it works great!!!
 
Already taken your advice and all 8 bolts are successfully removed. Just returned from ACE hardware with 8 stainless steel 6mm x1 socket head bolts. Just waiting for o-rings and boots to arrive to get back to work. Everything's disassembled and ready to go back together again.
 
Already taken your advice and all 8 bolts are successfully removed. Just returned from ACE hardware with 8 stainless steel 6mm x1 socket head bolts. Just waiting for o-rings and boots to arrive to get back to work. Everything's disassembled and ready to go back together again.
Remember to torque to 6 to 8 ft. lbs.
 
All I have is a 1/2 inch drive torque wrench. Need to dig through some piles to find a 1/2 to 1/4 inch adapter. But torque it, I will.
 
All I have is a 1/2 inch drive torque wrench. Need to dig through some piles to find a 1/2 to 1/4 inch adapter. But torque it, I will.
Most 1/2" torque wrenches won't go that low (6-8 ft lbs)
borrow you one i will (3/8" inch-lbs) , if needed pm me.
 
Thanks for the offer Rusty, but I'll just run over to Sears and pick up a 3/8" torque wrench. Not too much money and should have one anyway. Honestly, I could probably hand tighten it and get pretty close to 6-8 ft-lbs, but why take a chance. But thanks again anyway.
 
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