Inlet rubbers won't let carbie in...

[jonbuoy]

Do they still feel like rubber or are have they gone hard and plasticky? I heard boiling them in ATF for a few hours restores a bit of flex to them. I've got a set soaking in cold ATF for a week or so - they seem to be softening boiling opens the pores in the rubber apparantly.

[rogson]

Getting the rubbers in is routine.....
Its getting in without them thats risky.

[imdying]

I used a thin plank placed over the ends of the carbs and then straddled the bike and used my thighs to push them in.

So the plan is to hump your bike? Nice....

[xwhatsit]

Damn, this was a prick of a job to do with only a single carb, let alone four at once.

Jonbuoy is onto it -- this bike has been sitting around for ages, the rubbers are rock-hard, aren't they? So was my second-hand new manifold. After poking around on this site, I got some advice from a thread asking similar questions about carb diaphragms for CV carbs.

Soaking them in petrol on its own is a no-no, I think. However, soaking them in a `petroil' mix is apparently safe, so that's what I did. It made them more flexible, and the carb popped in by just pushing hard on the intake. Before even a rubber mallet wouldn't have done anything.

[Squiggles]

Just heat them up, had enough trouble getting hannes ones on, put a hairdryer to em, it softens them up so you can get them in easy alot easier

[hondaman]

And thats what I did. Heated them up and levered them off. At last, I was getting somewhere. I cleaned the rubbers up and the area where they sit. Placed a smear of grease around the male inlets and this made the rubbers easier to turn and line the carbies up. They all seated properly. Im glad that job is over. Thanks to all who replied.