XJ400z air intake boots dry and solid

Hi, got an 84 xj400z import and one of the air intake boots that go onto the carb is dry and hard and not going to be any kind of seal. However, it seems impossible to get the airbox out of the frame without cutting it in half. It also seems impossible to get the boot out of the box. Is there a cheeky way to do it. And are those boots the same on any other xj's?

Cheers!

 

You could try heating the boot a hair dryer and then try to pull it out.

 

did you see my reply to your gasket problem in
XJ400z Carbs and gaskets

the boots are spacific to each size carb.

I have seen where you can soak them in a oil of wintergreen and achol to soften.
achol makes then swell.
mixture of 30% wintergreen oil (methyl salicylate) and 70% xylene to restore old rubber parts no swelling
you can soak them in brake fluid to soften them saw a post elsewhere and poster left rubber parts out side for 6 months and rubber stayed soft, un like with wintergreen,

 

Interesting, so brake fluid could be a rubber revitalizer.

 

I have not tried it, I read about it in another forum
claim made was the guy soaked his bike rubber parts in brake fluid then left the parts outside for 6 months in the sun and rain and after 6 months they were still soft
it was the same post where he stated to use xylene instead of acohol in the wintergreen mix because acohol causes swelling and xylene does not.