Carb boot hoseclamp?

Hey I just yanked my carbs to fix a stuck float, and when I put them back on the bike I couldn't get them on with the clamps on the carb to engine boot. So I left them off and tried to re-assemble, un-possible for the middle two carbs.

I figured I'd try to run it away and see what happened, bad idea air must get right through its running incredibly lean....so my question is whether I should cut off the locating tabs on the old clamps so I can rotate them or buy new radiator clamps

 

Those are specialized clamps, hence the locating tabs, etc.

You've already discovered you need clamps on the boots. The original clamps simply need to be loosened to the point where they aren't doing any clamping at all, and they shouldn't interfere with carb reinstallation.

Did you loosen your airbox and move it rearward? Makes carb installation much easier.

 

They look like any other clamp to me besides the tabs, I didn't realize I could just unbolt the airbox and move it around

 

Depending on the bike, the airbox mounting screws aren't always obvious.

Which bike?

 

xj550 non-seca , I wanted to replace the screws with stainless anyway so I'll pull it back apart

 

OK, cool.

There are three airbox mounting screws; two of them are on either side of the frame rail just above the airbox in slotted brackets; the third one is UNDER the "tool tray" (that has the fusebox and TCI mounted on it.) You need to remove the one big phillips screw holding the tool tray down, and swing it up at the rear to look under it. Then you'll see the third airbox mounting bolt/screw.

 

Fitz you are a gentleman and a scholar, you turned thirty minutes of skinned knuckles and impotent rage into two minutes of Zen like joy. Runs like a champ now, still lean off zero throttle but once I adjust it to idle I'm sure it'll be fine...thanks!