Throttle Body Removal...How?

dduelin said:

... unless it's just to bust my chops

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Sounds like a excellent reason to me!

I love you too Bob!

Ditto; I wouldn't replace the boots as a matter of course unless there was clear issue with them after removal of the throttle body.

The boots are part of the 'go faster' hardware on the bike. Conversely, brake caliper mounting bolts are part of the 'go slower' hardware on the bike. My now 10-year-old brake caliper mounting bolts will be replaced on my next tire change, but my 10 year old boots will not be replaced when I open it up soon for a leaking coolant hose replacement. Said another way, the boots are not a safety item. Brakes are.

dduelin said:

I know my shop tech....... and trust myself to make the correct judgement or ask someone when I don't feel confident in doing so. Besides knowing my bike inside and out the total absence of time pressure is important to me....... I've got the time and inclination to do it right without having to get the job done on someone's else's time and give someone's bike back to them by the end of the day.

No reputable shop is going to use new parts on every repair or maintenance item if they aren't needed and to suggest otherwise is hard to fanthom unless it's just to bust my chops

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Why would you think ANY of these comments or replies are about you?
People are very different in the way they think or do things...no one person has all the answers...and there are many different ways to achieve the same result when working on something...I am sure alot of it was how we grew up, were raised, or trained...one guitar player may break a string and choose only to replace that one string...while someone else would replace the set. Some folks never replace hoses until the burst...or pads unless they start scraping the rotors. Most of you folks take pride in bonding and working on your own vehicles, as do I..but there are alot of folks who think it it don't leak there is nothing wrong with it, and if they can get it to stop the brakes are just fine etc. I grew up taught that if I laid hands on something for repair to fix everything that needed it and some that were close to needing it so I wouldn't have to do it twice. I work on every vehicle like my child was going to go cross country in it by herself...if the hoses were more than 4 years old I would replace the to avoid a breakdown....as far as only following what the service manual indicates.....how many....if any...of you replace your brake lines every 4 years?

Igofar said:

Why would you think ANY of these comments or replies are about you?

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Because you quoted me and in your reply implied reusing the old boots was a short cut or was doing the job in a less than through manner. If that is not what you meant.....my sincere apology. If that is what you meant, only you know that.... my friend.

Igofar said:

....how many....if any...of you replace your brake lines every 4 years?

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There you go again Larry, coming up with more I should probably do on these 10 year old bikes, but won't be doing anytime soon...they still work great...

Actually, I would rather replace them with braided stainless steel lines... which still isn't going to happen anytime real soon! 4:

SupraSabre said:

There you go again Larry, coming up with more I should probably do on these 10 year old bikes, but won't be doing anytime soon...they still work great...

Actually, I would rather replace them with braided stainless steel lines... which still isn't going to happen anytime real soon! 4:

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I would love to have ss lines as well....I am also guilty of not replacing brakes lines until I find damage as well

Igofar said:

I grew up taught that if I laid hands on something for repair to fix everything that needed it and some that were close to needing it so I wouldn't have to do it twice.

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Fixing worn or damaged parts and doing early replacements for convenience are one thing; replacing parts just because they were removed during service is another.

My service manual is a 2003-2004 edition, and nothing in the General Information, Maintenance, Cylinder Head or Fuel System chapters says anything about installing new boots after the old ones have been removed. If more recent versions call for it, I'll be happy to stand corrected.

....as far as only following what the service manual indicates.....how many....if any...of you replace your brake lines every 4 years?

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Again, where's that called for? The maintenance table in my manual says to inspect the brake system every 8,000 miles, not replace it. If I see a rubber line that's cracking, bulging, dry-rotted, leaking, rusting or disgorges bits of its innards into the brake fluid when I flush the system, then you bet it's getting replaced. Otherwise, it gets left alone.

Things that aren't called out for replacement are engineered to give nominal performance for the expected life of the bike. Some poor engineer probably spent two days slaving over a hot drawing board to figure that out.

--Mark

dduelin said:

Because you quoted me and in your reply implied reusing the old boots was a short cut or was doing the job in a less than through manner. If that is not what you meant.....my sincere apology. If that is what you meant, only you know that.... my friend.

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I am not seeing where I quoted you? My reply to the thread followed your comment but it was not meant to be directed towards you in any way. I am sorry if you took it that way, please forgive me. I thought my explanation explained just the reasons that I do things.....the OCD WAY.

Let's face it guys! The MAJORITY of the folks here will not put 200,000 to 300,000 miles on their ST1300s Or any other bike they own. So, chances of any of them needing a lot done is probably pretty slim! Now, for those of us that could put that kind of mileage on them, the original parts are actually holding up pretty darn good! The only reason I let Larry talk me into replacing the insulators was because I was already thinking it would be a good idea since they seemed a little hard to me and since I'm in there... I'm going to replace them. I'm also replacing ALL the coolant lines and the vacuum lines, so I will have a piece of mind knowing I probably won't have to anymore under there than sync the throttlebodies.

Let's not squabble over the little things, let's save that for the oil and tire threads!

SupraSabre said:

so I will have a piece of mind knowing I probably won't have to anymore under there than sync the throttlebodies.

Let's not squabble over the little things, let's save that for the oil and tire threads!

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do i need to bring my good sync tool or u going to try and use the old school way?

SupraSabre said:

Let's not squabble over the little things, let's save that for the oil and tire threads!

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You do have to put oil on the boots before you install the throttle bodies. Does that make it count as an oil thread?

--Mark

Blrfl said:

You do have to put oil on the boots before you install the throttle bodies. Does that make it count as an oil thread?

--Mark

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No, because I plan to use grease, not oil!

justin_sabre said:

do i need to bring my good sync tool or u going to try and use the old school way?

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My sync tool works just fine!

I recently removed the throttle body for the first time in 98,000 miles - I used a lever with a rope directly under the casting of each side of the throttle body. By levering down, both boots would slightly open up allowing a couple drops of PB blaster in the boot. Repeat for the other side. Let set approx 30 minutes, and then gradually work each side of the body using the lever - the bodies will pop loose after a short while. Slow and steady is the key...

As I noted in my original thread. I'm having to cut away the TB boot. I can only get to half the boot. Where is the safest place to lift? It should come right off, but it's just not interested in leaving the bike.
Detailed description would be good, pictures are better.

STony G said:

As I noted in my original thread. I'm having to cut away the TB boot. I can only get to half the boot. Where is the safest place to lift? It should come right off, but it's just not interested in leaving the bike.
Detailed description would be good, pictures are better.

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IN post #13 of this thread https://www.st-owners.com/forums/showthread.php?125107-Help-removing-ST1300-throttle-bodies&highlight= I took a nylon strap and tied it to the right front corner of the TB then used a piece of pipe to multiply the vertical pull. They did not want to come off.

I kept going back to your thread. How much force and for how long.
I'll finish cutting what I can in the morning. Hopefully that will be enough to break them free.

Finally. The TB has parted ways with the intake.
I had to cut away most of the boot. Leverage was the tire tool from the harbor freight tire changer. Tomorrow? I'll take picture of the boots before pull them. That may be just as hard, I'll may have to cut them to.

I was hoping to let STony G sing the praises of my newly developed OCD throttle body boot removal tool....but alas....it didn't work on a bike with more than 300,000 miles on the original baked on, rock hard, dried out, boots. However, for those of you that would like a simple way to remove the boots without using a knife, you may want to try this.....
How many folks here have removed their glued on throttle grip with the aid of an air compressor? (Harbor Freight sells a 3 foot long air chuck nozzle for about $3 dollars.) I simple used a small brass tube and attached it to my air chuck, took a small ball peen hammer, and flattened the end slightly like a fan and wiggled it into the boot, applied a couple drops of PB Blaster, waited, then hit it with air. I think you'll be amazed at how easy they jump off (just like the grips). No prying, bending, or braking stuff.
Hope this information helps someone.
.....drop the mic.....