Removing the Air Intake Boot from the Throttle Body (78 FI)

locoqueso · Post by **locoqueso** » Sat May 02, 2009 10:05 am

Other than the screw clamp, is there anything else holding the Air Intake Boot from the Throttle Body? I have loosened the clamp and the boot freely rotates around the throttle body, but it will not pull off. I read the Bentley and it looks like it should just slide off, but it is not pulling away, even a little bit. I thought I had better ask a quick question here, before I force it off and damage the boot.

Thanks!

LiveonJG · Post by **LiveonJG** » Sat May 02, 2009 10:20 am

Nothing more then the clamp holding it on. There is a bit of a ridge at the end of the throttle body, if your clamp isn't loose enough, it might not slide off. Whenever you're dealing with the s boot remember to be careful, treat it like it's made of eggshells.

-John

locoqueso · Post by **locoqueso** » Sat May 02, 2009 11:18 am

Very good, I'll keep trying. The clamp is loose, but it could still be loosened a bit more. The ridge you mentioned may be what it's caught on. Thank you John.

LiveonJG · Post by **LiveonJG** » Sat May 02, 2009 5:12 pm

You're welcome. How'd it work out?

-John

Post by **Amskeptic** » Sat May 02, 2009 5:58 pm

locoqueso wrote:Very good, I'll keep trying. The clamp is loose, but it could still be loosened a bit more. The ridge you mentioned may be what it's caught on. Thank you John.

Once the s-boot has gotten that petrified, you have to be very careful. I use GumOut spray delicately between the throttle body and the boot, it helps lubricate the removal without undue stress. A rotational pull helps the ridge climb out of the groove without cracking the pleats.
Colin

locoqueso · Post by **locoqueso** » Sun May 03, 2009 7:47 am

LiveonJG wrote:You're welcome. How'd it work out?

I'm going back out to the garage later today to give it another try. I recently had ACL surgery and my knee has been hurting if I'm on my feet too long. I've been removing parts from the engine compartment a little bit each day. The goal is to make enough room to get to the fuel tank so I can replace the lines (and swap the tank if needed).

I expect to check the s-boot removal off my list by this afternoon.

locoqueso · Post by **locoqueso** » Sun May 03, 2009 3:03 pm

Done! The boot has been removed. It was catching on the lip of the throttle body. I loosened the clamp as much as I could and then sprayed a little Gumout under the boot. That was enough to remove the s-boot, along with a little twisting as I pulled it off. Thank you both very much!

I'm noticing some of the vacuum lines are cracked. Here are a couple pictures of the one that runs from the intake boot to the oil breather:

You can see it's cracked and it has a bunch of rust where it connected to the boot.

Here's a picture of where the hose connected at the boot:

Should that rust in the hose and at the boot be cleaned up before I reassemble it? I'm concerned I might make the crack(s) in the hose worse if I mess around with it.

Several of the rubber hoses are cracked like that. Should I also invest in a few clamps to hold them tight or look for replacements?

bus71 · Post by **bus71** » Sun May 03, 2009 3:35 pm

You could replace hoses or just cut the bad part off, if the hose will still reach. this assumes the hoses are mostly good. (not cracked if pinched elsewhere).

LiveonJG · Post by **LiveonJG** » Sun May 03, 2009 5:42 pm

locoqueso wrote:Should I also invest in a few clamps to hold them tight or look for replacements?

I'd say yes to both. If you try and clean it out, you could do a lot more damage.

-John

vdubyah73 · Post by **vdubyah73** » Sun May 03, 2009 6:38 pm

Just use zip ties for those. yes clean it up.

Post by **Amskeptic** » Sun May 03, 2009 8:13 pm

I wash (with GumOut spray) the heck out of the split hose if I cannot shorten it. Then I dry it. Then I wash it again. Then I dry it. Make sure it is dry inside and out. Then I lay a little Ultrablack RTV® (made by Permatex™) in the crack, on the inside of the hose, and on the outside of the hose, and pinch the crack shut gently-not-too-much with a Vise Grip®. Allow to cure 24 hours. Install on s-boot. Now slather a good gob around the outside of the hose. This will last indefinitely.
Colin

locoqueso · Post by **locoqueso** » Wed May 27, 2009 7:38 pm

The first round of GumOut cleaned up the hose nicely. I plan to use the Ultra Black this weekend.

I used 303 Aerospace Protectant to clean the s-boot.

locoqueso · Post by **locoqueso** » Thu May 28, 2009 4:33 am

On the s-boot I used 303 Aerospace Protectant to clean it up. I bought the 303 a local West Marine store to treat the rubber seals around the doors, and on the dashboard. It worked well, so I decided to give it a try on the boot too.

I thought everyone knew about this stuff. I didn't have a digital camera last year when I treated the door seals, or I would have taken some pictures sooner. The seals weren't too bad to begin with, but they were weathered. Kind of a white haze on them. 303 made the seals and dash look almost like new.

Unlike Amor All, If applied properly, it doesn't make the rubber feel wet or greasy. If you do apply too much, you just clean it off with water or work it in more with a towel.

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Itinerant Air-Cooled

Removing the Air Intake Boot from the Throttle Body (78 FI)

Removing the Air Intake Boot from the Throttle Body (78 FI)