Vintage Yamaha reed/carb boot repair

[nknudsen]

I'm working on a new project, a 1980 YZ80 with a cracked up carb joint. I can't find any NOS boots. Have any of you done any repairs to carb boot as a last resort? Any experience with coating one with plasti dip or Sikaflex?? Thanks

[paulos]

I haven't "repaired" one but I did soak one in oil when I restored a yz125f a while back. Seemed to make it more supple and close up most of the cracks. I would have thought a black gasket goo would do the repair job?

Have you tried these guys for the parts? I can highly recommend all of them.

http://www.vintagedirtandtrail.com

http://www.nwvintagecycleparts.com

http://www.speedandsportinc.com

[sweeper]

The sikaflex windshield adhesive is some of the greatest stuff on the planet.You can flex the boot to get it in all the cracks,and then goop the outside.Youll wanna wipe down the inside of the boot flush back to the original rubber so you dont have any extra in the the throat just the cracks.You can make it look pretty good with the wet finger treatment.Gotta wipe prep the rubber boot with some mek,Id Red or brake cleaner in a pinch and warm the boot up some so it flexes and doesnt keep cracking while you repair it.You wont get it off your hands for a month.We have used this stuff in a pinch to cover cracks in the expansion chambers and we have patched tubes with this stuff on overnight repairs. Its a great makeshift gasket,or goop over leaky seals.These arent permanent repairs.But its amazing what you can do with this stuff. If you are headed out for a long weekend of riding bring a tube.Once you open it you have to plug and seal the end or the whole tube will go off.I just keep punchin small holes in the tube when I need some,seems to work the best.