KZ550 LTD carb intsallation help

and i thought taking them out was hard! i have new air box boots in but i still can not manage to get the carbs into place. i stopped trying because i had a feeling like i was going to loose my patience and break something. i most likely dont have the right technique and some advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks

Did you loosen the airbox brackets so you can shove the airbox back a little? Also, some guys install the carbs first and then install the boots, and when doing that some install the boots through the airbox after the carbs are installed. Ed

Yes the bolts that hold the airbox are out, and I had enough trouble fitting the boots in with out the carbs in place I can't imagine putting them in with the carbs in the way.

I use a light skim of vasoline on mine. It will disolve and go away where grease won't.

From the diagrams it looks like there isn't much room for your hands inside the airbox. If so, it might be difficult, if not impossible, to install the ducts by going thru there. There's plenty of room in the 650 airbox.

If you haven't tried installing the carbs first, try it. Perhaps it would be easier to do that then install one duct at a time, instead of try to cram the carbs into 4 ducts at once. As jonarmstrong alluded to, use a lubricant of some sort, such as silicone spray.

Make sure the clamps on the intake manifolds are super loose. They need to be much looser than seems reasonable because the inside of the manifolds have O-rings cast into them.

Make sure the airbox is all the way back.
Sit on the bike using the center stand.
Put your feet on the alternator cover and ignition cover.
Slide the carbs in from one side or the other and get the airbox boots over the carbs' airhorns.
You can do it with the nose of the carbs tipped down below the intake manifolds, or tipped up above the intake manifolds.
Then pull the carbs back hard into the airbox boots, and you can just get the nose of the carbs into the manifolds.

If it's warm out, it should be relatively easy.

Once you get the knack, it will be old hat, ... but still no fun.