intake boots symbols and installation order

i bought 4 new OEM new ,intake boots for the 550. alot of money. :side:
i see on the boots there is a symbol printed. (pic below)

two questions:
have i to fit the boots on the head in a specific sequence? or they are ''interchangeable''?
should i use some sealant?

If the diagrams show that there are 4 of the same carb holders, then they will be identical. I don't know what 550 you have, but if they are off-set, then you may have to orient them properly.

The new rubber ought to seal just fine without anything. If the factory service manual specifies a sealant, then use whatever is recommended. otherwise, don't use anything, but clean the cylinder head thoroughly prior to installation --- don't gouge the surfaces.

thank you martin, is a kz550h , the boots are not offset, looking all the same.
my manual doesn't mention anything about using sealant or boots orientation..

They are made to be used without sealant. The rubber compresses to form a tight seal around the the intake ports.
Steve

in the manual i can't find the correct torque for the boots bolts.
any advice about boots collar? how thight?
i cleaned well the surface on the head

I was surprised no torgue listed in my factory manual either ...... I use allen heads on mine and I think I went around 60 "inch lbs" (checking by hand to be sure they were good and snug but not super tight) be sure to use blue loctite on the screws.

I had to retighten them after a few days.
Steve

the last thing i need to understand is, should i use some washer under the bolts? i

I just went through this last night and wondered about the same thing - a washer... but it appears there's no room for one that would be even slightly larger in diameter than the screw head without cutting into the shoulder area. So other than providing a thrust surface I reckoned the manufacturer used the rubber of the mount to be the locking washing for the screw...

For torque, I had to go with my old, clicking torque-wrist method :laugh: since I couldn't find anything either. I mean ultimately, the limiting factor here would be the alloy head. So, I figured it shouldn't be more than 6-8 ft/lbs which you can easily generate with ur short 1/4" drive socket set.

Since I had all the mounts off I dropped all the P3 screws into a cup filled with PB Blaster and one by one cleaned them with a wire brush and then ran them in and out of their respective bores to remove rust etc in the threads. I noticed on my '82 550a that the lower threaded bores were not as deep as the upper's which you can almost bury the screw into. I only used my fingers holding the long-reach P3 bit to chase the threads with the oil so I would not strip the threads in the head should it run into trouble.

Another thing I found was the vacuum ports on these new mounts. The brass tube sticks out roughly 3/4" and it's closer to the head-side versus the carb-side, so this meant the #2 cylinder had to have that mount rotated to put the port downward or it was bound-up against the camshaft chain guide bulge in the case. I mean it would "fit" in the upward position but forget about ever getting to it or removing the rubber cap. So I chose to install all the mounts with their vacuum ports downward. Hope that was not a mistake...

I used lock washers on the top ones only because the bolts are Allens and slightly longer. The bottoms are Allens too but not plated. Can't see them. I use a stubby wrench and have a "feel" for the right torque. I don't trust click wrenches on small screws.
Steve

By wrenchmonkey. So I chose to install all the mounts with their vacuum ports downward. Hope that was not a mistake...

That's not a problem --- it doesn't matter how the vacuum ports are oriented. As a matter of fact in the 81 650 manual, it specifies two different ways, depending upon whether or not the bike is a US model. 2 up, 2 down on US models, all pointing downward on non-US models. the 2 up on the US models is because of the Kawasaki clean air system which was not used in other parts of the world.

As for the torque, the "before servicing" section has a note about using common sense to dictate how much to tighten anything & the manual has a table with torque ranges depending upon the size of the fastener. An M6 bolt being tightened against rubber shouldn't require much force. 60-INCH/lbs or so & a non-permanent locking agent should be sufficient. I would use an INCH/lbs torque wrench or just tighten by hand without deforming the rubber. the cylinder head should be clean clean clean at the mating surfaces.

shamal wrote: in the manual i can't find the correct torque for the boots bolts.
any advice about boots collar? how thight?
i cleaned well the surface on the head

You need to throw your manual (probably Clymer or Haynes) in the trash can and buy a Kawasaki Service Manual. If you do that you will be able to find the torque values for your bike. Below is an image from the manual. The dot in the "Remark" column indicates that a non-permanent locking agent should be applied to the screws. You do not use washers. Ed