adkfinn's 5th gen 20yr refresh

[adkfinn]

I thought I'd start a thread to document my efforts to give my 'new to me' red 1998 5th gen a bit of a refresh and to address any deferred maintenance items on this 20yr old motorcycle. A little recap: I picked the bike up last September from it's second owner, it had been serviced at the local Honda dealer throughout it's life, had a good history, and presented and ran well. The price was right and I managed to put about 1000 miles on it after a checking it over and installing new tires (Bridgetstone T30 evo), and a Battery Tender brand lithium ion battery. 

 

Here is where it all started for me, my first ride at 12 years old:

 

It isn't hard for me to see how I ended up where I have or why my preferences are what they are. Here is the VFR shortly after bringing her home:

 

LiPo batteries are truly tiny compared to traditional lead acid or AGM. I picked this up from Walmart for a bit under $100 (ordered online and picked up in store):

 

A few things I noticed after riding this bike for a few months: The engine ran well, fuel economy was ok but could likely be better, suspension is quite under-sprung for my weight (240lbs), and the bike was running cool and not getting up to temp, and the regulator was not putting out the correct voltage at RPM's above idle. It started reliably but didn't fire immediately like a well tuned bike should. Over the winter I also noticed a couple of drops of coolant under the bike at one point. After a bit of research I realized that a thermostat replacement meant digging in/past quite a lot of other things/systems, I decided I would address a bunch of stuff in one go this spring. 

 

Things I have done already (I will try to include some pics and info on these items also later on):

 - new rubber, Bridgestone T30 evos 

 - new brake pads front and rear, EBC HH all around

 - new headlight bulbs - I am running some LED units, but am going to also try some Osram NightBreaker Laser H4's soon (on hand) also

 - clear indicator housings with LED switchbacks

 - clear, LED tail light

 - LED instrument panel swap - currently blue ( I tried red and purple also, they weren't bright enough)

 

The to-do list:   completed items

 - new tstat, replace cooling hoses and clamps, replace water joint o rings, clean/inspect/flush radiators and water pump

 - new plugs, COP mod

 - PAIR delete

 - injector cleaning and flow testing

 - new vacuum hoses for the throttle bodies

 - refinish or replace exhaust headers, don't forget the new donut gaskets

 - 520 chain conversion, +2 teeth rear sprocket

 - new regulator and wiring (thanks to roadstercycle.com)

 - new braided stainless brake lines, brake system flush, caliper rebuilds if necessary

 - new braided stainless clutch line, slave cylinder flush and inspection

 - fuel tank inspection, fuel filter replacement

 - general cleaning and inspection of the seldom seen areas of the bike and engine, inspection/cleaning/lubing all electrical connections

 - replace suspension with parts valved correctly for my weight and riding style (currently holding out to see what Jamie's in-house rear shocks look like)

 

Digging in / Inspiration / Resources: Much thanks to this site and VFRWorld and members for covering most of these items already in detail. I have a factory manual that has been invaluable as well. Big shout out to user GreninDenver for his excellent tear down & rebuild thread. 

 

 

[adkfinn]

Getting started - I did not document my tear down very well, nor will this thread be a comprehensive account or real how-to of any work or mods. I am not breaking any new ground, there are good docs and write-ups for all of this stuff already and the authors of those docs are better at it than I am. 

 

Tear down pics: 

 

A look under the throttle bodies: dirty but not terrible. I did notice evidence of light weeping around multiple joints and clamps, but the hoses themselves looked pretty good. 

 

The radiators, side hoses, water pump area didn't look too bad, but could use a good scrubbing:

 

The exhaust header was looking a bit worse for wear and had the area around the collectors was rusty and in need of attention:

 

 

The rear swingarm area is more of the same, in need of a good cleaning: 

 

the throttle bodies look about the same: 

[adkfinn]

Parts/refurb:

 

Once I had things stripped down the next step was cleaning. Borrowing heavily from GreginDenver's thread, I grabbed a bunch of different plastic bristled brushes, a few steel and copper wire brushes, and some cans of foaming de-greaser. I opted for some CRC brand heavy duty foaming degreaser, aviation Simple Green mix in a spray bottle, and brake cleaner and carb cleaner. After I stripped the cooling system and exposed the engine valley I started by dry brushing and vacuuming the area, this will save a lot of mess and allow you use much less liquid cleaners later. After dry brushing and vacuuming I used the de-greaser and brushes to go after the remaining filth. Where things were really stuck on or stained I used the wire brushes to really get after it. 

 

engine valley cleaned (not perfect but as good as it was going to get with my tools and time available):

 

This is why you should really check and replace the water joint o rings (two on top and two on the left side) while you are in here: 

 

Gross.  Believe it or not, these o rings were not showing any exterior signs of failing when they were mounted. After a bit of cleaning with new o rings installed, ready for replacement:

 

I suspected my Tstat was frozen open based on the fact that the bike was running cool while riding. This was confirmed when I pulled the housing and could see the the Tstat was frozen open at least 1/4". As mentioned in my 'to-do' list, I figured I would replace all the cooling hoses as well given their age and the fact that the prospect of needing to tear the bike down again any the near future seemed wholly unappealing. After a bit of research I decided to try the AS3 silicone hose kit. This kit is complete for 98-99 5th gens ( it may be missing the wax unit hoses for the 00-01) and the price is very reasonable for what appear to be high quality parts. Some progress pics of the AS3 hose kit and stainless steel clamps going on the now cleaned up engine, new Tstat installed, housing cleaned up:

 

 

 

 

I would say the fit and design of the AS3 hoses was good. Like others, I did trim around an 1/8" in a couple of places to shorten them up a bit, but I wouldn't call that an issue really. I haven't filled and tested the system so I can't comment on leaks, etc. just yet. In the engine valley pic above you can just see the PAIR block-off plates installed. Much thanks to Mello Dude for making and selling this kit! The parts are well made and and his instructions are spot on. I couldn't resist a bit of polishing prior to install:

 

 

[adkfinn]

I posted some pics of the exhaust header above, but here it is again. I soaked the header nuts in Kroil routinely for at least a week prior to removing the headers. They all came loose without drama, save one where the stud unscrewed from the block.

 

Looking pretty crappy if you ask me. I have been following the various exhaust threads and my thoughts are the following: I would happily replace the factory header with a stainless steel performance header, given the cost was not intolerable. I am not interested in the current 'off the shelf' replacements that are available, why give up performance if you don't have to? My header is looking neglected and a bit rusty, but it is structurally sound performs as it should. At this point I considered having it professionally blasted and ceramic coated. The best quote I received locally was $250 for blasting/prep, Cerakote Glacier Chrome, and polishing. In the end I decided to blast and paint them myself. It can be done for negligible cost, will correct the rusting issue, and it will save me a bunch of money. Also, if/when a performance header actually becomes available I will feel less conflicted about purchasing it than if I had recently invested significant funds in my factory header. So, I media blasted (thanks to my neighbor for having a stocked garage and letting me use his tools) and prepped, then primed, painted and clear coated my factory headers with VHT Flame Proof products. I've used this line in the past and had acceptable results with poorer prep. I did post another thread about this, but I am repeating it here for the sake of completeness. My paint setup is crap/open air, but my goal is good coverage and rust prevention, not a show quality finish. They turned out well enough for me:

 

 

And here is a teaser of my new end can:

[adkfinn]

Next up were the injectors and throttle body. After pulling my parts I looked around for vendors that provided injector service locally and luckily found Jim at Injector Repair LLC. His prices are much cheaper than RC Injector in CA and he is located in the Capitol Region of NY only a few hours away. My injectors went out and came back very quickly and Jim was more than responsive during the process.Total price was $80, which seems like an excellent price. I highly recommend him to anyone looking for fuel injector service. 

 

http://injectorrepair.com/

 

An email from Jim the day he sent my injectors back: 

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your set of four Honda Keihin injectors flow tested 'good' right out of the box ( after an initial exterior cleaning / de-greasing ), and flow tested at just about a 3.4 % flow balance. A 3.4 % flow balance is good for an used set of injectors. The engine should have run well with these injectors. An Injector Flow Balance of 5 % or under is considered necessary for proper engine performance. When I sell refurbished sets, I try to get them flow matched at one to three percent flow balance. The closer the flow rates of the injectors are to each other, the better the engine will run, and the engine will run smoother and get better miles per gallon. The microfilters had no noticeable debris in them. After removing the filters, there were no deposits / residue inside the injectors, they were super clean on the inside. No debris came out when I back-flushed the injectors. Attached are pictures of some of the multiple flow tests I ran on your set of injectors. Picture # 0100 is one of the initial pre tests ( before ultrasonic cleaning ). The final flow tests improved, and picture # 0103 is of one of the final flow tests. I ran all tests multiple times. The final dynamic flow test ( 12 ms pulse width / 2400 rpm / 25 seconds ) had flow rates of 60 cc.s across the board. The Final injector flow balance improved to close to 0 %. The industry trade term for that is  mint deluxe. They all performed flawless in all the tests. The injectors held pressures over 80 psi without leaking a drop, and their spray patterns were perfect. They are 100% ready to be put into service. Be sure to lubricate the new o-rings with oil (not grease) before installation.

       If you have any questions, give me a call or email anytime.

                  Take care,  Jim
                             Injector Repair LLC
                              518-956-0014

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is one of the attached pics:

 

They arrived at my door quickly and well packaged along with a written report of the test results and new o rings. Nice.

 

My next step is to clean up the throttle bodies and replace the vacuum hoses. They need a good cleaning:

 

Like Seb, I couldn't resist adding some more color, here is a teaser:

 

These hoses are "purple" but look pretty much pink to me, not that I am bothered by it. I have no reservations about having some fun with silly stuff like this 'under the hood' where no one will see it but me. After I get the rack re-assembled the next step is  the coil over plug (COP) mod. I've already removed the stock coils, installed new plugs, purchased and prepped the new coils and electrical plugs that need to be soldered in place. 

 

 

[Duc2V4]

Nice work! Have those same coolant lines on my 01.

[adkfinn]

11 minutes ago, Duc2V4 said:

Nice work! Have those same coolant lines on my 01.

Thanks Duc, any issues with leaks on yours after replacement? I have all tightened down pretty good, but saw on the 'Chinese silicone hoses' thread that someone else was having some issues with leaks on theirs.

[Duc2V4]

3 hours ago, adkfinn said:

Thanks Duc, any issues with leaks on yours after replacement? I have all tightened down pretty good, but saw on the 'Chinese silicone hoses' thread that someone else was having some issues with leaks on theirs.

I did have a small leak but it was resolved by tightening up the hose clamps. Not sure if I didn't do that well enough the first time, they loosened up over the few track days I put in or it was due to "settling in". I believe that it was one of the hoses that connected to the water pump. I have another two days at the track in a couple of weeks, so we'll see how it holds up.

[KevCarver]

Nice work! I’m nearly ready to tear into my ‘99 for much of the same. I saw a friends O-rings on his water joints and for sure put them on the list. Just waiting on my Honda parts order with them and new tstat and water pump. Also waiting on my AS3 order, but I did get my vacuum hoses. 

I forget, are there any clamps on the vacuum lines on the throttle body? If so, what you use? My silicone lines are much thicker than stock. 

Quick note on led bulbs for the lcd screen; there is a blue filter behind the screen so anything other than blue or white won’t work well. 

After my COP conversion the bike fires first press, like it used to way back when. I didn’t even change the plugs, but plan to when the throttle body comes off. 

[KevCarver]

I forgot to mention, I'll probably send out my injectors also. I've sent out a couple of 6th Gen sets (not mine) that have both come back with similar good reports to yours. I think the fuel filter in the pump is a really good filter! I never hear of any injector issues on VFRs. I'm only sending mine since they are 20 years and 103,400 miles old!

I use Pro Flow out of Florida cause I used to race with Greg Melka, the guy who co-owns it. Sounds way more impressive than it is. He's a talented, fast, winning racer, and I had a "race bike" and a race license.

And all my parts are here!

[Duc2V4]

2 hours ago, KevCarver said:

I forgot to mention, I'll probably send out my injectors also. I've sent out a couple of 6th Gen sets (not mine) that have both come back with similar good reports to yours. I think the fuel filter in the pump is a really good filter! I never hear of any injector issues on VFRs. I'm only sending mine since they are 20 years and 103,400 miles old!

I use Pro Flow out of Florida cause I used to race with Greg Melka, the guy who co-owns it. Sounds way more impressive than it is. He's a talented, fast, winning racer, and I had a "race bike" and a race license.

And all my parts are here!

I sent both my 5 & 6 Gen injectors Out for cleaning and wow! They were not in the best of shape. I posted the results here after I had them done but don’t recall which thread at the moment but definitely worth the investment. I use RC Engineering in Torrance, California.

[KevCarver]

Oh wow, that's weird. Like I said, I've had 2 sets come back with great reports and adkfinn had a good report on his too. I don't think I have any issues, just figured with the age and mileage it couldn't hurt.

Turns out I had a miscommunication on the phone ordering my parts and I got the wrong water pump. I'm going to take the opportunity to order some new "throttle body insulators", the rubbers that hold the TB to the heads, since I was reminded that new ones are much easier to install than 20 year old ones.

[KevCarver]

And to adkfinn, I put Gixxer COPs on mine and CBR COPs on my friend's, and you really gotta muscle those CBR COPs down all the way because of the caps!

[Stray]

Brilliant thread - subscribed! 

[adkfinn]

18 hours ago, KevCarver said:

Nice work! I’m nearly ready to tear into my ‘99 for much of the same. I saw a friends O-rings on his water joints and for sure put them on the list. Just waiting on my Honda parts order with them and new tstat and water pump. Also waiting on my AS3 order, but I did get my vacuum hoses. 

I forget, are there any clamps on the vacuum lines on the throttle body? If so, what you use? My silicone lines are much thicker than stock. 

Quick note on led bulbs for the lcd screen; there is a blue filter behind the screen so anything other than blue or white won’t work well. 

After my COP conversion the bike fires first press, like it used to way back when. I didn’t even change the plugs, but plan to when the throttle body comes off. 

 

Kevin - I haven't installed the new lines yet, but I will let you know when I do. I have seen that others used zip ties to secure them, but factory spec doesn't call for anything and I am not planning on zip ties or clamps. If the lines I bought are too loose for comfort, I am probably going to order some higher quality/more expensive hose like HPS rather than clamping all those little bastards. 

[adkfinn]

14 hours ago, KevCarver said:

And to adkfinn, I put Gixxer COPs on mine and CBR COPs on my friend's, and you really gotta muscle those CBR COPs down all the way because of the caps!

 

The COPs I have (pictured above) are from a GSXR. I can't remember the exact part number but I pulled the info from the big COP thread when I was shopping for them. I have test fit them and the height/engagement with the plug/seal with the valve cover is good. I prefer this style with the 'over' style cap/seal because I think it will keep dirt/water out of the plug hole more successfully than the 'inside' style cap/seal some of the other coils use. 

[KevCarver]

7 hours ago, adkfinn said:

 

The COPs I have (pictured above) are from a GSXR. I can't remember the exact part number but I pulled the info from the big COP thread when I was shopping for them. I have test fit them and the height/engagement with the plug/seal with the valve cover is good. I prefer this style with the 'over' style cap/seal because I think it will keep dirt/water out of the plug hole more successfully than the 'inside' style cap/seal some of the other coils use. 

Bit of brain fade on my part. I saw the caps and assumed they would be more difficult to fit. I have the same ones, but it's the cap-less CBR that are more difficult to fit. Good call, I agree!

[adkfinn]

No real progress the last few days, but I am planning on getting some serious wrenching in on the VFR on Sunday and will update then. In the mean time, I put a new chain and sprockets on my '81 CB750F. I also cleaned and repacked the wheel bearings since I had the rear wheel off. The bearings looked good but the grease was thick and stiff as all hell. Rode thirty miles or so this am and the bike is sooooo much smoother on the road. Very pleased. 

 

Here's the old girl after a bath:

[GreginDenver]

Very impressed with your work so far (glad that my 5th Gen refurbishment thread on VFRworld has helped/been an inspiration).  

 

It seems that you take the same point of view I do: absolutely will not buy a used 20 year old motorcycle and just ride it around, trusting it to be safe and functional as if you'd bought it off a Honda showroom floor (while adopting an online/forum attitude of willful ignorance, denying the obvious fact that this 20 year old bike might need some lifetime maintenance and upkeep to be safe, much less enjoyable to ride).

 

I especially like that you posted very large and clear pictures of the decomposing coolant system junction O-rings for everyone to see.  Yes, they're located at the very bottom of the engine "V" and it takes a lot of digging to get there, but it's definitely worth the effort.  How can anyone ride an older VFR knowing that these O-rings are in this sort of condition (possibly even worse)?

 

While you're at it are you going to disassemble-clean-inspect the rear suspension?  I found two bearing seals failed/destroyed in the shock linkage triangle, apparently due to little rocks having been thrown up by the rear tire coming to rest between the linkage side-plate and the rubber bearing seal.  I cleaned and re-greased all the pivots as I worked through the swinging arm and the shock linkage.  I also replaced the 20 year old "cush drive" rubbers in the rear hub.

 

And, finally... I can't resist:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[adkfinn]

25 minutes ago, GreginDenver said:

Very impressed with your work so far (glad that my 5th Gen refurbishment thread on VFRworld has helped/been an inspiration).  

 

It seems that you take the same point of view I do: absolutely will not buy a used 20 year old motorcycle and just ride it around, trusting it to be safe and functional as if you'd bought it off a Honda showroom floor (while adopting an online/forum attitude of willful ignorance, denying the obvious fact that this 20 year old bike might need some lifetime maintenance and upkeep to be safe, much less enjoyable to ride).

 

I especially like that you posted very large and clear pictures of the decomposing coolant system junction O-rings for everyone to see.  Yes, they're located at the very bottom of the engine "V" and it takes a lot of digging to get there, but it's definitely worth the effort.  How can anyone ride an older VFR knowing that these O-rings are in this sort of condition (possibly even worse)?

 

While you're at it are you going to disassemble-clean-inspect the rear suspension?  I found two bearing seals failed/destroyed in the shock linkage triangle, apparently due to little rocks having been thrown up by the rear tire coming to rest between the linkage side-plate and the rubber bearing seal.  I cleaned and re-greased all the pivots as I worked through the swinging arm and the shock linkage.  I also replaced the 20 year old "cush drive" rubbers in the rear hub.

 

And, finally... I can't resist:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks Greg, your thread is a great benchmark. My plan is to keep this bike for the long haul and I want to be able to ride the wheels off of it without having to be afraid of it's condition or any unknowns/what-ifs (willful ignorance is too risky an approach to old bikes for my tastes). Suspension is next on my list after all the work listed in this thread. I am kind of waiting on Jamie Daugherty's new rear shock at the moment, but my plan is to clean/inspect/re-do the entire suspension as well. His rep and reviews are impressive for one, and two, I wanted to keep the scope of this round of work manageable so I figured I'd hold off on it for now. I'd also like to get some seat time on this bike soon, it is such a blast to ride. Thanks for the input about the joints, I will make sure to include them in my suspension maintenance. At present, the stock parts appear to be in good condition and function well despite being a bit under-sprung for my size. Also, I have new cush drive rubbers on hand and am planning on installing them when i pull the wheel to replace the chain and sprockets (also on hand waiting to go on). 

 

Well played on the Crocs, they are ugly as sin for sure. I wear them around the house/barn like slippers and they are comfy as all get out, but you won't catch me leaving the house with those things on.  

[GreginDenver]

I am continuously amazed by the (undeserved?) good luck/pure serendipity represented by all of the Denso Corp. Stick Coil conversions I've seen on forums over the years.

 

Warning!! Long sentence follows:

I stand in awe of this common swap/upgrade: a situation where somebody who knows nothing (or next to nothing) about Ignition Control Systems (and the mind-bogglingly complex and interrelated parameters, we're talking super-tech-nerd-black-magic-level electrical measurements and equations) can blithely remove a bike's OEM coils and replace them with late-model Denso Corp. Stick Coils (knowing nothing about the primary and secondary resistance specifications of these coils, or how much they may differ from the OEM coils) while leaving in place on the bike the OEM Ignition Control Box (which still contains Dwell-Time calculations tailored specifically to the recently removed OEM coils) and somehow achieve better-than-OEM results (instead of ending up with a weak spark or overheated, melted-down Stick Coils).

 

We should be thankful that the ignition systems of older-generation JDM bikes (of all makes: Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha) just happen to have been equipped with OEM coils that had characteristics (primary winding resistance, secondary winding resistance) which resulted in OEM Dwell-Time calculations that are wonderfully/amazingly compatible with the Denso Corp. Stick Coils from late-model JDM motorcycles.

 

I raise my beer glass in reverence to this good fortune.

[adkfinn]

57 minutes ago, GreginDenver said:

I am continuously amazed by the (undeserved?) good luck/pure serendipity represented by all of the Denso Corp. Stick Coil conversions I've seen on forums over the years.

 

Warning!! Long sentence follows:

I stand in awe of this common swap/upgrade: a situation where somebody who knows nothing (or next to nothing) about Ignition Control Systems (and the mind-bogglingly complex and interrelated parameters, we're talking super-tech-nerd-black-magic-level electrical measurements and equations) can blithely remove a bike's OEM coils and replace them with late-model Denso Corp. Stick Coils (knowing nothing about the primary and secondary resistance specifications of these coils, or how much they may differ from the OEM coils) while leaving in place on the bike the OEM Ignition Control Box (which still contains Dwell-Time calculations tailored specifically to the recently removed OEM coils) and somehow achieve better-than-OEM results (instead of ending up with a weak spark or overheated, melted-down Stick Coils).

 

We should be thankful that the ignition systems of older-generation JDM bikes (of all makes: Honda, Suzuki, Kawasaki, Yamaha) just happen to have been equipped with OEM coils that had characteristics (primary winding resistance, secondary winding resistance) which resulted in OEM Dwell-Time calculations that are wonderfully/amazingly compatible with the Denso Corp. Stick Coils from late-model JDM motorcycles.

 

I raise my beer glass in reverence to this good fortune.

 

Amen to that. On a related note, I have a set of the 'CBR' coils and plugs on my CB750F, which is also somehow not only compatible but a huge upgrade from the stock coils and wires. I actually pulled a set of Dyna coils off in favor of the 'CBR' parts. 

[adkfinn]

On 6/2/2018 at 8:10 PM, KevCarver said:

Can I jump on your bandwagon? 

 

 

Kevin this is great and all your work looks very familiar. I am planning on using some 8mm silicone for the hoses you pictured. The stuff I got worked fine for the larger 8mm hoses, but the two short runs are too sharp and they start to collapse when you force the turn. I think I am going to reuse the factory hoses (mine are in decent shape) for those two runs. 

 

Would you mind pulling your pics and progress pics out of this thread? I am planning on keeping this thread clean and trying to chronicle all my work and farkles on my bike in one place. No offense intended, you should absolutely start a thread to document your refurb also. The more the merrier and it is great to see.

[adkfinn]

Next up was digging into the throttle bodies. This started with a few good rounds of carb cleaner and toothbrushing inside the throttle bodies and more foaming degreaser on the rack/hoses/etc. Despite looking a bit intimidating, hose replacement was pretty simple once I got into it. There are really only three runs of 3.5mm hose, the 4 8mm hoses that run through the center of the rack, and the two that connect next to the IAT sensor in the airbox. I pulled each of the smaller 3.5mm runs out assembled, then replaced the hoses one length at a time. It made the process quite easy. I would not recommend pulling all the hoses and all the junctions apart and then trying to reassemble it all. If you get confused or need a little help, Partzilla has the factory diagram for the throttle body tubing: https://www.partzilla.com/catalog/honda/motorcycle/1998/vfr800fi-a-interceptor/throttle-body-tubing

 

After tear down:

 

After I had finished rebuilding the hose runs with their new pink/purple silicone replacements:

 

New hoses installed and nearly ready to go. If you look closely at the two shorter lengths of 8mm hose, you can see the turns are just too tight for a straight hose to accommodate. They are not totally collapsed in this pic, but the deformation is visible. I wanted to try it and see if it could work, but I ended up reinstalling the two articulated factory hoses after careful cleaning and inspection. 

 

 

Here's the two factory hoses I reused, all cleaned up and treated and ready to go:

 

And back in place:

 

Here is the aftermath, the small pile of discarded 20yr old hoses, most of which were probably still in usable shape if I am honest (this is before I fished the two 8mm shorty's back out).

[adkfinn]

After the hoses were installed, I moved on to the fuel injectors. These went back in easily after a little oil on the seals for lubrication.

 

 

And after all the electrical was cleaned, greased and plugged back in, I reinstalled the fuel rail and the whole assembly is ready to go back on the bike.

 

 

After some checking of hose and electrical alignment, capping of the nipple at the one way valve that runs to the now discarded flapper valve solenoid, and general double checking to confirm everything looks good I dropped the throttle body assembly into the new intake boots. New intake boots makes this go so much easier than trying to reuse the hardened ones that have been on the bike and they are cheap, I strongly encourage you to install new. 

 

 

Check out that purple & blue color combo! Snazzy no?

 

Details: I actually used 4mm hose in place of the specified 3.5mm. A bunch of research and reading lead me to conclude that many others have made the same substitution without issue and I also had a good internal debate about whether 0.5mm made a meaningful difference. There seems to be a lot more 4mm hose available, 3.5mm was less prevalent in my searches, plus there were way less fun colors in the 3.5mm flavor. I can say that the 4mm hoses I ordered engaged all the brass nipples and plastic junctions with grip/tightness greater than the rubber hoses they replaced and I am confident the size difference is negligible for these particular hoses. If I have issues and/or worst case scenario, I will pull the rack and replace it all with 3.5mm. No biggie, now that I have done it once it won't be hard to do again.