Gasket on stock flame arrestor?

[ShowMePro1200]

I have an 1995 SLT 750...

Clymer Manual shows in a picture what looks like a rubber (or other material) reuseable gasket between the blue plastic top and the metal bottom part of the air intake/flame arrestor.

Has anyone actually seen or know if its available from the dealer? Haven't had time to check w/the dealer, mine doesn't have one. I want to get one if available, tired of using blue RTV to seal it down.

On that same note, can anyone explain to me why it would be necessary to rejet when you put the aftermarket triple flame arrestors on this motor? I'm not arguing whether it has to be done, I just can't figure out why people say that with the flame arrestors in place the carburators would get more air, when the stock air intake has NO restriction thru the open hole at the end of the intake. Or is it to do with the fact that the air has to travel all the way down (or up) the intake to get to the last carb?

Thanks in advance for teaching me - Jeff

[Wet Wolf]

As far as I know, htere was never a seal between the top and bottom of the airbox on your style boat, use the silicone. There is a rubber piece that hols the arrestor screen in place, this might be what the clymer is showing you. When you put on aftermarket filters, the carbs get a bunch more air, you need to at least lower the popoff to get more fuel flow if you go with the filters.

[Bryan Glynn]

It would be a dealer only item, and I have seem some with and some without that gasket.

Carbs need to be adjusted whenever the airflow is changed. Differnt filter materials and inlet designs create differnt signal strengths to the carbs, and this must be matched in fuel flow. The stock airbox may look fairly restriction free, but the air must be sucked fromt he carb opening, down the fairly short velocity stacks, across the airbox and through the hole. That is not nearly as efficient as just through the filter and down the throat, like most aftermarket cone-type filters.

[ShowMePro1200]

Hey, does ANYBODY know where I can get this gasket (new or even salvage part)? The Polaris dealer here doesn't show it in the exploded view on the computer.

Tired of messing with the RTV sealant, may look around to see if I can use another rubber material.

Seems like a good thing to have, especially if you get into the carbs/intake area often.

Thanks

[Skexies]

Good luck, I can't even get a gas cap gasket. The part is there on the parts diagram, but they only sell the entire cap, gasket, chain, and filler neck as one assembly. All that for about the price of a new Tau Ceti carbon fiber gas cap.

How about changing out to an R&D pro flame arrestor? Now my flame arrestor just pops on and off the nice little aluminum adapters bolted on the carbs. It makes getting to things very easy, especially when figiting with the carbs a lot.

You will have to block off the oil pump and run pre-mix as the R&D doesn't keep the oil injection fittings, but the block-off probably is the best way to go as things get older anyway.

You can buy roll of grey "hi temp" gasket material from autozone. Trace a template and grab the xacto razor. If you want to keep your factory F/A.

-Skexies

[Wet Wolf]

The reason that the dealer doesn't have a picture of it, because it doesn't exist. I think your clymer manual is WRONG.

[ShowMePro1200]

Wet Wolf:

I'll look again just to be sure. Assuming I did really see this gasket in a picture in the book, I think it would be a lot of trouble to go to in superimposing a fake gasket on an actual photograph. Would you not agree?

Again, assuming I saw it in the book (I'll check this weekend when I get a chance) here's my theory: could the pictures they took be from a european or otherwise foreign version of the Polaris?

I don't mean to make an argument out of this, I would just like to acquire the gasket so I don't have to mess with the RVT everytime I take the top of the F/A assembly off. Pain in the rear.

Anybody got the answer to this?

[ShowMePro1200]

Skexies:

Sorry, didn't mean to ignore your post there. I've thought about going aftermarket but the $ is more than my budget can handle right now.

I'm looking around to see what kind of gasket material is available, good idea!

I used an idea that has worked a little bit so far: I put the RVT sealant on the sealing edge of the top section, put saran (sandwich wrap) all over the lower edge, then put the two together. After a night of setting up, I pulled the 2 back apart, took the saran wrap off, and then had a gasket (sort of) molded into the upper edge and could put on/take off at will. Works for a little while, but the RVT is kind of brittle and breaks after a few removals.

[Skexies]

There was a similar discussion about this last summer.

I believe the synopsis was that a gasket was used on SOME of the early model polaris skis on the F/A. I'm almost sure that the part was outdated and left off of all current parts listings because it is a cost that doesn't have to be there and wasn't included on later production models at all.

I'm sure the grey rolled gasket material will work, but you'll hate the time making it. ;)

-Skexies

[ShowMePro1200]

Now I've changed my mind. I checked the Clymer manual and couldn't find the picture I thought I had seen.

I'm going to find some form of soft but durable gasket material I can stick to the F/A cover top, I'll let you know what I find. I know most on this site have aftermarket F/A and won't find my idea helpful, however. But I for one will be quite pleased to no have to clean the RVT blue off the factory F/A assembly every time. Scares the heck out of me to think a piece of the blue would fall into the carbs and clog it up.

Later! ShowMeSLT750

[ March 08, 2002, 09:45 PM: Message edited by: ShowMeSLT750 ]

[Skexies]

For what it is worth, oil turns ultra blue to a gooey gel that can't seal anything. For parts that see oil / fuel on a regular basis, I use hylomar. It is very aggressive [read etching] but allows parts to be placed in service almost right after assembly.

[Bryan Glynn]

If you are going to use a gasket maker, only use Pematex 2.

[Wet Wolf]

Ive been tearing apart polaris PWC airboxes since the day they were built. the early fujimoto/mikuni/3x38sbn,, (92- at least 94, maybe a little later) airboxes never had a gasket to begin with, even on the european models. Spray the groove on the airbox with brake-kleen and get all the gunk off. do the same to the airbox bottom. apply a 1/8 bead of blue rtv silicone or equivalent. Let it sit for 5 min till the silicone skins up. Then assemble the airbox. Its just the way it is....
Also a good idea to buy some extra screw for the boxtop, coz you always drop at least one.

[ShowMePro1200]

I agree with you that the gasket is not available from Polaris, but....

I am GOING to adhere some kind of material to the underside of the top, so that I can remove/replace the top at will without doing the cleaning off step you describe. It can be done! It's just simply a pain in the butt to clean off every time.

By the way, I've already got about 6 of the stainless screws in my "boat box" I keep in my truck when I go to the lake. Already have 1 screw under the motor I cant't get to!!