Just discovered today that my carb boot had a huge crack on it. Was riding it today, and it never really wanted to idle right, but today it seemed worse. Looked down and saw a flame shoot out the side of the boot. Got a brand new and put it on. Still don't idle right, runs for a few minutes and then will just die. My question though I guess is should I have put any type of sealant on the carb boot before installing it. There was an O-ring on the old one I took off and used for the new one, seemed like it was still in good shape. Thats about all I did, tightened it up and fired it up. Also what is the best way to check for leaks around the carb boot. Thanks!!

 

Best way to check for a leak is to spray carb cleaner around the boot and carb, if the idle suddenly picks up,or it runs worse, that will help you pinpoint a leak. Have you taken the carb apart and cleaned it out? you may have some dirt in a passage, that's why it is idling badly. Give it a good cleaning and let us know how it goes.