Originally Posted by TANKMAN104C
Yes its the long black tubular type. The top half and filter are no problem, its the screws underneath. The carb prop between the carbs also seems to be loose at the bottom end once unbolted from the lower half of the air filter. This was why I wondered if it was just as easy to take the off the carbs and air filter as one unit but the lower manifold bolts also seem to be impossible to get to!
Have you ever taken your carbs or lower air filter off?
I've had the carbs off a couple of times, and the lower air box on a number of occasions. The inner wing of mine is so close to the lower screws on the airbox that it's practically impossible to reach them, but mine is a 1750GTV with a later 2000 tubular box, 2000GTV's had slightly differant inner wings to give clearance, so I suspect a Spider has too. In truth out of the four lower screws I only ever fit one and rely on the upper ones to hold it, it seems to work.
Once you have the airbox off, taking the carbs off isn't too bad, but you might need to change the mounting rubbers especially if your carb prop bush is knackered (thats why it feels loose at the bottom end) as the prop prevents too much movement of the carbs. Check the carb mount rubbers by running the engine then moving the carbs about with your hand, if you can here it sucking air and the engine change pitch your rubbers are shot. Another method is to spray WD40 about and listed to see if the engine pitch changes as it sucks some in through the cracks in the rubbers.
If you do have to change the mounting rubbers you will need to take the manifold off which means draining out most of the coolant The inlets are water cooled) and then fiddling around trying to unscrew the ten (I think) fixing screws holding it to the block. Changing the prop bush isn't much of a job, just unscrew it from the engine mount, cut the old bush out and press the new one in in a vice.
It's a fiddly job but not too bad maybe three or four evenings work.
Have a good look at the Engine mount while you are down there, if it needs doing you might as well while the carbs are off as it's a pig to get at if they are still on. Also have a good luck at the condition of the mounting for the top suspension arm, it's a rust trap and you can't see it with the carbs in place. I think the Spider will be the same as the Coupe in this respect, but someone will correct me if I'm wrong.
Good luck and happy spannering, don't worry too much about the workshop manuals, they are that much good anyway, nowhere near as good as the Haynes ones.
PS if you are a in the UK have you thought of joining the owners club, the Forum is brilliant for technical advise a sort of online personal workshop manual with at least two of the professional 105 experts regularly contributing
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Spider S3 Workshop Manual
