Originally Posted by
edmayo
On the original rubber coupler the boot was designed to slide over the coupler about halfway. When the encased couplers came out in the mid-eighties the rubber boot (which didn't change dimensions) did not easily slide over the larger new coupler. I do it by removing the coupler from the tunnel rod, holding the coupler in a vise, then using lube and a little heat force the boot over the small end of the coupler. Then screw the open coupler end onto the rod sticking out of the tunnel. The hard part is getting the 8 mm open end wrench into the boot far enough to tighten the jam nut against the coupler, using a hook tool pull the boot end over the bulkhead flange. Now everything is sealed as was intended. Looks like this latest coupler has a little recess to help hold the boot on.