I was told once ,never throw anything away. You may decide to use them some day if the pods don't work. Or may be able to sell the stock air box to someone who wants to restore one with original parts. Just saying
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Bringing an old Xs650 back to life
- Thread starter gingersnap
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I kept mine, even though it was pretty well done in. The filters were shot as were most of the rubber connectors. It was cheaper to get pods than replace all that stuff. Today, if I was to acquire another 650 with a good airbox, I might be inclined to keep it. The cheapest fix out there is just re-wrapping original filter "cages" with bulk UNI filter foam.
Don't feel pregnant. I'm going to do exactly what you said I was going to do; unsub from this thread.
gingersnap
XS650 Member
Skull
Re read the intro. I never asked "if" I should use pods or not. I asked once I added pods what would be the best route from there, my main questions being about what to do with the breather hoses.
So everyone can drop this idea that I came In asking to use pods or not and that im going with pods regardless of what you all say. Pods were the plan the whole time!
Re read the intro. I never asked "if" I should use pods or not. I asked once I added pods what would be the best route from there, my main questions being about what to do with the breather hoses.
So everyone can drop this idea that I came In asking to use pods or not and that im going with pods regardless of what you all say. Pods were the plan the whole time!
Hi RG,
not just the newbies. I bought my Heritage new and r'n'ring the airboxes has always been a right royal pain. Not so much as the airbox on my XS11, r'n'ring that one ain't just fiddly, that bastard draws blood!
But still, pods are so much easier to deal with and work just fine if they're done right, (and as I get older and deafer the carbs' intake drone don't bother me as much) especially as the carbs seem to need cleaning more often as the bikes get older.
Fred,
You are the guru of gurus. I don't believe you. The XS1100 box doesn't come out unless the carburetors are removed. Once that's done, the box practically falls out, so I know you're tellin' stories. I've had an XS650 since new and I fail to see an issue with the boxes. I have two left hands and those boxes are as easy as installing the air cleaner on a '65 Chevy. I taught my daughter to do it. The XS650 carburetors are always a puzzle to me. Once I get them in place, those boxes are not going to kick my ass.
You are the guru of gurus. I don't believe you. The XS1100 box doesn't come out unless the carburetors are removed. Once that's done, the box practically falls out, so I know you're tellin' stories. I've had an XS650 since new and I fail to see an issue with the boxes. I have two left hands and those boxes are as easy as installing the air cleaner on a '65 Chevy. I taught my daughter to do it. The XS650 carburetors are always a puzzle to me. Once I get them in place, those boxes are not going to kick my ass.
fredintoon and singersnap;
I can't believe you guys have problems with removing/installing air boxes. Marty even taught his daughter to do it. On my 78 SE, the air boxes come off in about 5 minutes if I work slowly. All I can say is .......................... hang your head in shame.
If you can't handle air box R & R, don't ever attempt a top end rebuild.
The XS650 has got to be one of the most simple bikes to work on. There's no fairings to remove, and everything is out in the open for easy access. Spark plugs; even the carbs are dead simple to remove.
If you want to have a challenge, try doing the valve clearance checks on a Kawasaki 500 Ninja.
Edit: Fred..................."carbs need more cleaning as they get older". I've not found that to be true at all. Once I replaced the worn internal parts, my carbs have not needed any cleaning. If the fuel tank is rust free and use a good pair of in line fuel filters, where would dirt/bebris come from?
I can't believe you guys have problems with removing/installing air boxes. Marty even taught his daughter to do it. On my 78 SE, the air boxes come off in about 5 minutes if I work slowly. All I can say is .......................... hang your head in shame.
If you can't handle air box R & R, don't ever attempt a top end rebuild.
The XS650 has got to be one of the most simple bikes to work on. There's no fairings to remove, and everything is out in the open for easy access. Spark plugs; even the carbs are dead simple to remove.
If you want to have a challenge, try doing the valve clearance checks on a Kawasaki 500 Ninja.
Edit: Fred..................."carbs need more cleaning as they get older". I've not found that to be true at all. Once I replaced the worn internal parts, my carbs have not needed any cleaning. If the fuel tank is rust free and use a good pair of in line fuel filters, where would dirt/bebris come from?
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gingersnap
XS650 Member
The main issue I ran into was getting the small white piece in the middle of the air boxes to attach to the air boxes AND being able to get the air boxes onto the carbs at the same time.
That and that it was just a real tight fit with the crankcase vent and all that.
That and that it was just a real tight fit with the crankcase vent and all that.
You guys make a right old drama out of this issue, if the man wants pods, he will have pods, the only things I can say is do all the other tuning first, fit your pods then take it to a tuner who has a dyno and get them to do the rest, you will save time and money, but the best way is to persevere with the original boxes as they do give optimum performance.
Good luck with the project Gingersnap.
Good luck with the project Gingersnap.
Hi Kev,
my take on pods is they work fine if they're done right and (despite what Marty sez) I found r'n'ring the stock airboxes to be too much of a hassle.
But, about making a right old drama out of this issue, what if (to take an extreme example) some enthusiast posts about how he plans to build the bike of his dreams by removing the front brake & rear suspension?
You gotta tell him if he rides it like that he's most likely gonna get hurt, eh?
Ok, On your breather hose, being an 81 it has a single output breather box. From this out let the stock set up runs a hose down to a tee, from the tee to the bottom of each air box.
Once you install your UNI Filter pods, only good ones out there, just remove the hose from the breather down to the tee and to the air boxes. Sell this air box and hoses.
Now go to an auto parts store and get a Dorman HELP! power brake check valve.
This is a one way valve. It holds the vacuum in the brake booster.
It has an inlet the same size as the nipple on your breather. Get some hose this size, about 2 inches is about right. Plug the brake valve in the hose, plug the hose on the breather. Position the out let of the brake vale over one of your pods. Or run a hose of the smaller nipple to down behind and to the side of the engine.
Now as the pistons move down and compress the air inside the engine, which has oil mist and compression blow by in it, this air flows up through the engine and out the breather. Then as the pistons go up this air flow is reversed. Drawing some out side air back in. The brake valve being a one way valve lets air out but not back in. Some of the oil mist in the out going air condenses in the brake valve, this oil drips out of the valve, With it over the pod it drips on the pod. If you have the long hose it can flow down the hose and drip on the ground.
Some people put a little filter on the hose from the breather instead of the brake valve. What ever you choose.
Leo
Once you install your UNI Filter pods, only good ones out there, just remove the hose from the breather down to the tee and to the air boxes. Sell this air box and hoses.
Now go to an auto parts store and get a Dorman HELP! power brake check valve.
This is a one way valve. It holds the vacuum in the brake booster.
It has an inlet the same size as the nipple on your breather. Get some hose this size, about 2 inches is about right. Plug the brake valve in the hose, plug the hose on the breather. Position the out let of the brake vale over one of your pods. Or run a hose of the smaller nipple to down behind and to the side of the engine.
Now as the pistons move down and compress the air inside the engine, which has oil mist and compression blow by in it, this air flows up through the engine and out the breather. Then as the pistons go up this air flow is reversed. Drawing some out side air back in. The brake valve being a one way valve lets air out but not back in. Some of the oil mist in the out going air condenses in the brake valve, this oil drips out of the valve, With it over the pod it drips on the pod. If you have the long hose it can flow down the hose and drip on the ground.
Some people put a little filter on the hose from the breather instead of the brake valve. What ever you choose.
Leo
Fred that would be completely different, as you would be looking at a total retard who would probably not even be able to open the lid of his toolbox or know how to plug his angle grinder in. the stock air boxes on these xs's are a piece of cake to deal with unlike the jap 4 cylinder bikes.
Hi Kev,
nah, some of the choppers you see on this list show superb workmanship and are works of art.
It's riding the bastards on public roads that I'm against.
& BTW, I ditched my XS650 airbox because your piece of cake is my teething rusk.
Hi Leo,
that's what I did, except I stashed the stock airboxes away in case I change my mind.
What's even simpler is to run a long hose from the breather and let it pant oil fumes onto the rear chain, just like grandpa did on his Norton.
The BS34 special air boxes with the plastic connector are the EASY ones to install....
OK there is a trick, wait for it....
No really, the trick is; do NOT fully install one side before starting on the other side . Put one in but leave it loose, no screws installed, then when the other side goes in you pull the first one out a little and the (silicone greased) connector pops right in, now start putting in bolts, don't tighten any of them until they are all started. The two that go in from the top through the battery box/ frame brackets are the worst to start. I keep meaning to order some body bolts to replace the square end bolts used there.
Yes wrapping uni foam over the stock filter frames works well.
Worst air box I have seen was on the Honda FT500 single! What a royal pain in the patootie. I think you start by removing the spokes from the rear wheel. I got quite good at the 3-2 barrel carbs on the KZ1300, I could have them on the bench in 15 minutes and back in bike about as fast, mostly from LOTS of practice. I did make a couple of special tools to help get the air box rubbers over the oval carb intakes.
OK there is a trick, wait for it....
No really, the trick is; do NOT fully install one side before starting on the other side . Put one in but leave it loose, no screws installed, then when the other side goes in you pull the first one out a little and the (silicone greased) connector pops right in, now start putting in bolts, don't tighten any of them until they are all started. The two that go in from the top through the battery box/ frame brackets are the worst to start. I keep meaning to order some body bolts to replace the square end bolts used there.
Yes wrapping uni foam over the stock filter frames works well.
Worst air box I have seen was on the Honda FT500 single! What a royal pain in the patootie. I think you start by removing the spokes from the rear wheel. I got quite good at the 3-2 barrel carbs on the KZ1300, I could have them on the bench in 15 minutes and back in bike about as fast, mostly from LOTS of practice. I did make a couple of special tools to help get the air box rubbers over the oval carb intakes.
gingersnap
XS650 Member
Thanks for the advice and tips guys.
I just got my new breather hose from Mike's xs along with some new fuel lines. I will run out to the auto parts store and go grab a bleeder valve.
I ordered a little crank case breather filter I was originally planning to put on the xs but maybe I'll just throw that on my little street legal pitbike instead.
I got the little blue 125.
My pod air filters are in the mail right now but hopefully will get here soon so I can get this old girl running. Temps are starting to pick up and summer is right around the corner. I'm stoked!!
I just got my new breather hose from Mike's xs along with some new fuel lines. I will run out to the auto parts store and go grab a bleeder valve.
I ordered a little crank case breather filter I was originally planning to put on the xs but maybe I'll just throw that on my little street legal pitbike instead.
I got the little blue 125.
My pod air filters are in the mail right now but hopefully will get here soon so I can get this old girl running. Temps are starting to pick up and summer is right around the corner. I'm stoked!!
Hi Gary,
thanks for posting that trick; I should get some of those pointy bolts to carefully save along with the stock airboxes in case I change my mind.
But really, one shouldn't have to piss around like that just to put a part back on.
It's to keep the jap bikes a little more compact, if you don't want to muck about there is always the good old hardly movinson's no need to struggle getting bits off they just fall off.
please take this as tongue in cheek, we all love our rides.gingersnap
XS650 Member
Got the pods on today and it actually runs pretty well! Only issue is sometimes the idle hangs and takes a little while to drop. Easy enough. I'll just do some minor jetting and will be good!
One thing I ran into though that I'd like some input on. I pulled off my gas tank an noticed my petcock was leaking like the petcock was set to prime. Is this normal?
From what I understand my petcock is bad and I should replace it with a gravity fed on off petcock from Mike's xs
One thing I ran into though that I'd like some input on. I pulled off my gas tank an noticed my petcock was leaking like the petcock was set to prime. Is this normal?
From what I understand my petcock is bad and I should replace it with a gravity fed on off petcock from Mike's xs
