| Author | Message | ||
     Wavex |
used the catch-can setup (Lowe's) and everything else from Autozone... couple hours and beers... I also took the opportunity to remove the charcoal canister...  | ||
| Greg_e |
Is that a compressed air oil/water separator? If so you probably don't need the filter on the outlet. | ||
| Ustorque |
Nice job! Nice and clean...you're gonna be amazed at the crap thats been puking back into your motor! | ||
| Nickh |
David, Do you have a step by step for your mod? I'm really thinking about doing this. Thanks, Nick | ||
| Zoink |
What'd you use for the catch can? Right now I've just got mine as an open hose venting behind the bike, but I'd like to put a can/filter on it so I can see what's actually puking out of there. | ||
| Wavex |
Greg_e, Zoink, the catch can is a mini air filter (for compressors and such) from Lowe's (or Home Depot I dont remember) with the filter removed, and the pressure valve (bottom valve) sealed from the inside. I just unscrew the reservoir to empty it. Nickh: http://www.buellxb.com/Buell-XB-Forum/Do-It-Yourse lf-Buell-Mods/How-To-Crank-Case-Breather-Mod-with- pics This ^ is what I did for the re-routing part below the airbox... then I did the setup you see above for the catch-can... You will need: - 1x mini air filter from lowes - home depot - 1x 4 foot line of 3/8 fuel line hose - got it from Autozone - 2x 1/4 threaded - 3/8 fittings (Hardware store, plumbing section, they usually have them in metal and plastic... I used metal since it was for the catchcan... one fitting threaded into the "IN" port of the catchcan to the line up to the airbox, and the other threaded into the "OUT" port to the breather filter) - 1x Breather filter - Autozone - 1x 3/8 T line plastic fitting - Autozone - 2x screw type hose clamps (Hardware store) - 2 black zipties (the catchcan setup is ziptied to the stiff cable that goes through the oil cooler mounting bracket)... it's enough to hold it fairly tightly, but you can come up with a quick bracket to the mini-sub-frame bar as well). | ||
| Wavex |
oh and i did 20 miles this morning and it's already got 2ml of what looks like clear water in there... | ||
| Nickh |
Did the bike run any smoother? | ||
| Wavex |
I did not feel a diff right away, and then it felt to run a bit smoother at low rpms... nothing ground breaking to be expected imo... just looks nice and keeps some of the goo out  | ||
| Aptbldr |
Me, too: routed each outlet via 3/8" clear vinyl tubes to left end of swing arm. Yesterday's test ride was a disaster. Went around the block & put it away! Barely ran and saw its first 'real' check-engine light. An XB12 can slowly wind-up to at least 3k rpm even with two paper towels stuffed into its throttle body inlet. : ) This morning's ride to work: back to itself and different-better below 3000 rpms. | ||
| Mikef5000 |
You rode around the block with paper towels in your throttle body??? I'll be doing something like this to my XT here in the coming weeks. | ||
| Aptbldr |
Yep. I was anxious at removing air box cover afterward, fearing the Mighty Buell gobbled-up those paper towels. Only missing a tiny piece from one. | ||
| Randomchaos |
Looks good David! I need to do that to my new CityX. | ||
| Jraice |
Geez I would be crying if I realized I did that (paper towel) with my bike. And yeah now I cant really say that I notice a difference now that I am used to it but when I first hopped on the bike I totally noticed. | ||
| Wavex |
Random, thanks for your advice on this! You were a great help Jraice, I too thought my bike was much faster and it "felt" stronger on WOT, but then I convinced myself it was the placebo effect because I wanted it to feel stronger Either way, the mod looks good and can't hurt! | ||
| Kustomklassix |
I know it is probably in my head, but my butt-dyno told me that doing the breather re-route and removing the VERY restrictive (well from the looks of it anyways) snorkel from mine did actually give me a noticeable torque increase. Now the front wheel comes up even easier than before  PS: People who say the 9's are hard/nearly impossible to wheelie are silly and should go ride their tricycles.  | ||
| Miami78 |
When my breather re-route was put in we also took off the california canister and swapped the stock exhaust for a d&d...so I have no idea if it made any difference! Hell of a lot more torque now though!  | ||
| Nobuell |
I've been researching the breather re-route for my own installation. I found an interesting article at http://www.importtuner.com/reviews/impp_0810_oil_c atch_cans/index.html They performed dyno testing (on a car) that shows the can inlet vent should be routed back into the intake. They say the intake negative improves performance. They do not recommend the standard filter mounted on the end of the hose. It makes sense. Food for thought. I may consider this in my design. | ||
| Greg_e |
On the dyno I thought that tests showed a 1 to 2 HP gain when making this bypass. Also remember that in theory a moving XB should have a slightly pressurized airbox, there will be no vacuum to pull the gases out. | ||
| Mikef5000 |
BUT! Al at American Sport Bike did dyno testing of his own and found 2-3 HP gains with the separate filter method. The idea behind it is the air coming out of the breather is HOT. Hot air reduces HP. So get rid of the hot air and you should see a gain in HP. It'll be an extremely minor gain, but still. | ||
| Nobuell |
There is alway a vacuum at the intake side of the air filter. The air filter will cause the differential pressure. I think the theory is a hose filter restricts flow while the negative pressure within the intake track will increase flow. Just reporting what I saw. | ||
| Kustomklassix |
+1 to what mike said with absolutely no proof behind my belief. His summary of it says that I did indeed see an improvement so I will support him | ||
| Dallasb |
rough estimate on the cost for the homemade kit? | ||
| Biggie |
Nobuell am I reading that article wrong or did they run the vent from the head to the Catch can to the intake?....ANYBODY???? | ||
| Greg_e |
Aren't the breather hoses on the outside of the filter so that the goo gets caught by the filter? I can't remember from when I had the cover off and don't have my manual with me to check. I'd also argue that there isn't always negative pressure on the inside of the air filter, if the throttle is closed, and you are moving so that air is forced into the airbox under partial pressure, it will equalize because of the throttle plate. Even under very small openings this could be true. But that takes things to extremes. | ||
| Aptbldr |
Two days commuting since the mod, maybe 50 miles: rerouting the breather out put certainly affected my engine's running (I'd sorta hoped it wouldn't). It's significantly better below 3k rpms, practically a trials bike now. : ) However, now its running unevenly between 3k & 4k rpms at steady or trailing throttle, more popping at decel. 04 XB12 w/ mod exhaust, air-filter, fuel maps & now breathers are open to air at tail of swing-arm. Re-route's two 3/8-in clear vinyl tubes are still just that, with some clean fogging at last 18-in. I'm a believer! | ||
| Nik |
Engines with constant or near constant crankcase volume (like an inline 4) benefit more from applied crankcase volume. Non-constant volume engines (like a v-twin or single) create their own vacuum when the pistons move from the bottom of their stroke to TDC (remember PCV valves only work one way.) Basically, I wouldn't reference 'import tuner' when tuning my Buell... | ||
| Kustomklassix |
Dallas - For the 3/8's PVC T and 3 feet of 3/8's fuel line it was like $8 at the local AutoZone. My setup is probably the simplest you can do but works 100% the same if not better. I can take pictures if you want, but all mine is is the 2 breathers T'ed into the 1 line and then routed under my bike. Took MAYBE 10 minutes and works perfect. Greg - No, it's extremely retarded, but both breathers are on the •••••• INSIDE of the air filter. Also like Aptbldr said, the low-end rpm running has become trial-like with it's precision, but I havent noticed any uneven-ness at any rpm's. | ||
| Wavex |
Interesting discussion! Dallasb, per your question: - 1x mini air filter (catchcan): $20 - 1x 4 foot line of 3/8 fuel line: $15 - 2x 1/4 threaded - 3/8 fittings: $3 - 1x Breather filter: $15 - 1x 3/8 T line plastic fitting: $2 - 2x screw type hose clamps: $1 - 2 black zipties: $1 Total: $57 | ||
| Dallasb |
Thanks guys...may try to pick up a few things this weekend. |
