What is the best air intake upgrade?

[FuzzyWuzHe]

@FuzzyWuzHe

Looks like your bike's catch is smiling at you!

My brain went there too ... not sure what that says about us ...

[Jack Klarich]

Here is a link to D K Customs doing the drill and tap the stand offs on the air cleaner for the breather bolts

http://www.dkcustomproducts.com/acl/...her-system.htm

[DK Custom Products]

Oh yea ... inside catch can at 4k

Attachment 85707

There are two foam rings that get cleaned with soapy water.

Attachment 85708

All that gunk would of gone back into the air intake of the engine.

Hey Fuzzy,

Dwayne grabbed one of your photos above and put it into a youtube video...thought you might like to see it. It is around the 14:15 mark in the video below.



Kevin

[Halfnormal]

Well I finally took a look at what I have installed. Looks like just an aftermarket filter. My question is does changing out the 103 stock cover really improve air flow or does the whole assembly need to be replaced to see any improvement?

[DK Custom Products]

Well I finally took a look at what I have installed. Looks like just an aftermarket filter. My question is does changing out the 103 stock cover really improve air flow or does the whole assembly need to be replaced to see any improvement?

Don't know that you can change just the cover on a stock set up.

Harley's, for many years, have (thanks to the EPA) been using air BOXES. They are two part. A plastic backplate that is 1/2 of the box and the cover which matches that backplate/box is the other half.

This results in the filter element being enclosed with just a small opening up front. This is done to reduce the noise generated by the engine sucking air in, plus it hides a bit of the internal engine noise too.

The "upside" of this is that it makes the engine noise a bit quieter so Harley can have a bit louder exhaust note and still meet the EPA noise standards.

The downside is that it chokes down the air flow into the engine AND that enclosed box makes the air going into the engine hotter...these both reduce performance. See complete report on this subject HERE.

To see noticeable improvement there are two choices:

1. Get a Performance Intake, like at this LINK This will take care of all the performance inhibiting issues regarding the stock air cleaner set-up.

2. Cut away the plastic on the factory backplate, leaving only the back, flat portion in place. Use a free flowing filter element. Install an External Breather System, and you can then use your factory cover and get a noticeable improvement in performance.

Kevin

[Halfnormal]

Don't know that you can change just the cover on a stock set up.

Upon more research, I found out it is the Arlen Ness Big Sucker air filter upgrade. It reuses half of the stock cover. Because of its design, I would have to purchase a new air filter to use a different custom cover.

[DK Custom Products]

Upon more research, I found out it is the Arlen Ness Big Sucker air filter upgrade. It reuses half of the stock cover. Because of its design, I would have to purchase a new air filter to use a different custom cover.

Ok, you have the AN BS air cleaner...that is more than just a filter upgrade, that is an entirely new air cleaner set-up. You can run the stock cover, like you are, or you can run a whole bunch of different covers.

Check out this LINK. Any cover at that link that says it will fit a 606 or an 0800, will also fit your AN BS. I believe there are 10 or 11 choices there.

You may want to look at adding an External Breather System, it will make it perform better, and your engine will thank you. The EBS's at this LINK will fit the AN BS.

The photo below is what I am running on my TG, and it will fit on your AN BS.



Kevin

[Halfnormal]

The air filter in there has a big lip on it like this.

[DK Custom Products]

The air filter in there has a big lip on it like this.

Ah, you have a specialized set up that AN made for 3 years.

This is what a typical AN BS looks like for the Twin Cams-



Unless you change the filter element, you can only use the factory cover.

Kevin

[Halfnormal]

That is what I thought. Thanks for your help.

[Halfnormal]

Ah, you have a specialized set up that AN made for 3 years.

Unless you change the filter element, you can only use the factory cover.

What are your thoughts about trimming the outer rubber ring? It looks like the bolt pattern is different and I would not be able to mount a newer filter to the existing bracket.

[Jack Klarich]

What are your thoughts about trimming the outer rubber ring? It looks like the bolt pattern is different and I would not be able to mount a newer filter to the existing bracket.

If your talking about the ring on the air filter I would say NO

That is what seals it to the cover

[Halfnormal]

That is what seals it to the cover

The existing stock cover does not touch the outer seal at all.