Air Box Modification to 1500 Drifter (Chucksters)

RockinRollin · January 04, 2017, 20:36:19 PM

No problem bambam, you were the one who told me about Chucksters and I'm glad you did. One thing I did notice though , the bolt they give you for the right side cover is a little too short. It measures 1". It should be 1.25" - 1.50" long. When you order yours mention this to Joe. Other than that it works great , just don't crank down too hard on that gear clamp for the reed valve hose like I did.

bambam0099 · January 04, 2017, 11:27:19 AM

Quote from: RockinRonny on January 03, 2017, 16:58:07 PM
I got home from work tonight and started reassembling the air box, checking the large hose to the reed valves I noticed that with the gear clamp on the plastic plug it had become oval shaped so I removed it and replaced it with a marrette connector so I could tighten it without distorting it. It fired up on the first try and every try after.
It could have been a vacuum leak at the reed valve hose possibly.

Thanks to Troll and greenbarn for their insight, always appreciate the advice here on the forum.

I love Chuckster's products and quality. I have his ultimate baffle and it was extremely well built and sounds awesome. I plan on purchasing this kit also after I pay off my G####### taxes!

Your video was very well done and informative as was your valuable debugging efforts when trying to get it started again.

Thanks for this thread :-)

RockinRollin · January 03, 2017, 16:58:07 PM

I got home from work tonight and started reassembling the air box, checking the large hose to the reed valves I noticed that with the gear clamp on the plastic plug it had become oval shaped so I removed it and replaced it with a marrette connector so I could tighten it without distorting it. It fired up on the first try and every try after.
It could have been a vacuum leak at the reed valve hose possibly.

Thanks to Troll and greenbarn for their insight, always appreciate the advice here on the forum.

RockinRollin · January 03, 2017, 05:00:16 AM

I keep a battery tender on it, the battery is good. It will fire occasionally but won't run. I will get it back together this week sometime and make a short video of me attempting to start it. As I mentioned the plugs were damp when I pulled them and I can see fuel vapour coming from the pipes so it's getting enough fuel, maybe I did something inadvertently to the electrical system? I always disconnect my battery before touching the electrical system.

greenbarn · January 02, 2017, 22:44:20 PM

Troll hit on an important factor- the battery. Is your battery 100%? From my experience, if it cranks even a little slow, it won't want to start.

RockinRollin · January 02, 2017, 20:42:04 PM

Thanks for the reply, always appreciated. I took the air box apart so it's not running at the moment but I will get it back together this week and check your suggestions. I do hear the fuel pump fire up when the key is turned on. The plugs were a little wet but not soaked. You think I might have shorted out a solenoid wire? I will investigate. Thanks again.

Troll · January 02, 2017, 15:40:20 PM

All it does is open the throttle a little bit. It has no effect on mixture. The engine has to spin pretty fast to start, so a good battery is a must. Do you hear the fuel pump running when you turn on the key? Mine starts quite well down to 20°....haven't tried it at lower temps than that, 'cause I'm not going to ride, anyway. I have an idea, so I'll check wiring diagrams. Is it possible you pinched the hot wire coming from the main harness to one of the solenoids? That would probably blow the EFI fuse. Is the yellow EFI light coming on at key up?

greenbarn · January 02, 2017, 13:46:58 PM

Quote from: RockinRonny on January 02, 2017, 13:43:30 PM
Yes, in the video you see me put black caps on the vacuum hoses, when I said choke it was just a figure of speech as it looks and acts like a choke. I tried starting it again this morning with no luck. I have taken the air box off and I will inspect it thoroughly. Also I will pull a plug to see if it is flooded. I tried cracking the throttle while cranking. I also tried pulling the fuel enricher out and at various locations to no avail. I will also try adjusting the idle screw up a little to see if that helps. greenbarn thinks the fuel enrichment doesn't work after the removal of the idle solenoids but it's a cable connected to the throttle body so that shouldn't affect it's function should it?

Don't quote me on that... I was thinking "maybe", but from memory of a galaxy far far away... Like I said, it's been over a year since I've had mine apart, and no reason to look at it or think about it since. I know mine (fuel enricher) doesn't seem to work either - have to hold the throttle for a bit when it's cold, since I disconnected my solenoids.

RockinRollin · January 02, 2017, 13:43:30 PM

Yes, in the video you see me put black caps on the vacuum hoses, when I said choke it was just a figure of speech as it looks and acts like a choke. I tried starting it again this morning with no luck. I have taken the air box off and I will inspect it thoroughly. Also I will pull a plug to see if it is flooded. I tried cracking the throttle while cranking. I also tried pulling the fuel enricher out and at various locations to no avail. I will also try adjusting the idle screw up a little to see if that helps. greenbarn thinks the fuel enrichment doesn't work after the removal of the idle solenoids but it's a cable connected to the throttle body so that shouldn't affect it's function should it?

Troll · January 02, 2017, 07:35:38 AM

What choke do you have? The EFI system has no "choke", but rather a hand throttle adjustment that barely moves the plates when pulled all the way out. Designed for when the vacuum solenoids are not quite enough to keep it running. You did plug/remove and seal the vacuum hoses to the old fast idle solenoids you removed, right? I took mine off about 5 years ago, and I crack the throttle just a wee bit when cold starting.

RockinRollin · January 02, 2017, 05:35:27 AM

That would explain why it had no effect
But I still wonder why it started right away on the first try but not on the second (or third) try?
I still think it was the colder air on the second try.
Maybe an issue with the air temp sensor?
I have the fuel controller and will install it to see if it makes a difference.

greenbarn · January 01, 2017, 21:40:51 PM

It's been over a year since I've had mine apart - so memory is failing me here - but doesn't the "choke" (fuel enricher) work in connection with all the stuff you took off?? Like I said, I'm not remembering the details, but seems to me they're related. I could be wrong - am quite a bit...

RockinRollin · January 01, 2017, 17:12:12 PM

My Christmas gift to me from me was an air box kit from Chucksters Customs. ( I always know just what I really wanted). I made a video of the installation with a little product review included. Over all I am happy with their product. At the end of the video after the mod I opened the garage door (it was warm in there at first) and the bike fired right up first time! Then when I tried to restart it would catch and cough but wouldn't run?

It was about zero degrees Celsius today. Could it be the cold weather that is causing the bike not to restart? I know I read reviews of guys doing the mod and having a heck of a time starting on colder mornings. I was using the choke.

https://youtu.be/6HQIVWXNgX8