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Posted by Washbrook
- May 22, 2013, 10:50:14 AMJust finished reading your post (http://www.vulcandrifterriders.com/forum/index.php?topic=11026.0). Interesting, I'm not quite in your mechanicaly league so bought the adaptors in lieu of making my own. I see you have posted some others so I'll read those when I get time.
I completed the Gadget mod "Halfway To Thunder A Stealth Intake Mod for 1500/1600 Engines" (http://www.gadgetjq.com/thunder+stock_acmod.htm) using the Thunder Mfg plate and Adaptor which started my post question trying to understand the implications of some of the mod changes. Looking at your pics I could not see how you fitted the air temperature sensor or crankcase vent to your backing plate.
I have photos but they are on my computer at work not my iPad. I'll post them tomorrow. I think mine has a slightly larger gap between the tank and dog bowl and from your pics your filter sits out a bit further at the rear than the above kit. I'll check this out again tomorrow.
From my reading and other comments I was led to understand that the mods would make the drifter run a lot leaner and hence needed a properly mapped aftermarket fuel management computer such as the PC-V or similar to fix this problem. I'm running the V&H Longshot pipes in lieu of stock.
Posted by Troll
- May 22, 2013, 10:12:56 AMNO power commander, just opened up the intake to let it breath. Running a 7" K&N from an 800 vulcan inside the stock cover, with a small section cut out to clear the gas tank. Stock exhaust..which got quite a bit louder with the intake mod...
Posted by Washbrook
- May 22, 2013, 09:59:48 AMGood to hear, I'm looking forward to riding i once the PC5 is fitted.
Posted by Troll
- May 22, 2013, 09:08:43 AMGo right ahead. I have also posted my backing plate and stuff on this site, under fuel injection mods. Almost 15,000 miles with it done, and very happy. Here's an example of what it did...There is a pretty good hill on the interstate about 10 miles from here. With everything stock, setting the throttle with the vista cruise, and doing 70 at the bottom, I would slow down to 58 or 59 by the top, last night I went that way, and , again at 70 it only slowed to 67..... 
Posted by Washbrook
- May 21, 2013, 20:36:45 PMTroll,
Thanks for the quick response. I may have to read it a few more times to fully understand what you wrote but I do get the gist of things. I'm doing a write up of the conversion experience for some friends on another forum who have been procrastinating on doing this conversion as well for quite some time [they ride Nomads and older 1500 Kawas], I hope you do not mind if I include your explanation.
Once again, thank you.
Posted by Troll
- May 21, 2013, 19:32:57 PMOk, this is an easy question to answer. The air system Kawasaki uses is similar to the system G.M. used on the later non computer controlled Chevettes. That system was called PAIR for pulse air injection reaction. It was a passive system that relied on exhaust port vacuum to draw fresh air into the exhaust manifold to burn off any left over fuel on deceleration. The vacuum switching valve under the tank is like the valves that cars with air pumps have, except it's passive rather than being force fed air. The 2 square boxes on the cylinders with the 1/2" hoses on them are reed valves that prevent exhaust gas from entering the air system. There is a small vacuum hose that maintains a vacuum signal on the switching valve to allow small amounts of air to enter the exhaust during idle. If you close off the air intake to the valve with the engine idling, you can hear the exhaust sound change a little. The whole thing is necessary for emissions purposes to ensure "legal" levels of CO and unburned hydrocarbons at the exhaust pipe. When you close the throttle at speed, say to go down a hill, the air intake stops, creating a high intake manifold vacuum. Most systems use a computer trick called deceleration enleanment (the fuel is actually shut off on decel) to prevent fuel in the system from trying to burn with a limited amount of oxygen, which gives a high unburned hydrocarbon and CO content due to incomplete combustion). The combustion takes place in the exhaust system. When you marble the air system, or put on coasters, you are defeating the emissions hardware....I just removed the air tube from the switching valve and put a 1/2" cap on the nipple. Will it hurt the engine? NO...see I told you it was simple.
Posted by Washbrook
- May 21, 2013, 18:26:52 PMI decided to get a little more power out of my 1999 Drifter and after some research and recommendations purchased the parts for the "Halfway To Thunder Stealth Intake Mod for 1500 Kawasaki Engines" http://www.gadgetjq.com/thunder+stock_acmod.htm (I'd previously fitted V&H Longshot pipes). I installed the kit this week as I am dropping the bike off on Saturday to have a PC5 computer http://www.powercommander.com installed and and the bike put over the Dyno. Mechanically this was a very simple conversion but herein lies my ignorance.
I am not a mechanic and whilst I can follow install instructions quite easily [when they use the same terms as the service manual], I also like to understand the implications of doing things when I can. Through researching this forum and others I have managed to satisfy all my questions [such as removing the ISC values from the equation etc] about the install except for one:
Background, The kit requires that I remove the fresh air hose (which appears to be the Vacuum Switch Valve Air Hose in my service manual) and plug it with a supplied plug.
Question, Are these the same? What is this actually doing? Are there any long term issues with doing this? Any other comments?
Any helpful comments would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.