Crankcase/airbox breather

[VodkaAndPickles]

The two little elbows that connect the crankcase and the airbox are not connected.   The whole area is therefore coated with oil.  Do I need to remove the airbox to connect them, or is there an easier way?  I can't wiggle them back into place the way it is now.  The elbow that comes out of the bottom of the airbox is pointing the wrong way and I can't rotate it back because it doesn't have enough clearance.

[SteveJ.]

Note: you are drawing unfiltered into your engine through that elbow as long as it remains disconnected..

[VodkaAndPickles]

Note: you are drawing unfiltered into your engine through that elbow as long as it remains disconnected..

Well if that's true, that's a very bad thing because it's been this way for a very long time.  I think that breather goes to the outside of the filter though, before the filtered air is drawn into the carbs.   Otherwise the carbs would keep getting oil blowby from the crankcase during normal operation, no?  I might be mistaken.

Either way, do I have to remove the airbox to connect the breather?

[SteveJ.]

I'd try removing the two bolts that hold the box in place and "futz" with it to get more room to work on it.

IIRC, the air circuit inside the airbox directs the air from the crankcase vent to the carb side of the filter, bypassing it.

[kzz1king]

I thought the vent comes up on the bottom of the airbox with a baffle over it? Seems like any air that came there would have to go through the filter  to get in the carbs.

[VodkaAndPickles]

I thought the vent comes up on the bottom of the airbox with a baffle over it? Seems like any air that came there would have to go through the filter  to get in the carbs.

Yep.


I really don't think that air going through the breather goes directly to the carbs without filtration.  Remember, the air filter (I have a K&N) widens at the top of the airbox, which also happens to be its attachment point.  The area where the breather tube enters the airbox is almost certainly on the outside of the filter.


I did remove the two screws, and I can push the airbox forward just a bit against the carb boots (good thing they are new and flexible).  But I will need a second person pushing from the other side because there is quite a bit of resistance.  I hope it will work out.  I really don't want to have to remove the carbs over this.  Although the bike has been sitting for 2 months; it has a leaking waterpump, a bad petcock, and leaking counterbalancer oil seal, and I just got around to doing all this.  With my luck, I'll have to take the carbs out to clean them anyway after all this time.   

[Steve in Sunny Fla]

Steve is correct. take a look inside the airbox, notice the rail on the bottom and the tubes going right up to the upper, filtered chamber. Steve