Hi all...I guess I should've introduced myself first, but honestly I always disliked doing that. Reminds me of AA or something. "Hi...my name's Bob and I have a Dyna."

Anyway...I bought a Harley a couple weeks ago, my first. It's a 2003 Dyna FXD that had been laid down. Miscellaneous damage, but the thing fires up and sounds awesome. I have almost all the parts to make it whole again, but I've come to a fork regarding the intake.

The intake from the filter outward was missing when I got it. It has a chromed heavy duty backing plate, that I wrongly assumed was stock. It's not. Wanting to keep the bike fairly stock, I looked up part numbers and bought an air cleaner assembly used off of eBay. It arrived today with two backing plates, one is the stock California plastic job, and the other is a Screamin Eagle I believe. This is getting long-winded already, sorry.

I'll cut to the chase. I discovered the backing plate on the bike is Arlen Ness, not stock. I have most of the parts (missing breather bolts) to return the bike to a stock intake. Or, I can order a filter and the mounting bolts to keep the Big Sucker on it. The Big Sucker option will cost more. Also, I don't know if the bike has had the carb re-jetted or who knows what to make it run right for the Big Sucker and Vance & Hines exhaust....that is one reason to try and run the Arlen intake. If I go the Big Sucker route, are there other filters that fit or do I have to drop $75 on a filter?

Opinions please. I don't plan on keeping the bike forever...maybe a year, maybe less. Thanks in advance for any help/insight.

 

Keep the Big Sucker air cleaner since there is a free flowing exhaust installed - pointless to have one without the other.

Since it is a carb model, it will be easier and cheaper to re-tune (change jets if needed) so that shouldn't be a deal breaker.

 

Keep the big sucker, also you can replace the element using a K&N filter

 

Filter readily available for the ness, should be the same k&n part number as a screamin eagle stage one filter. And shouldn't cost you anywhere close to 75 dollars. Nice find btw, I would love to have an older dyna with the 88. I keep my eyes open for a cheap superglide sport, loved that bike since the debuted.

 

Another vote for Ness a/c...stock sucks ant I'm betting fo made proper intake mods...otherwise bike would run like $h@t.

 

Yet another vote for the ness... best thing I put on mine when I rebuilt it. Less hoses is good.

 

I'd get the parts and put the Screamin Eagle plate on there myself. I had both the SE and Big Suckers on my bike before. The bike was constantly dripping oil through the air cleaner with the Big Sucker. I never had any oil drip issues with the SE setup.

 

K&N part #0800 should fit. About $45.

 

Thanks for all of the replies. The vote is clearly for the Arlen Ness, and I think that's the route I will take. But I am listening "dibe"...If I see any oil pooling I will yank it.

Thanks "QC" for that part number. My initial quick search is showing $55 to $59, but I'll keep looking. The $75 I mentioned was for the Arlen Ness stainless steel filter on eBay.

The bike was a nice find. The price was too low to print here! Well...low for California. I figure it's one of the very few bikes I'll be able to own and enjoy and not lose money on when I sell it (might even make a few bucks.)

 

I don't mean to insult your intelligence, but be sure to LocTite all of the Air Cleaner mounting hardware.