Air Cleaner Cover Question
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Tourer
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 351
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Air Cleaner Cover Question
I recently put the new HD chrome round air filter cover on my 05' FXDLI. Not only does it allow more of the engine to show, but gets rid of that hideous (IMO) football cover which I was constantly resting my right leg against. I have even had people ask if my bike was an Evo model since putting on the cover. I have the stage I, K&N air filter and the chrome backing plate. The cover fits the air filter perfectly but has only about 1/8" space between the back rim of the cover and the air filter. However, the bottom of the cover has a 6 or 7" cut out which the instruction sheet states to turn toward the ground although it could be rotated to any position. My question is this: Do you think I'm getting adequate air flow to the injectors since the cover fits the air filter tighter than the stock oval unit? I'm not a mechanic but I do know that a combustion engine is simply a big airpump and is dependent on the inflow and exhausting of air. I have only ridden the bike a short distance since installing the cover and it didn't seem to run quite as smooth. But, it was only a very short distance and the temperature (south Alabama) was 100 degrees + and my bike has always seem to run better in cooler weather (70 - 80 degrees). Any comments would be appreciated.
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 145
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RE: Air Cleaner Cover Question
I say no - not enough air. I have to think the HD Engineers, YES they do have an engineering staff 
designed the (ugly) Football with air flow in mind. Why else would they have such a butt-ugly thing on the side of the motor??
Anything smaller would restrict air flow.
Kinda like the cowbell helps horn sound...
BTW the motor is an air pump.
I decided on the K&N with no cover - mostly to take the football off and improve air flow. Factory would NEVER do this because of rain issues.
Good luck dd
designed the (ugly) Football with air flow in mind. Why else would they have such a butt-ugly thing on the side of the motor??Anything smaller would restrict air flow.
Kinda like the cowbell helps horn sound...
BTW the motor is an air pump.
I decided on the K&N with no cover - mostly to take the football off and improve air flow. Factory would NEVER do this because of rain issues.
Good luck dd
Tourer
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 297
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RE: Air Cleaner Cover Question
All the air for that huge football shaped cover comes in through a slot approximately 1x5" on stock back plate, I don't see how the aftermarket AC cover could be smaller.
I say the "football" is someones bad idea of a joke cause it certainly doesn't have any style and it damn sure doesn't allow enough air flow..
I say the "football" is someones bad idea of a joke cause it certainly doesn't have any style and it damn sure doesn't allow enough air flow..
Elite HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 4,984
Likes: 8
RE: Air Cleaner Cover Question
I am changing to the round cover too.i think moco designed it with enough air flow. next is did you change the ECM or rejet the carb which ever you have when you put the K&N filter on? if not you may opened up the airflow allow it to breath better. thus, causing it to run worse. as far as air temp and it running better when it is 70-80 degrees out side look at the octane rating in the fuel you are running it maybe too low for 100 degree plus weather. cold out low octane hot out higher octane.
Tourer
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 409
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RE: Air Cleaner Cover Question
I have that same cover. The opening is much more than the small opening in the football A/C. I actually rotated my slightly counter clockwise so that the open was slightly more toward the front, but still down.
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Grand HDF Member
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 4,022
Likes: 3
From: Hudson Valley- NY
RE: Air Cleaner Cover Question
You didn't say whether you made any other mods like pipes, an ECM (Stage 1) reflash, etc. By opening up (increasing) the airflow into the cylinders, you may have leaned out the AFR (air/fuel ratio). Your ECM is programmed via a map that compensates for increasing fuel and air entering the cylinders as the throttle is opened and closed during normal operation.
The reflash is usually done as part of a pipe installation to tweak the map and adjust the AFR for the airflow in and higher airflow out with the better flowing pipes.
Just a thought.
The reflash is usually done as part of a pipe installation to tweak the map and adjust the AFR for the airflow in and higher airflow out with the better flowing pipes.
Just a thought.
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Road Captain
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 630
Likes: 0
From: Chesapeake VA
RE: Air Cleaner Cover Question
Actually it sounds like your geting too much air flow...Your bike is more than likely running too lean if you did an air filter upgrade without a stage 1 chip burn...You need more fuel to mix with the increased air you have introduced into the intake system....A stage 1 chip burn will richen things up and get you running strong again...
Hope this helps later
Hope this helps later
Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 145
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From:
RE: Air Cleaner Cover Question
My '04 Dyna has K&N (Open Filter) and 2:1 HD Exhaust (megaphone)with a homemade baffle - pretty loud - throaty. The stock baffle makes it sound like a Briggs/Stratton 3 hp lawnmower
I haveNO ECM work.
Runs fine - good gas milage, plugs burn light brown, NO decel popping.
2004 do not have 02 Sensors, so I'm guessing it's open loop efi.
But question is does the ECM "re-learn" moderate / minor changes like closed loop efi?? (My LS1 Z28 which is closed loop does)
Still I have to wonder why I don't get performance issues some other folks on the forum do when they makeminor changes to the intake / exhaust.
I wasn't planning to spend $$$ on programming until I went big bore / cams pakage.
Take care db
PS - @ Daytona this year I ran without the stock baffle completely (sounded nasty all week and still had NO decel popping and it ran GREAT...
I haveNO ECM work.
Runs fine - good gas milage, plugs burn light brown, NO decel popping.
2004 do not have 02 Sensors, so I'm guessing it's open loop efi.
But question is does the ECM "re-learn" moderate / minor changes like closed loop efi?? (My LS1 Z28 which is closed loop does)
Still I have to wonder why I don't get performance issues some other folks on the forum do when they makeminor changes to the intake / exhaust.
I wasn't planning to spend $$$ on programming until I went big bore / cams pakage.
Take care db
PS - @ Daytona this year I ran without the stock baffle completely (sounded nasty
all week and still had NO decel popping and it ran GREAT...