Pod Filters?

I have seen a couple of XJs with pod filters on the carbs... I am going to have to install them (I may or may not have cut my airbox in half) and wanted to see what people thought of them. What should I expect performance wise, I know they will be much louder.... I will jet the carbs, but is there anything else I should do when installing them? Thanks for the help

 

what exactly are "pod filters" and can any one post a pic?

 

I am at the bar right now, but when I get home I will post a link to the forum with the pic

 

Nothing will be louder.

 

I am running straight pipes x4, I hope my exhaust is louder than the intake... Will I be disappointed??

 

You won't hear anything different with pod filters. And with straight pipes you won't really hear anything else at all. I hope you like it loud. Me personally, I love it. But I'm going to wind up having to run mufflers because my job moved over the state line to missouri and I have to have mufflers now. Damn state legislature.

 

My friend ran into the "muffler" issue in the city of Ottomwa (sp), luckily his pipes were long enough that they were considered legal... I am pretty sure mine won't be legal in a few areas, but that is 1/2 the fun (until I have to pay the ticket).

 

Flash, in this post you can see the pod filters off the carbs... it is the 3rd picture down.

http://xjbikes.com/Forums/viewtopic/t=28706.html

They do look great

 

thanks Scizor but what are they for?

 

They replace the air box located under the seat. They provide the intake to the carbs. From what I have read and heard, the usually provide quite a bit more airflow... Since I have cut my air box in half, they are about my only option for filtering the intake air (although I was originally going to make a new air box out of a WWII ammo box, but decided the pod filters would be easier/more efficient).

My main concern, which has been verified, is that they will produce considerably more noise since there is nothing to quiet the air flow, which the air box was pretty good at.

If you want a quick example, start up your car and take the cover off your air filter and you will here the intake growl.

I just hope the growl isn't too bad. Hopefully there will be a performance increase as well.

 

SovereignDragon

When I was changing to a 4 into 1 aftermarket exhaust, I decided to just run the bike with the 4 stock down pipes... I think it made my ears bleed, but I loved it. My goal is to have the custom exhaust just as loud, I just have to pray I don't move to a state with vehicle noise regulations which are regularly enforced!

 

god, i hate overly loud bikes and cars. They're the reason for the laws. If everyone just ran some pipes that were somewhat acceptable, there wouldnt be an issue, and it wouldnt ruin it for the rest of us.

 

You do have a point vanimal... when discussing the issue of loud bikes, my group of riders (all Harley save for me) and I can't help but laugh at how true the South Park episode about Harley riders it (if you haven't watched it, please do. I guarantee you will get a kick out of it).

While I have run my bike with just the 4 down pipes which were ridiculously loud, that isn't the sound I am going for. My only point was that I hope my exhaust is louder than my carb intake. I will say that I do notice that car drivers are more aware, and subsequently more cautious, of me when I am only my bike with loud pipes than when I am on my quiet bike.

Just my opinion

 

Pod filters are a tuning nightmare, be prepared to spend lots of time removing and reinstalling them to change jets. The CV carbs on XJ's don't like having the extra airflow. While it may be possible to make one with pods run as well as one with the factory airbox, I have not seen one. All the XJ's I've seen with pods don't have good throttle response and run lean, even after re-jetting. The bikes you see with pods and run good usually have smooth bore carbs and not the CV carbs. While pod filter look really cool they are a pain to tune and will give you a minimal power increase. If you are looking for power, install a 4 to 1 exhaust and a K&N style high flow filter in the stock airbox.If you decide to go with pod filters keep the airbox intact, you may want to reinstall it someday or sell it to someone else who does not want pods.

 

mlew, I wish you would have posted that before I cut my airbox in half. Since I am at the point of no return, I will ask perhaps a stupid question = what is a "smooth bore carb" vs. a " CV carb."

At this point I haven't sunk much money into my bobber rebuild so spending the money to make sure I do things right is very important.

Thanks for your input!

 

CV (consant velocity) uses the rubber diaphram on top the carb to meter fuel flow depending on airflow. The carb slide provides a little air restriction to draw fuel in the airstream.
Smooth bore carbs use a venturi to draw fuel, no diaphram and slide. The faster the airflow the more fuel is drawn. Just like most older auto carbs.
Thats the simple basic explanation.

 

Okay, I understand the basics (and I thank you very much). I have to ask another beginner question, I am sorry... Am I able to convert my stock carbs, or am I stuck purchasing new ones?

Can't thank you enough for your help... my first bike project has been so much fun so far, but I have so many questions it is crazy. Everyone on this site has been so much help. I can't believe how willing people are to lend a helping hand

 

Can't convert carbs from one style to another. People have fitted other carbs on their XJs. I think some older Suzukis and Kawasakis had smoothbore carbs that can be installed with a little work. Do a search on this site for pod filters, there are several great articles on tuning for pods.
Aks any question you need, there will be someone here that can help. I've been in the garage all day working on a XJ1100 project and its nice to take a break and spread some knowledge.

 

You should use the search function on this site. You can get a lot of opinions, and tips, also some dreadful horrible accounts from those who have failed. Failure is not however certain, with patience and the ability to learn from mistakes. And you need to own a screwdriver, and know how to use it.

 

Just be gutsy and make the giant leap to EFI!!!
Finding a rack of smooth bore carbs will be a lot more difficult and expensive than buying a used airbox off Ebay and going back to stock intake.