Re-Install 83' XJ900 original air box - Help!

Hi,

I am trying to reverse some major idiocy, as some numb nuts yanked out the original XJ900 air box and installed pods.
Problem is carb work was done before he pulled the original air box. Supposedly it ran well without pods, he just wanted a louder bike (gees).
I'd like to leave the carbs as is to preserve carb work as the bike was running ok, just lacked some mid and top end grunt - due to pods?

Questions are:
1) Can I get this darn air box in without taking the carbs out?
2) If i take carbs off will I need to have them re-synched (YICS stick), or do other carb work after i reinstall?

I have undone all the electrical in the way and removed the tank and battery tray. I have yet to pull the carbs in the hopes their is a work-around!

Thanks for the help

 

1) No. and you'll either have to semi-remove the engine, or use a heat gun to collapse the air box in order to get it back in.

2) Yes. You will need to rejet unless the jakwad was dumb enough to leave the stock jets in place. If he did rejet then you will end up running waaay rich unless you go back to factory jetting.

3) Having the carbs off will give you more room to get the airbox in.

4) The top end and midrnage will come back once returned to the factory condition.

 

Thanks, any chance I won't have to re-synch if stock jets are in place. I'm thinking stock jets weren't touched. Will I be able to install airbox by removing carbs alone?
Any tricks or order of operations for boots on carbs and airbox?
Thanks, El Duderino, as I am not into the whole brevity thing...

 

IIRC, only the 550 airbox can be removed or installed with the engine in place. I know for sure you need to remove the engine from a 750 to install or remove the airbox, and I think 900s are pretty much the same as 750s in terms of engine size, frame design, and airbox design.

 

Well, it is possible to get a an 83' xj900 air box back in place without removing the engine - it just take a day and is not fun. Thanks to k-moe and SQL Guy.
I used the heat gun, and removed the carbs and starter for a bit more room. No re-jetting need, and no resynching. Runs TONS better mid-range and top-end. Nice to have that punch and no annoying PODS howl. Idle holds steady at 1k.
If I could figure out how to add pictures, I would. Any way to add j-pegs?

 

Use a hosting site like Photobucket, and click the picture thing in your toolbar to embed it here.

 

Yaaay! Pods in the bin, bike runs like it was designed to!

 

My 83 750 had pods and I was able to finagle a air box back in there without heating it. Carbs removed and just tried every way till it went in. Wish I took a video because everyone seems to think its impossible.

 

Gees...no heat gun? Maybe xj900's are a little tighter. I tried Every way!
Nice job!
Here's a link to shots of tear down and the joyous steady 1k idle!!!

Hope it works..

http://s952.photobucket.com/user/greggdog1/library/?view=recent&page=1

 

And another shot added...

http://s952.photobucket.com/user/greggdog1/library/?view=recent&page=1

 

I finally just a couple of days ago put my engine back in the frame (1981 XJ750 Seca) About a week prior to that I had the same thought (my bike came with pods and no airbox) so I bought an airbox on fleaBay, but in my rush to get engine back in, I forgot to set the airbox in place!
I am looking at it now, and it would appear that if I remove the rear wheel I might be able to wiggle/finagle it in from the rear (carbs are not in yet) Has anyone tried that way? Because there is *no way* I am taking the engine out again any time soon :0

 

The front of the airbox is too wide to pass between the rear of the frame.

Pull the carbs, pull the starter, and if you remove the front engine mounting bolts the engine can be rotated forward nd down just enough to get the airbox in. As mentioned earlier, the airbox can be heated and the actual box-shaped part "folded" a little to get more clearance. The air box can be folded enough to be put into place without needing to remove the starter, or tilt the engine, you just have to be patient when you go to unfold it.

 

Len, Thanks for the video , the 750 went just like that and everyone said it could not be done. I was able to get mine to go and it went just fine without removing the engine or heating and collapsing the air box.

 

Great video, thank you. I may be wrong, however it seems the 83' XJ900 box is a bit larger, or at least the dimensions are different? I definitely didn't have that much room.

 

Okay, good to know. So far, we've got testimony that the 550's, 650 Maxim/Seca, and 750's can have the airbox shoehorned into (or out of) the frame w/o pulling the engine.

Now we need the 700, 900, and 1100 guys to give a definite yea/no to his question!

 

A definite yeah. I re-installed my 83' XJ900 airbox without pulling the engine (it felt like most everything else though). I did heat mine a bit as well.

 

Old post I see, but still valid..
My bike (83 XJ900) also had pods when I got it.. I managed to get an airbox and replaced it last weekend. Kinda scary as with pods there is a LOT of room and I had rewired everything really nicely.. Oh well. Had to tear it out and remove starter and flip the clutch cable stop out of the way. My wife had a heat gun so I thought I would try that.. I really did try and get it in without but it just doesn't fit. Anyway. I hope this link works. Kinda show the stages my bike was, including the pods and wiring so skip through as you see fit. I did manage to do it with thye forward boots left on which is a bonus
It also had a stage 3 kit, which I reverted to a stage 1 (modified exhaust) it runs really well out the box now.. Just a littly "baggy" bottom end when it gets warmer. But way better than before.

Link here --> I hope this helps someone.
Oh, if the link doesn't work for some reason, I'll believe the first person to post that.. so don't need a page of "link didn't work" clogging everything up..
Thanks.

 

Works!

 

The reason everyone has problems getting the airbox back in is they do not remove the intake boots.
It also helps to remove the front engine mount bolts and let the engine rock forward a bit. Remove exhaust first!

~Ghost

 

Perennial problem on XJ900F.
Nice try, but I'm not sure Ghost is correct.

I have removed the intake boots ... plus intake/head rubbers, exhaust, starter motor, alternator cover, clutch cable bracket AND tilted the engine forward ... but there still is not enough space - from either side.
Might have to resort to 'crude' heatgun method.

'Original' airbox was scrap because a PO had chopped off the rear top square boss with captive nut but more importantly one of the 4 screws (holding the air filter/panel) in - had seized solid because water can easily get to the rear of the screws and the moulded-in threaded insert was turning [always use copper grease on these screws].

BTW Removing 'Original' box was quite easy - probably because the PO HAD chopped off that boss !

1989 XJ900F