Re: DIY Grenade Air Cleaner

Items needed for build are

3" PVC pipe 6-8 inches
1 1/4 " PVC pipe 3-4 inches
proper size reducer to go from 3 to 1 1/4 "
3"cap
PVC glue and cleaner
and an old electrostatic furnace filter
aluminum mesh gutter guard

That's more like it! I was curious about the mounting position too...that pick helped a bunch. Got a 3K mile service right around the corner, gonna do a few up grades at the same time. Was gonna do a typcal UNI. Now I think I'll fab up a Grenade instead.

What diameter hose did you use? I' sure I'll deviate, and cahnge this and that, but many readers might wanna stay as close to your design as possible....details man, we loves details and pics.
Thanks again! ;D

i love freebie stuff
all my stuff was from a left over halloween project i was trying to make a cooling unit for a fog machine to make the fog stay low to the ground but it didnt work so well so i scrapped it and had the pvc and fittings left over

Phaze: i know it i let some young guy get to me on an already bad day,i should have done what i normally do and just laugh at the guy for being an idiot in his thinking but i didnt and i myself turned stupid.
whats done was done and its back up i made it so i cant be stupid there anymore but i do still read on the problems others are having.
I know a few of the rebels here have that same type of scoot i put that grenade on and oldchopperguy was having that same problem with the big nasty snorkel filter tube i was having ,very poor throttle response he fixed his with the uni sock filter,hell i couldnt even afford to buy a valve stem for the back wheel on my 250 when it flew apart so along came the grenade

I for one have a deep amount of respect for any creation that somebody comes up with out of lefty over parts and makes a useful item. Have no shame on anything you make especially if it works. This is called American ingenuity and has been the start of many fortunes that have been made.

I personally can respect the effort and creation but not be inspired enough to want to copy or use. What you made does look like a usable design and needs no apologies.

Dademoss,

I just saw your post. First, a big WELL-DONE from OldChopperGuy! (I couldn't afford the air-filter myself, until I found one on eBay that a fellow bought and it didn't fit his carb...). The other upgrades I did literally took months of saving pennies, and were only a small expense at that! I'm waiting for next month's Social Security check to get a better spark plug! Cash-poor, I understand! (I fortified my valve-stems with Wally World "Welder" glue!) 1,500 miles and still rock-solid! No nasty messages please... I check them daily, and they're bullet-proof! That "Welder" glue is AWESOME stuff! Make air intakes, fix your shoes, etc. Try it!

Sounds like your scoot had the SAME problem mine did. Some of these run fine with the stock snorkel air intake, but some DO NOT. Yours and mine do not... And trust me, I tried everything except your idea, and nothing else did the trick!

Now, the end of that grenade would be a great place for Scooter Rebels decal! I know, there are NO decals yet. But... you can make your own on your computer for the time being.

Nice job, and the price was right! Now, all true Americans LOVE Canada... It's one of our finest northern states! Just kidding... JUST KIDDING!!! No offense please! Canada is great because it came to be with the same sort of pioneering folks as America's founders. A great place for scooting, OR mushing... As Robin Williams once said: "I love the smell of Malamute in the morning..."

Keep the creative ideas coming... We all can use 'em!

Leo in Texas

Dademoss,

I'm with you! It's WEIRD!!! I've worked on vintage Harley's ever since before they were "vintage" and other bikes too. I've NEVER seen such a phenomenon. My Xingyue did the same as you describe. Ran OK (but never much past 48 mph) until 1,200 miles. Then, it got slower and slower, with that telltale cackle in the snorkel, and the last quarter-throttle doing nothing. It acted like the valves were out of adjustment, but they were fine.

Based on my own experience, I have only one theory, and it's only a theory, but I can't think of ANY other answer... On my scoot, as the performance began to degrade, I could not get any improvement by adjusting the stock carb. I replaced the carb with a OEM style Mikuni, and it ran "better" but still not even as well as stock.

On a hunch, I replaced the CDI and got another slight improvement. Then, I replaced the stock coil. BINGO! Ran great except for sluggish acceleration. THAT I fixed by cutting grooves in the carb needle, allowing higher-than-normal setting. (The Chinese carbs without grooved needles can be raised with washers) Now it runs like a bandit, even with stock plug, and exhaust.

I believe the engines that don't run well with the snorkel still run well enough that we just accept them as a little slow. Then, after "X" number of miles, the CDI, and/or coil begin to go bad, but still "work". THAT must be the "deal-breaker" that totally kills the performance. It's a combination of partial failures that somehow REALLY aggravate the snorkel situation.

There's NOTHING like multiple problems to confound the repair! Anyway, I found the Bando coil and "New Racing" CDI (I really hate that tradename...) to be a more-than-worthwhile upgrade. They cost a little, but can be installed in just a few minutes. I saved my lunch money...

If I had it to do over again, I'd first do the air-filter fix like you and I did. THEN, I'd re-jet the stock carb and try raising the needle considerably. THEN, as I could afford it, I'd do the coil, then the CDI upgrade.

A top-grade spark plug should be part of the mix, and when affordable, a better exhaust (or just mod the stock exhaust). But... the re-jet and needle adjustment on the carb, air-filter, coil and CDI combination seem to bring (or RESTORE) a LOT of performance for the work and cost involved.

Then again, could be we need to speak lovingly to them in Chinese!

LOL...

Leo