[dbriannelson]

Re: the modified airbox

I've been told that if it's ABS I can glue a fabricated front guard in place (to keep the rain out of the open top), and if it's a thermoplastic I can weld it.

Anyone know for sure what the black plastic is?

I can take a piece to the plastics store tomorrow and they'll tell me, but this might be quicker.

Thanks,
Don

 

[MonstaS4]

My guess is an HDPE. I don't have it in hand but I don't remember it feeling or cutting like an ABS.

Do the burn test on a part of the part you cut off. Look at smoke color and flame color.

 

[dbriannelson]

It seemed to cut like PVC, with clean chips but a ragged edge remnant I had to pull off.

What smoke and flame should I be looking for?

As I recall, one used to get plastic welding tips for soldering irons awhile back. Don't remember anything else, like whether rod is used for additional material, or if the melted edges are just pressed together.

In time it will all become clear.

You know, a carbon fibre airbox actually makes some sense. That plastic is dense. I'd bet CF would honk.

-Don

 

[Guest]

carbon fiber ANYTHING would make sense. ;D

 

[MonstaS4]

The flame test is something like if it is an blue/orange flame w/ whike smoke it is an olefin based polymer and if it is a blue only flame w/ black smoke it is something else. I can get the specifics for you tonight, I have to find what book it is in.

If you light it and the smoke smells like wax it is olefin based. Sorry for the vague info but if you cannot ID it from looking at it, burn it!

 

[dbriannelson]

The local plastics store says the airbox is made of something like HDPE and can't be glued. They suggest plastic welding. And they gave me the name of a local guy that does it, so I left him a message.

A couple of other guys at work have attempted it, but unsuccessfully, so I'm not gonna try to do it myself. Probably.

I'll keep you posted.

-Don

 

[Guest]

ah just got buy a TPO beast! I know I am sometime soon...

;D ;D ;D

 

[dbriannelson]

Done now. Here's how it went:

I hacksawed off the top of the stock '03 airbox, getting as close to the resonator as possible. When I put the truncated cover back on, there was a direct path from the tank's key tunnel to the paper filter. I was worried about rain getting into the lower airbox, then running into the horizontal cylinder intake and subsequent damage therefrom.

So I used the back four inches from the discarded top that had been cut off and needed to patch it to the front of the remaining cover to serve as a rain guard. It fit, but the trouble was affixing it.

After some research it was determined that glue wouldn't work. There were several good suggestions from various places including to fabricate an aluminum piece and rivet it on.

What I ended up doing was using contact cement to affix it, then drilling four pairs of holes at four places along the glued edges and using tie-wraps to hold the top on and so that when the contact cement gives (and it will, I'm told) the rain cover won't go anywhere. The additional tension will probably keep the cement in place longer as well.

In all a fairly neat lightweight mod to the newer style airbox with Helmholz resonator.

With that open airbox, the SIL megaphones and a richer overall mix, the bike must be hugely more powerful because all the car alarms are noticing me now.

Tongue firmly in cheek,
Don

 

[MonstaS4]

Damn! I had my plastic material identification sheet all ready to scan in!

 

[Speeddog]

Damn! I had my plastic material identification sheet all ready to scan in!

Scan it, man!

This is the Tech forum, don't hold out on us! ;D