restricting cold air into the airbox

So its gotten fairly frigid up here in the Great White North, and I'm wondering if it is smart to restrict the airflow into the airbox by making the opening smaller? So far I've used some duct tape to close off about 60% of the opening.

Does that help richen the mixture at all? From what I remember reading, cold air creates a lean condition, since it's denser - right?

So by restricting the amount of cold air that can enter the engine, I can increase the amount of gas in the mixture.

Am I off my rocker?

Thanks.

Post edited by: pyxen, at: 2006/11/22 12:50

I have never heard this.

I hope that tape doesn't get sucked in.

ack..that's a good point - hadn't thought of that! :blink: :huh:

Maybe I'll take it off for the ride home, and see about something a little more sturdy. :S

edit: on second thought..it wouldn't get sucked in, because its on the airbox opening next to the battery..so if it did get sucked in, it'd get stopped by the filter.

Is that technically the airbox at that point? Or the 'filter housing' or something.. ?

Post edited by: pyxen, at: 2006/11/22 12:57

engines like cold air,you can stuff a lot more cold air into an area than you can hot air.:evil:

wireman wrote:

engines like cold air,you can stuff a lot more cold air into an area than you can hot air.:evil:

they like it if the jets are bigger, if not you may be running a bit lean with the colder air. leaner is meaner, but it can be meaner on the bank if you burn a piston....

the way I had it kinda sucked..so I've removed the tape for now. It was well stuck down, so it wouldn't have come off.

I noticed a difference in performance, but it seemed to bog a bit at 1/2 throttle or more..so yeah, I removed it.

I may try again later, but for now, I'm just gonna leave it alone I guess.

You can change the mixture by restricting the air flow but it's only going to be right at one particular RPM-load combo.

You could put in larger jets and run regular gas in the winter and that 10% ethanol crap in the summer.

If you're runnig the ethanol blend now, switch to real gas.

actually I am running ethanol right now..but its only 89 octane. I'll go back to 87 unleaded.

I'm definitely not going to modify my jetting just so I can ride a little bit longer into the fall..thats kinda extreme

Why is the different gas so important?

Post edited by: pyxen, at: 2006/11/23 13:08

The ethanol blend runs lean relative to gasoline with no ethanol. There may be enough extra stuff to burn in the 'ethanol free' gas to solve your lean when cold problem.

wireman wrote:

engines like cold air,you can stuff a lot more cold air into an area than you can hot air.:evil:

exactly..cold air is denser, and your engine should run better..gale banks used to put ice around the intakes of his turbo vettes to get his power and speed up. cold is definitely better.

We know that if we DECREASE the air density we end up with an overly RICH mixture.

Sure, engines like cold air because more oxygen can get through the same induction system. But, they don't like running LEAN.

Duck wrote:

We know that if we DECREASE the air density we end up with an overly RICH mixture.

Sure, engines like cold air because more oxygen can get through the same induction system. But, they don't like running LEAN.

well, yes. a DECREASE in air density means the air is warmer. hot air is less dense...but you are right, denser air with the same fuel delivery would be a more lean condition.