Can some of you experts check my work?

There are several ways.

The easiest is to just run a hose from one to the other, but it's kinda ugly. A decent heater hose will last longer than the rubber caps, but still not forever. You can even use the original hoses if you connect them together with a pipe. Or you can use some sort of plug with the original hoses, similar to what you did with the vac lines.

The prettiest way is to buy the blockoff plates available from several sources. APE just put out some plates for the 550's. You can also, obviously, make your own plates out of 1/4" aluminum stock. There is an internal reed cage assembly with an integral rubber gasket. Leave tha in there. Sometimes then can break on removal, and you need them there for the seals. There is a little tab that sticks up which needs to be ground down if you use a flat 1/4" plate. Aftermarket plates should have a clearance for them.

I have multiple bikes. Some with pods and some with airbox. The pods are a blast, and I like them especially on the highway. But I also like how the airbox is for stop and go driving, especially if you have a passenger. But this is on gpz motors. The standard and LTD KZ's don't have as much zing, but they are stump pullers. In the end, you can always change back.

BTW, I've had K&N's and hated them, and UNI's and hated them. Both because of the maintenance and price (oil and cleaner costs too). But I love the cheap Emgo paper pods. Just don't plan on a lot of wet weather storm riding. You'll want airbox if you do a lot of that.

I wouldn't use screws to plug a vacuum port. You will still have a vacuum leak past the threads. You can get vacuum plugs at most auto parts stores.

hoghaterkaw wrote:

I wouldn't use screws to plug a vacuum port. You will still have a vacuum leak past the threads. You can get vacuum plugs at most auto parts stores.

I'll look into those vacuum plugs, thanks. I didn't think it pulled that much of a vacuum to cause a problem, but if it does, I could see how it might pull air through the threads. Those would have to be some small plugs to fit that small nibble, but I could but some hose on and plug that maybe.

loudhvx wrote:

There are several ways.

The easiest is to just run a hose from one to the other, but it's kinda ugly. A decent heater hose will last longer than the rubber caps, but still not forever. You can even use the original hoses if you connect them together with a pipe. Or you can use some sort of plug with the original hoses, similar to what you did with the vac lines.

The prettiest way is to buy the blockoff plates available from several sources. APE just put out some plates for the 550's. You can also, obviously, make your own plates out of 1/4" aluminum stock. There is an internal reed cage assembly with an integral rubber gasket. Leave tha in there. Sometimes then can break on removal, and you need them there for the seals. There is a little tab that sticks up which needs to be ground down if you use a flat 1/4" plate. Aftermarket plates should have a clearance for them.

I have multiple bikes. Some with pods and some with airbox. The pods are a blast, and I like them especially on the highway. But I also like how the airbox is for stop and go driving, especially if you have a passenger. But this is on gpz motors. The standard and LTD KZ's don't have as much zing, but they are stump pullers. In the end, you can always change back.

BTW, I've had K&N's and hated them, and UNI's and hated them. Both because of the maintenance and price (oil and cleaner costs too). But I love the cheap Emgo paper pods. Just don't plan on a lot of wet weather storm riding. You'll want airbox if you do a lot of that.

I had heard of joining the tubes together, but it is really ugly, like you said.

I heard of the plate thing too, and now that I think about it, I have to pull the valve cover off to fix an oil leak anyway. So I can cut me a plate to fit like you explained. Where's the best place to find 1/4" aluminum?

I'm glad you like the pods. Most people seem to hate them. Do you do your own jetting after installing pods? I'm assuming it'd be not too good to add pods and try to roll without tuning the carbs. I'm thinking about dumping the stock mufflers too, so I know I'll have to do something with the carb tuning.

No eBay APP ID and/or Cert ID defined in Kunena configurationYeah with new exhaust you may need to change the jetting, but with pods you will definitely have to.

The easiest, but not cheapest, method to get the needles adjustable and get some larger jets, is to get the Dynojet kit 2305. It comes with a new, different taper needle, #98, 102, 110, and 112 jets. Most important, it comes with instructions on how to determine the jetting without special tools.

The only thing it doesn't come with are pilot jets. If you use pods and new exhaust, you will likely have to change them too. No one makes them in bigger sizes, that I'm aware of, so I drill my own and have had no problems in 10 years.

You can also get adjustable needles and stock sized jets in some of the rebuild kits.

K&L rebuild kit 18-2462 comes with Y77 needle which is same as the 4D93 needle (same taper as stock but has adjustable clip positions) and second clip from top matches the 4D92 needle (which is the stock, non-adjustable needle). It also comes with main and pilot jets almost identical to stock TK parts (92, 32).

The Keyster rebuild kit KK-0049 seems to be the same as the K&L 18-2462. Same needle etc.

You don't have to take off the valve cover to replace the air suction plates, but if you do, read the warning in the manual about releasing the camchain tension before reinstalling the cover. If you don't, you can break or damage camshaft drive parts.

(in case you don't have one, there is a manual in my signature)

You can sometimes find small bits of metal on ebay, but at twice the price of this, you can get the APE ones. Also, others have said there are some cheaper ones on ebay for the 550.

Hey Loudhvx, do you have a set of these to go with your drills?
Sorry about the Hi-jack.
www.stahlwille-online.de/index.php?amac=...cmd=pdetail&pid=7343

Dang, Loud, I forgot they're 4 screws on each side and the stupid covers come right off. Thanks for the reminder. And the warning. I hadn't really planned on doing much engine work when I bought it. I just wanted to build a cafe racer. But I can't make a bike look the way I want until I've got the engine set. It ran good, but oil leaks in several places.

Thanks for the info on the jet kits. I'm going to read up on that, as I'm sure I'll have to work on that to get it running right again.

Motor Head wrote:

Hey Loudhvx, do you have a set of these to go with your drills?
Sorry about the Hi-jack.
www.stahlwille-online.de/index.php?amac=...cmd=pdetail&pid=7343

No, but those are very interesting. I'll have to look into them.

Dale65 wrote:

...
Thanks for the info on the jet kits. I'm going to read up on that, as I'm sure I'll have to work on that to get it running right again.

No problem. I hope to have a TK-22 web page up some time this year, with more detailed info.