Tech Tips: Airbox Removal

Video file
Tech Tips

Removing your airbox isn't a common practice but needed for proper cleaning, switching out a built in backfire cage, adding an intake aftermarket piece, or even change out the airboot itself. Need some help? Click play and see how it's done.

Remember, if you need to get your hands on a new flywheel or other engine components; hit up Chaparral-Racing.com/DirtBikeIntake

For any other motorcycle parts, accessories, or gear needs, you can find them at Chaparral-Racing.com.

Transcribed version:

"Hey, this is Michael Lindsay from Vital MX. One of the first things that your bike needs to produce power is air. So whether you're removing the backfire screen or changing out the airboot we're gonna show you how to breakdown this airbox and get in there and change it up.

To remove the airbox we'll mostly be working at the back of the bike today and with most models you just needed 8, 10, and 12-millimeter socket and T-handles or with KTMs you might need some torques, and then other than that it's useful to have a big flat blade screwdriver or pliers to help you pry the airboot off and help work it out off the inside of the airbox. So first step we need to get the seat out of the way, remove the seat bolts here, and remove the complete seat. So as with all subframes, we need to remove the side plates so we can access the exhaust and remove the mid-pipe and the silencer. 

Next step, we're gonna want to get the strap out of the way, so we then get the cover off here to expose the top of the subframe along with on the fuel injected bikes we have an air temperature sensor which actually needs to be unclipped before removal. The next step to actually remove the subframe itself is to remove the bolts holding it in. There's always two lower mounting bolts and then up top, there's either a full-through pin or two bolts mounting it up there.

So the last thing holding the subframe in place is actually the airboot connection to your throttle body or carburetor which is always held on by a clamp here. It's either an Allen or typically a Philips head bolt that you just have to loosen until the clamp is nice and loose and can rotate so you can pull the airboot off the injection unit. Sometimes you can simply just pull on your subframe and the airboot will remove itself other times, though, you may have to get a flat blade screwdriver or something to help you pry the airboot free from the throttle body. So now that we have our subframe out we need to break it down a little bit more to get the airbox out. You need to remove the side plates and the rear fender so we just need to get the hardware out to remove those.

Once you have all the plastic removed it's easy to look around to find the last little bit of hardware left that is actually holding the airbox into your subframe. So once you have all that hardware removed, it's pretty simple to figure out how your airbox can be removed from your subframe. Some bikes they're a little bit tighter fit than others, take a little maneuvering. Some of them are not too bad. And now they're separated.

Now, we're right down here at the end where we're now gonna try to remove our airboot actually from our main airbox. Basically, at any point of our work order we've been doing, the air filter can be removed. We've just kind of wait until later on to do it. Personally, I like to do that or have a cover over it just so when you're working taking all the plastic exhaust off you don't have the air inlet exposed so you don't accidentally knock some dirt or drop a bolt or anything down the throttle body and have to fish that out later. It's really easy when you look around the actual airboot to airbox connection. You usually find a metal flange that wraps all the way around with hardware every few inches. There's also a similar flange in the inside or the airbox or a receiving end that basically these two clamped down and hold the airboot inside of the box. 

So we're gonna remove the hardware here. So once the airboot is actually free here we would normally pull it backward through the airbox, but depending upon the position of the air temperature sensor you may actually have to remove it from the boot to give you enough clearance. So as you can see there's actually a few things going on here, you have a clamp on the front side, the actual airboot, a gasket, and then the receiving end which is typically part of the filter cage unit. Now, with some bikes, specifically four strokes, you'll the have a backfire screening here. There's a good chance to open all this up and either cut out the backfire screen. It may have a removable plate or there may be an aftermarket kit you could use to take that out and eliminate it. Or you could also replace the airboot with an aftermarket unit that has a velocity stack in it or something else to change the power characteristic.

Once you placed your airboot back in the airbox, you've sealed up the rings, got your gasket back and place, you get your air filter in, you could place your airbox back inside the subframe, put all your plastic on the seat, you're ready to go to the track and riff, and make sure you check out vitalmx.com for more tech tips."

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