I attempted to install the breather kit I received from J&P. I have the SE open AC. Unfortunately the supplied banjo bolts are about 1" too short, the banjo connections don't clear the air cleaner element, the braided line between the 2 banjo connections is too long and it presses against the gas tank, and the long length of braided hose is too short to put the drool cup anywhere.

So, my next steps:
- can't find a Long enough banjo bolt. So, I'm gonna try to either lengthen the supplied one, or fabricate new ones, I don't have a machine shop so fabrication may be a challenge.
- grind off material on the lower part of the banjo connections to clear the filter
- shorten the connection length of braided line
- acquire a length of braided line to extend to an area where installing the drool cup works.

Not exactly plug and play.

 

Dumb question: Would using a smaller diameter air filter make a difference? I read somewhere that the open air cleaners introduce much more air than the bike could ever use, (true?), so maybe a smaller one would introduce slightly less air, causing less pressure and work for the breather bolts?

 

If you are externally venting your breather bolts then what goes on in the air cleaner and throttle-body/carb is irrelevant. If you are still feeding the breathers into the intake then the low pressure sucking on the breathers will be little affected by the size of the air cleaner.

So, no, a smaller air cleaner is not going to change things.

 

So, I finally got around to installing my external crankcase breather, with drool cup. I do not have access to a machine shop, or drill press. So, I was not able to fabricate my own extra long banjo bolts. Turns out J&P does have extra long ones, that you cut down to size. Interesting though, rather than hollow they have an external channel. For $65!!!! You would think they would be real banjo bolts. But, I was running out of time and decided to go with those. The following is what I did:

1) Cut out excess material on SE AC backing plate to eliminate interference with the J&P breather kit banjo fittings. I am not a machinist, so I did this with a Dremel tool. Kind of ugly, but it worked and does not show.

 

Crap...I can't post multiple pictures in a post. So, I'll do multiple posts.

2) shortened the line between the two banjo fittings. Cut down to proper length with heavy duty tin snips. Taped the ends with electrical tape. Joined the ends with a brass 3/8" Barb union. Taped the joint with Gorilla tape, and added heat shrink tubing over the whole joint. Here is the picture with the breather fitted to the backing plate.

 

3) Shortened the "banjo bolts" by 9/16" with a Dremel cut off wheel, and routed the external breather channel a bit more with the Dremel cut off wheel.

If I ever get around to it, and I find a friend with a lathe, or drill press, I'll make real banjo bolts. Unless one of my friends here would like to do that for me?

 

4) installed the breather kit, with the SE AC backing plate. Used castle washers ( I think that is what they are called), and fiber washers. Note, the oil sitting by the throttle plate. No more of this!!!

I held my fingers over the ports, and blew into the hose end. Good!! No air coming out, and the reed valves worked by not letting me blow in the wrong direction. The I sucked on the hose and got a nice lung full of crankcase fumes. So, this seems to indicate I had a clear passage from the crankcase.

 

5) Cleaned, oiled, and installed the K&N filter

Oh yeah...I taped over the breather ports with Gorilla tape. I used pieces large enough to also go under the filter edge, to make sure it does not fall off. Once I decide this thing is working correctly I'll seal them with something more permanent like epoxy.

 

6) added a length of 3/8" ID stainless braided hose, that I purchased from Jegs Performance Parts. Connected this the same way I did with the hose between the two banjo fittings.

7) ran the hose across the transmission, to behind the passenger foot board.

8) screwed the filter with drool cup under a cover bolt.

9) trimmed the hose to length, and attached to the filter nipple.

Note: the assembly is at a slight angle to prevent kinking the hose. When/if I get around to it, I'll put on a 90 degree nipple. But, this should work for now.

 

Parts I used:

From J&P cycles
431-335 engine breather oil collection kit. A.k.a drool cup. $147.99
400380 Breather kit with braided hose. $66.99
402-334 button head bolt kit (fake banjo bolts,washers, and spacers) $67.99

From Jegs Performance Parts:
555-100911 #6 Hose pre-cut 6 feet (steel braided). $31.99

This whole thing was a lot more expensive than it should have been. If I were to do it again, I would
- drill and tap, and install barb nipples in the existing crankcase breather ports in the SE AC plate.
- connect with braided hose, with a t in the middle
- run the hose to the same location
- still use the breather and drool cup assy.
This would save $135.
But, what I have works.