I swapped my stock A/C to a Lowbrow Louvered Air Cleaner mostly to gain space for my right knee. In doing so, I had to go down the rabbit hole on crankcase venting, and opted for some hoses leading to a DK Customs Catch Can. I'm getting tired of emptying an oily catch can, can anyone recommend an A/C that's smaller than the stock ham can, and also redirects the breathers back into the carb?

I had my eye on the Burly Hex A/C which ticks all my boxes, but it doesn't appear to be manufactured anymore, and I can't find it used.

Would the stock round A/Cs I've seen on late model Irons fit my '05 sporty? Any other recommendations?

 

Your '05 is carbureted, after '06 the bikes have EFI. However, I do believe the aircleaner is backwards compatible. My SE aircleaner vents to the carb, but I still have a little drool collect inside the bottom of my ham can after a long ride.

You can always ditch the catch can, and just let it vent below your bike. That way you don't have to buy anything new.

John

 

A round air cleaner from an XL1200V 'Seventy-Two', XL1200X 'Forty-Eight', XL883N 'Iron' or XL1200NS 'Iron', will fit a carbed Sportster. The 'Seventy-Two' and 'Forty-Eight Special' have a chromed cover and all the others have black covers.

The Iron models have a ribbed cover with an embossed bar & shield logo.

These stock round covers are only slightly smaller than the 'ham can' covers.

2012, XL1200V 'Seventy-Two'.


2019 XL1200X 'Forty-Eight'.


2018 XL1200NS 'Iron'.

 

Damn near all of the Aftermarket Head Breather crap kits need a catch can. THERE IS A SOLUTION!!!! Me 07 Dyna (107,000) Wife 04 XLH 1200C (4,500) DYI head breathers with NO CATCH CAN! OK, we're adults with common sense and hopefully learned a little in Science Class. What's heavier, air or oil??? How do we get the crankcase pressure AIR out AND keep the OIL in??? 2 Ace Hardware barbed hose fittings (small) a T fitting and a few feet of hose. Small fittings into backing plate angled 45 * to the center so they face each other. Hose head vents into T fitting. T fitting gets routed UP UNDER THE TANK and extended under the seat and down the frame backbone to exit under the front of the swingarm. The crankcase pressure is air with an oil mist. Vent it UP and oil runs back down to engine creating NO MESS.

 

Don't the umbrella valves interfere? From what I can see, the head breather ports are below the umbrella valves? And the drainback hole is up by the umbrella valves? I've never really delved into the breather system design, interesting to take a look. Maybe DK can bring some compare/contrast information. You came up with a unique solution, I'm just amazed it's that easy.

Can you post up a photo of your breather system?

John

 

OP- how often are you emptying that catch can?

Unless you’re running tons and tons of highway miles there shouldn’t be much oil
accumulating.

 

My DYI Head Breather system - NO CATCH CAN.

2007 Dyna

2004 1200 Custom - DYI Head Breather
1st photo is my 07 Dyna. Can't see the connecting T under the tank. I did this set up about 50,000 miles ago and no oil dribbles out the exit hose. 2nd is my Wife's bike. Did hers after mine. Happy to Report - NO OIL DRIBBLES - NO CATCH CAN. The air/oil mist hose goes up under the tank and seat, then loops down the backbone and exits between frame and front of swingarm.

 

I'm still not clear on how the oil gets back up to the breather/umbrella valves, and past them or to the drain hole. They are above the breather outlets in the heads. And, one way valving?

John

 

I went this route with my K&N setup; I did some measuring, then bent up a stainless line, fab'd a stainless mounting bracket, purchased a stainless breather cap from Pep Boys, along with a rubber grommet, and voila. I capped off the original port on the intake that was designed to receive crankcase ventilation/blowby and return it to the engine to be burnt, and attached the new stainless breather tube to the K&N's U tube with a 90 degree rubber fitting; I want cool oil free air entering my engine. It works great on my '09 Iron and I've only had to wipe it off maybe once in over 10 years of use, and even looks like it belongs there...

 

I simply ran my hoses to a 'Y' junction, then one hose down below the frame.....









hth,

T.