Air Filter Installation

[dolepineapple]

real dumb question

but i'm sure there are tons of people who go out and shell out unnecessary amount of cash to a mechanist to do things that could be done in the comfort of your own garage (ahem . . .me)

Can someone please tell me how to replace the stock air filter on a 2004 GS500F with a K&N Air filter (part no.  SU-5589) in the comfort of my garage?

Maybe this would be a great addition to the FAQ section that The_good_guy and Kerry own

(pictures would be great too. . .I know Srinath, we ask for pictures for everything, but hell. . .i guess it saves the person (and tons of other people who read it) the need to go back and ask more questions)

THANKS SO MUCH EVERYONE IN ADVANCE for your help!

I've learned so much about my bike and about bikes in general, using this forum and i just want to keep extending my gratitude to everyone who makes this forum the GREAT resource that people around the world have known to trust

cheers,
joel

[The Buddha]

Since you wanted to swap it with a K&N...here is a totally useless bit of info ... take your filter and slosh it around in some gasoline ... and then take it out and dry it ... voila... good as new... I think it can be done 2-3 times easily ... after that it prolly will come apart ... not sure done it only once ...
Cool.
Srinath.

[dolepineapple]

thanks srinath . . .i read one of the posts in the FAQ's that you suggested that . . .i guess i'll remember that for any new riders who want to know how to preserve their stock air filters without replacing them totally. . .

[Rema1000]

To get access to the air filter, you need to remove the tank:
http://gs500.specialgreen.com/pictorial/remove-tank/

The air filter below is held in by 4 screws.

If you try the "Srinath method" (bathe the old filter in gasoline), be sure to do it with the filter upside down in the gasoline.  Remember, the dust is on the inside of the filter, and you want it to fall down and out of the filter.

That said, I've heard that one of the worst things you can do to a car engine, is to put the old air filter back in, upside-down.  This dumps all the old collected dust down the air intake.  So... if you were to clean the old GS filter in gasoline, you'd want to make sure you didn't just wash some of the dust from the inside onto the outside of the filter.  That would be bad. But with the filter sitting upside-down in the gas, and the gas sloshing around, it would seem that some dust may settle on the outside of the filter.  If you want to be cautious, you might wash the filter once upside down, then move it to some fresh gas and slosh it around, right-side-up.

Srinath may now point-out that it's a GS we're talking about, and not some space-age hermetically sealed bio experiment... so maybe the second rinse is not really necessary.

[Kerry]

To get access to the air filter, you need to remove the tank:
http://gs500.specialgreen.com/pictorial/remove-tank/

The air filter below is held in by 4 screws.

Nice page!  In my experience, you can remove / replace the air filter once you get to Step 6 in the procedure.  (Without turning the tank petcock off, or removing the hoses, etc.)  It's not easy to hold the rear of the fuel tank up with one hand while you mess with screws and the filter with the other hand, but it's do-able.

However, this method works best when the tank is nearly empty.  So if you can't wait until you hit REServe, or you can't / don't want to siphon or otherwise drain the tank ... then removing it is the best option.  (Then again, removing the tank is easier when it's nearly empty too, so....  :dunno: )

PS - If you're not making any changes to the jetting or mixture screw settings or exhaust system, make sure you install the restrictor ring, as seen on my K&N Stock Replacement Air Filter page.

[dolepineapple]

Rema1000:  BEAUTIFUL!  Thanks so much for the picture tutorial on how to remove the tank.  I will print this out and use it as my guide.  This is going to be a great help!

Kerry:  wow!  a response from the almighty Kerry!  Sorry, but i've been reading and learning from a bunch of your posts and i've been waiting for the day when you'd pass your wisdom on to me!  As for the instructions, thanks for that.  I'm a pretty straightforward guy and i would have totally forgot that it would be easier to take out the tank when it's near empty.  Stupid me!  I actually have an aftermarket exhaust from Srinath (Wileyco Carbon Fiber) and I already ordered a Dynojet kit for my bike too.  Would this mean that I would have to take the restrictor off or keep it on?  One more thing:  Would it be easier to install the jet kit at the same time as the K&N air filter?  Thanks so much in advance

[Ed_in_Az]

In my experience, you can remove / replace the air filter once you get to Step 6 in the procedure.  (Without turning the tank petcock off, or removing the hoses, etc.)  It's not easy to hold the rear of the fuel tank up with one hand while you mess with screws and the filter with the other hand, but it's do-able.

A properly sized and placed block of wood to hold the rear of the tank up and a short screwdriver make it even easier.  

[dolepineapple]

Ed_in_Az:  that sounds way easier than actually lifting the tank out, but i think i'd be paranoid of the whole thing falling over throughout the whole filter replacement process. . .if i get paranoid, i start to rush things and the job won't be done right (such as, installing the filter the wrong way). . .thanks for the input though

[Kerry]

I actually have an aftermarket exhaust from Srinath (Wileyco Carbon Fiber) and I already ordered a Dynojet kit for my bike too.  Would this mean that I would have to take the restrictor off or keep it on?

With a less-restricted pipe and a jet kit, you'll almost certainly want to leave the restrictor ring off.  As for being "almighty"   , carbs and jetting aren't my department at all.  Srinath is probably your man for specific questions here.  Except for swapping the stock air filter out for the K&N I have left the carbs, engine and pipe stock.  :dunno:

One more thing:  Would it be easier to install the jet kit at the same time as the K&N air filter?  Thanks so much in advance

Hmmm.  If you're going to rejet you will pretty much need to pull the carbs, which means that you must go ahead and REMOVE the fuel tank after all.  So yeah, you probably want to do them both at the same time.  The only reservation I would have is changing too many things at once.  I like to take a one-step-at-a-time approach:

1) Put the K&N air filter in, take notes on how the bike sounds & runs.  (Signs of leanness, richness, etc.)

2) Swap the pipe, take notes on how the bike sounds and runs.

3) Install the jet kit, take notes on how the bike sounds and runs.[/list:u]When (not if :x ) the time comes to ask how to better tune the bike, it will be most helpful to have all of the step-by-step details writeen down and available!

PS -

Ed_in_z is right about the block of wood.  It's actually a more stable method (and less tiring!) than holding the thing up with your hand.  Now that he mentions it, I have a length of 2x2 that I stick underneath the tank when I'm trying to get at the hoses, etc.  Much like the board in the picture of Step 6 on Rema1000's fuel tank removal page, only not so wide.  And pushed forward as far as possible.  You could even try putting a 2x4 on its edge under there, but there may not be enough slack in the hoses.

[dolepineapple]

Kerry:  thanks for the tips. . .i actually already had the pipe installed by the shop near my house. . .great pipe, great sound and it actually eliminated the 'studdering' i usually experienced before from 0rpm to 3000rpm. . . (pictures available at http://members.rogers.com/joel.rosales/Source.html)

as for the kit and filter, i'll install the filter on my own (thanks to the pictoral instructions from the posts above) and take notes

then i'll get the shop i go to, to install the jet kit
(that's something a beginner like me shouldn't 'try' doing a first time) . . .