Topic: So, you want to run pods?

[HondaMan]

I rebuilt my stock airbox and am going that route but I am surprised no one has chimed in about the steel dragon bread box. From what I have read on here there has been good success using them. That bread box also has velocity stacks built in.

Are they still in business?

I had an email back from them a couple of months ago saying they would build me a bread box so I assume yes

Those were the only airboxes I ever saw work pretty on the 750 - besides the OEM versions. They help with the open-air-tumbling issue, being boxed in.
On roadrace bikes we always had lower fairings that made a nice big airbox behind the engines, with directed intake paths for the carbs from that zone. That created a larger version of the ones Honda made for production bikes, and worked thru 3-digit speeds.

[dave500]

pods are crap full stop,end of thread?

[Dime]

I rebuilt my stock airbox and am going that route but I am surprised no one has chimed in about the steel dragon bread box. From what I have read on here there has been good success using them. That bread box also has velocity stacks built in.

Are they still in business?

I had an email back from them a couple of months ago saying they would build me a bread box so I assume yes

Those were the only airboxes I ever saw work pretty on the 750 - besides the OEM versions. They help with the open-air-tumbling issue, being boxed in.
On roadrace bikes we always had lower fairings that made a nice big airbox behind the engines, with directed intake paths for the carbs from that zone. That created a larger version of the ones Honda made for production bikes, and worked thru 3-digit speeds.

I have read some reports that the top of the steel dragon bread box, and in some cases the sides, had to be restricted. Other than that I have read good reports.

[Floshenbarnical]

pods are crap full stop,end of thread?

Having put some serious effort into tuning my carbs, my K&N pods work fantastic on my 77F although it must be said that my carbs are not CV. Smooth, responsive, and great consistent power through the RPMS

[Dime]

pods are crap full stop,end of thread?

They have their place. Maybe not on the factory carbs, but they do well on a set of CRs that I had on my dohc 750. That being said, I went back to the cv's and stock air box on that bike for streetability. Comparing the CRs to the stock carbs on the sohc isn't really fair all the same.

[Floshenbarnical]

pods are crap full stop,end of thread?

They have their place. Maybe not on the factory carbs, but they do well on a set of CRs that I had on my dohc 750. That being said, I went back to the cv's and stock air box on that bike for streetability. Comparing the CRs to the stock carbs on the sohc isn't really fair all the same.

Are the CR carbs really that much better?

[seanbarney41]

pods are crap full stop,end of thread?

They have their place. Maybe not on the factory carbs, but they do well on a set of CRs that I had on my dohc 750. That being said, I went back to the cv's and stock air box on that bike for streetability. Comparing the CRs to the stock carbs on the sohc isn't really fair all the same.

Are the CR carbs really that much better?

don't get confused.  The dohc bikes use carbs that have a cv piston...very sensitive to turbulent air.  Also keihin does not offer a wide selection of jet needles and needle jets for carbs supplied oem.  That is why the cr carbs can be made to work.  The tuning parts are available to solve all the problems pods cause....or just use the goddamn airbox.  Plenty of nice still air for your engine to suck, much more than it can use.

[scottly]

pods are crap full stop,end of thread?

Dave, you're beginning to sound a bit like Two-tired, except without the pages of BS "science" to back up the claims.
Lisa has logged thousands and thousands of miles on Dash, her trusty 550, equipped with K&N pods. This pic is from her coast-to-coast-to-coast trip in '17. 

[PeWe]

Pods worked fine on my CB750 K6 with stock K6 carbs 86A.  Airbox should have restricted 836cc + ported head + cam.
Long trips on holidays in pouring rain as well as really hot rides. City rides at slower speeds too. Stock carbs easy to jet. Needle height and main jet.

I guess CV carbs are trickier?

[Stev-o]

pods are crap full stop,end of thread?

Dave, you're beginning to sound a bit like Two-tired, except without the pages of BS "science" to back up the claims.

Now that's funny - comparing Dave to TT!!!!!!

[kerryb]

And now for something a little silly!  Cv carbs, stock jetting, stock area size air filter, open triangle, hidden filter.  82 cb650sc.  I just didn’t want to deal with jets & tuning, stock performance is just fine.

[seanbarney41]

Kerry wow!  That is a very interesting design

[kerryb]

It only has a few road miles on it, but the performance seems unchanged from stock.

[newday777]

And now for something a little silly!  Cv carbs, stock jetting, stock area size air filter, open triangle, hidden filter.  82 cb650sc.  I just didn’t want to deal with jets & tuning, stock performance is just fine.

Nicely done.
The CV carbs are off of?
Tell us about the box/filter assembly.

[kerryb]

And now for something a little silly!  Cv carbs, stock jetting, stock area size air filter, open triangle, hidden filter.  82 cb650sc.  I just didn’t want to deal with jets & tuning, stock performance is just fine.

Nicely done.
The CV carbs are off of?
Tell us about the box/filter assembly.

Carbs are stock for ‘82cb650sc, I’m not certain whether they are VB44 “B” or “C”, I can’t go look right now.  The duct work was made by wrapping foam shapes in 6 ounce fiberglass cloth and MAS epoxy.  The filter is a cabin air filter from a Mercedes sedan.  What isn’t pictured is the plastic restrictor plate with an air inlet the same area as the stock filter box.  The whole point was to get the look without spending time & money rejetting carbs and maybe reducing performance.

[newday777]

👍👍👍

[dave500]

pods are crap full stop,end of thread?

Dave, you're beginning to sound a bit like Two-tired, except without the pages of BS "science" to back up the claims.
Lisa has logged thousands and thousands of miles on Dash, her trusty 550, equipped with K&N pods. This pic is from her coast-to-coast-to-coast trip in '17.

Ahh yes dash and lisa,may I start with that is a fantastic if not epic journey of biblical proportions no joke,this is a solid reminder to everyone especially new and maybe younger members here that even old jap junk bikes can go around the world even if the designers didnt intend it to do or even last 10/15 years?with city or suburb bound bikes using the entire rpm range often from idle to max over and again in short succession as opposed to sitting on mostly high rpm or the same rpm on the high way the use of pod filters will effect your carb tune to the point of losing some torque and overall engine flexibility over the entire rpm range,every one has different results and skills and patience to play with pod tuning,I recommend to use the stock factory fitted airbox.

[seanbarney41]

Yeah Dave, that's the thing, you never know what you are gonna get.  I have had cb750's with pods that just run pretty good, pods, no pods, stock air box, no air filter at all, breadbox that falls off and ya don't notice because it runs no different....and I have had cb750's with pods that no amount of jetting will make them barely rideable.  Science says that there is always an explanation for this, and I am sure there is, but I have spent 100's of hours trying to solve these problems, but the only rule I have found is that every bike is different.

[PeWe]

My K6 ran well with stock carbs and small pods.
836cc, ported head, cam and  loud 4-1 needed good flow of air.

Maybe carb related? If CV carbs can not use pods?

[carnivorous chicken]

I'm playing around withr eplaced my pods with a stock airbox set up at high altitude and Scottly suggested I add my two cents here since the bike was running much better with pods before I installed the airbox.

I'm in Mexico City, so about 7500 feet elevation. 1976 CB550F1. Not sure of the make of the pods, but I can add a photo. Jetting is 38/100 (38/98 is stock, so assuming a PO rejetted). No markings on the jets, so assuming they are aftermarket. I should add: the o-rings on the jets are old, and they don't hold the jets in place, so assuming there might be some gas getting by them as well. Idle mixture screws 1.5 turns out. D7EA plugs.

Bike runs well with this set up, with great response and no flat spots. At 1200rpm idle it chugs a little and I get it a quick blip before taking off.

Switching over to the stock airbox, the bike idles smoothly and more quietly, but bogged at around 4krpm. I will likely switch back to the pods for now, but look at replacing jets and moving the needles to lean out the mixture. I'll use the formula Hondaman recommended me: 1.2% per 1000 feet of elevation -- so at 7500 feet + 9%. Stock main is supposed to be 98, so around 88.

[scottly]

I will likely switch back to the pods for now, but look at replacing jets and moving the needles to lean out the mixture. I'll use the formula Hondaman recommended me: 1.2% per 1000 feet of elevation -- so at 7500 feet + 9%. Stock main is supposed to be 98, so around 88.

The bike ran well with pods and 100 mains at your altitude. If you think it's too rich, put in the stock 98s, if you have them. There is no amount of jetting that will replace the lack of air pressure at higher altitudes, which means that for every 1000 feet of elevation, you will lose about 3.5% horsepower. Thankfully, carburetors can compensate somewhat for these changes in barometric pressure, as they meter fuel based on the mass of the air flowing through the venturi: less dense air has less mass equals less fuel. If I had to change jetting every 1000 feet, I couldn't go 50 miles in any direction without two jet changes.  

[carnivorous chicken]

I will likely switch back to the pods for now, but look at replacing jets and moving the needles to lean out the mixture. I'll use the formula Hondaman recommended me: 1.2% per 1000 feet of elevation -- so at 7500 feet + 9%. Stock main is supposed to be 98, so around 88.

The bike ran well with pods and 100 mains at your altitude. If you think it's too rich, put in the stock 98s, if you have them. There is no amount of jetting that will replace the lack of air pressure at higher altitudes, which means that for every 1000 feet of elevation, you will lose about 3.5% horsepower. Thankfully, carburetors can compensate somewhat for these changes in barometric pressure, as they meter fuel based on the mass of the air flowing through the venturi: less dense air has less mass equals less fuel. If I had to change jetting every 1000 feet, I couldn't go 50 miles in any direction without two jet changes.

Knowing I can just go back to what it was takes all the stress out of it (although I'd be getting new o-rings for those jets for sure...). Part of it is the challenge to get it back to stock with jetting and needle changes to see what it does. I'm usually a "if it ain't broke don't fix it" guy and was thinking that as soon as it showed signs of bogging, but I'll play around a little and see where it gets me. For my 350F here in CDMX, I just got some smaller jets and it seemed to be enough.