Good God. What the hell? I received a summons for jury duty and it collected dust on my desk for a week. Then I discovered I was fucked. Last time, I sat on a drug case. I told the judge I could not be fair. I hate drug laws. Then it rained while we installed this K&N AirCharger High-Flow intake on James’ 2009 FLH and our Internet went down. I was fucked twice. I was getting depressed. Where's the whiskey?
Life is nuts. Nothing works right, except this install. It was one of the simplest installs we’ve encountered this year, plus K&N virtually guarantees improved performance. They included a Dyno chart indicating a 59.4 to 72.4 increase in power using a stock 2008 Electra Glide Classic 96-cubic inch dresser. The bike had 12,414 miles on the clock before the test.
We recently installed a new set of Bassani 2-into-1 pipes on this monster and it was clawing for a high-flow air cleaner. We gave it what it screamed for, and the process was a breeze. Jeremiah came over to assist with the install. He's been down this road several times and offered sage advice throughout the process. Jeremiah is a hard-working construction guy who can do almost anything, from home repairs, framing, tile, plumbing, and drywall, but the economy is kicking his ass. Life can be nuts, but Jeremiah is always around to help if you need it.
So just when I was down about an Internet crash and jury duty, Jeremiah picked up the slack with his witty banter and help around the Bikernet Garage. Plus K&N helped out with their easy operation, the bag of fasteners, complete instructions and even a tube of Loctite and the proper gasket. Plus, get this:
K&N hereby warrants and guarantees to the original retail purchaser of any K&N air intake kit that the vehicle on which the air intake system is installed will gain an increase in horsepower, or K&N will refund the purchase price, including sales tax, to the retail purchaser.
K&N supplied a list of required tools:
3/16 Allen Wrench
5/16 Allen Wrench
7/16 socket and 3/8 drive with a 3-inch extension
¾ open-end wrench
Flat blade screwdriver
T27 torx driver or set
So we scrambled after the install, trying to bolt up the system and set James free during a storm break. Most techs call for turning off the ignition and removing the negative battery connection before any operation, a common-sense safety precaution. James removed the stock air filter cover bolt and air filter cover.
That's when we noticed the small restrictive stock H-D air cleaner and the grit and grime build-up inside the air cleaner backing plate.
With the torx set, we loosened the three air filter retaining bolts, and removed the air cleaner. Next, we removed the vent spigots with a socket and ratchet. Then the air cleaner backing plate was easily removed.
We then shifted into the install mode and found the breather line and four washers. We made sure the washers were placed on either side of the opening and lined up with the hollow fastener.
“It's critical the washers are lined up properly,” Jeremiah pointed out. “Be careful not to over tighten the fastener heads. They'll snap off. Just snug them down with some Loctite applied to the threads.”
K&N supplied a hose connecting the vent line to the intake tube. We trimmed it to 1.5 in. and slipped it on the spigot. No clamps were needed. We squeezed a drop of blue Loctite on each intake tube Allen fastener, then installed them through the flange and the provided gasket. Then we started spinning each Allen into the EFI throttle body.
We discovered that a special short Allen was required for the fastener under the tube bend, due to limited space. We dug through our toolbox for just the right cut-off Allen wrench.
We slipped the K&N air filter into place and secured it with the supplied hose clamp.
Note: The K&N high flow intake system is a performance product that can be used safely during mild weather conditions. During harsh and inclement weather conditions, you must install the K&N Drycharger onto the air filter.
Note on the Note: The Drycharger is water repellent, not water proof. Depending on conditions and usage, the water repellent treatment is good for 1 to 2 years.
It's always a good notion to run any new modification for a few miles, and then check the alignment and all the fasteners once more.
K&N recommended that we start the bike in neutral and listen for air leaks or odd noises, which we did. According to K&N, this kit will perform exactly the same as stock except it will be louder and enhance throttle response.
James road-tested his '09 before giving us the thumbs-up and peeling home between rain storms. K&N Engineering suggested checking the air filter element periodically for excessive dirt build-up. When the element becomes covered in dirt (or once a year). In other words, clean or replace the element annually.
Hey, I don't know what all the negative vibes were. This install was a very successful breeze. Maybe it was those looming gray clouds and the courtroom threat.
I've been running the Zippers high-flow (virtually identical to the basicK&N, Screaming Eagle, and Ness kits) and V&H Ovals slip-ons on my King for acouple of years. An easy install, even for a graduate from the School of theMechanically Disinclined like me.
–Bruce Snyder
Bikernet Copy Editor
