Carburetor Airbox Installation

[EMS]

Ever so often the discussion comes up concerning installing a Prolink airbox on an early model or vice-versa. It has been pointed out, that the Prolinks use different intake manifolds to mount the carbs flatter and that affects the airbox.

I was trying to clean my parts storage and ran into two airboxes and took a couple of pictures to illustrate the difference.

As you may see in the first pic, the carb connections in the Prolink box (top) are sitting a tad higher than on the early box. This may not necessarily mean that it is an issue, you may still get the box on the carbs.
However, if you then want to line up the airbox with the filter housing, you may have trouble as the second picture shows. The height difference between the carb connections is quite different when the filter housing aligns.

You can also see in the first picture, when looking through the carb openings that there is a larger portion of the back filter housing visible on the Prolink box.

[barryadam]

Thanks Mike.

How timely - I am just assembling my 1979 CBX project now and have both airboxes as well, although the 1979 is in pieces.

I have the Prolink airbox in the frame now and when the motor is done and installed, we'll see how it aligns. Comments I have seen on the forums seem to indicate both should fit, even with the slight differences. We'll see.

Barry

P.S. The metal mounting bracket shown in your pictures is facing opposite directions on the two airboxes. Is this the original configuration or ?

[EMS]

Thanks Mike.

How timely - I am just assembling my 1979 CBX project now and have both airboxes as well, although the 1979 is in pieces.

I have the Prolink airbox in the frame now and when the motor is done and installed, we'll see how it aligns. Comments I have seen on the forums seem to indicate both should fit, even with the slight differences. We'll see.

Barry

P.S. The metal mounting bracket shown in your pictures is facing opposite directions on the two airboxes. Is this the original configuration or ?

Barry: In order to avoid all problems, just get the Prolink intake manifolds, if it is not too late.

Funny thing about the metal mounting bracket. I saw that too, but I have not had a chance to check on my '79 and '81 if there is a difference, or if a PO of the airboxes just put one of them on wrong.

As far as general installation is concerned, I found it easier to mount the airbox on the carbs and when turning the engine back, to fit the large rear opening into the filter box.
If you have the airbox in the frame already and try to bring the engine with the carbs back into the airbox, you will have some serious fiddling on your hands!

[EMS]

I checked all the other airboxes I have, including the one on my 81 Prolink and the brackets are all like on the early airbox shown. Somebody must have flipped the bracket on the Prolink airbox in the picture. I think it was a part from a school bike.