Air Cleaner Parts - K2

[Mike_Berkshire]

Whilst I was waiting for some paint to dry yesterday I had a rummage through the boxes of parts from the stripdown. Having read a few posts about the importance of getting the aircleaner correctly reassembled I thought I would check what aircleaner parts I do have and what are missing. Having checked the parts book for a K1, which I assume is the same as the K2 (please tell me if I am in error), I seem to be short of 4 parts:
1) Cover, Air Cleaner
2) Net Comp. Tool Tray
3) Tray, Tool
4) Spring, Cleaner Element

All of these seem to be as rare as hen's teeth and where available, very expensive, in another country a long way away, in poor condition.

How essential are these for the correct functioning of the aircleaning system?

I am many weeks away from needing to fit this but thought it good to research now.

Thanks to Ash and Deano for posting the parts books by the way.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

Yikes looking at that parts diagram on my 500K1  I don't have 5,6,7 & 8 not sure what 1 is until I look in the parts book?
I have the rest though including the gauze on the top of the intake.

Looks like 1 then 5-8 not used on UK 500 K1

I'm not too worried about 5-8 as some sort of foam in the bottom should do the same job methinks.

I keep on forgetting with the 500/550 being bunched together that yours is a 550 iirc.

[Mike_Berkshire]

Yes Ted. '76 550 K2 US Import.  Thanks for the info.

[McCabe-Thiele (Ted)]

In reality the spring clip holds the air filter element in place plus the top section that has the intake section fitted is not a sealed fit against the top of the air filter housing it fits sort of loosly above it. The parts 1 & 5-8 would be to comply with US emission regs.

Ken told me that the main purpose of the top section was probably to prevent water passing through the seat base and into the air filter section. Any small amounts of rain water that passed through the seat base would collect in the tray area - nice for the tools to start rusting!

I would have thought it might not be too difficult to make a cover of some sort for the lower housing item 30 that could be drilled to allow for air intake and provide some slight flow reistance for the air intake situation.

You could draw around the inverted housing (30) to make a template starting point for a temporary/replacement top cover until you can find a decent item 3.

[Mike_Berkshire]

Thats a good suggestion. I will keep an eye out for the missing parts at a reasonable price (ha ha!) and think through how I might make the cover - a friend has a son that has access to a 3D printer; a possibility???

[Bryanj]

The rubber bit, tool tray, mesh are not critical and difficult to get.
The spring you can use a shsped piece of wood( clothes peg) as a substitute, there was a member on here making stainless ones and Dave Silver did sell them