Vance and Hines/reed valves??

[usranger74]

I am looking at and reading about Vance and Hines exhaust.

I found the following post

"love the pipes, love the sound, on a kawasaki just know that you have to do something with the reed valves, like marble them or remove them and put replacement plates on, or they will pop and sputter when letting off the thottle"

My question - what is the "reed valve" and what does it mean to "marble" them or "remove" them. How difficult to do either?

[petenomad]

Gadget (http://www.gadgetjq.com/smogstuffremove.htm) site has the answer.

I believe these valves have something to do with burning off excess fuel in the exhaust. Marbling just blocks the vacuum line that operates the valves. You can remove them all together and replace with "coasters". See the link above to view both instructions.

[ringadingh]

Chuckster sells the plates which cover the reed valves after you remove them. If you go this route you can remove a bunch of hoses off the top of the motor that you don't need anymore.
The fastest thing is to just plug the line that goes to you air filter, it does the same job.
Like Pete mentioned you can check it out on Gadgets sight and it explains it all there.

[Cajunrider]

When I installed my V&H the popping on decel was driving me up a wall. I shoved a marble in the hose and the popping stopped. The reed valves introduce air into the mufflers to burn off any remaining combustibles, thus the popping noise that was there all along. You just couldn't hear it as well with the stock mufflers.

[usranger74]

Chuckster sells the plates which cover the reed valves after you remove them. If you go this route you can remove a bunch of hoses off the top of the motor that you don't need anymore.
The fastest thing is to just plug the line that goes to you air filter, it does the same job.
Like Pete mentioned you can check it out on Gadgets sight and it explains it all there.

Let me clarify something - if I use Chucksters plates (which I will if I get the V&Hs) will that take care of the reed valve issue?

And, Mitch - when we were in OK I remember you showing some folks how used a "marble" but I did not understand at the time what you were talking about. And, the truth be know, I not sure I do now :)

[ringadingh]

Chuckster sells the plates which cover the reed valves after you remove them. If you go this route you can remove a bunch of hoses off the top of the motor that you don't need anymore.
The fastest thing is to just plug the line that goes to you air filter, it does the same job.
Like Pete mentioned you can check it out on Gadgets sight and it explains it all there.

Let me clarify something - if I use Chucksters plates (which I will if I get the V&Hs) will that take care of the reed valve issue?:)

Yes it will.

[petenomad]

Bill, when you use the coasters, you actually remove the reed valves.

[Cajunrider]

Chuckster sells the plates which cover the reed valves after you remove them. If you go this route you can remove a bunch of hoses off the top of the motor that you don't need anymore.
The fastest thing is to just plug the line that goes to you air filter, it does the same job.
Like Pete mentioned you can check it out on Gadgets sight and it explains it all there.

Let me clarify something - if I use Chucksters plates (which I will if I get the V&Hs) will that take care of the reed valve issue?

And, Mitch - when we were in OK I remember you showing some folks how used a "marble" but I did not understand at the time what you were talking about. And, the truth be know, I not sure I do now :)

Bill, I stuck a marble in the hose that supplies air to the reed valves. The marble accomplishes the same thing but removing the reed valves and all of the associated plumbing leaves a cleaner looking engine. The coasters are "blanks" that replace the reed valves.

[macmac]

Bill note the boxes on the fore and aft side of the jugs. These have large hoses to them. These boxes both come off and a plate called a coaster goes where the boxes were. All the plumbing that goes to those hoses comes off too.

You need to pull the gas tank off to yank all that other stuff expect for the smallest hose at what i call the medusa head.

The medusa head is a vacuum operated valve, that has one small vac line you cap off for good, and tie to the frame with the wires. A snug bolt with gasket glue is all you need to cap off that hose. The other end of the only hose you save goes to the throttle body.

The reed valve boxes are a little tuff to reach , but if you loosen the bolts and leave the bolts still sitting in the ft box, it makes life easier.

Chucks plates come with the right bolts and these bolts are chromed. The plates can be painted or polished more and then shot in clear, your choice. I painted all the sets i have installed black.

If you have a stock right side backing plate for the air cleaner still you will need 1/2 a plastic whine bottle cork to plug the hole the big hose is in now.

IMO there is no good reason to leave that snake pit mess on the bike if it is disabled. All that does is have weight and in time cook the reed valves which are made of some wild plastic.

The exhaust air is added just before the upper header pipes. IMO that just cooks your legs.

The hardest part is getting the tank off. The next hardest part is getting the ft reed valve box out as space is a little limited. In that area is one more large hose, and it must stay in place. It is the engine breather.

That can go to, for another hose but must end still draining into the ft of the engine case and get a filter stuffed in the hose and that all needs to be mounted. That filter keeps dirt, bugs and mung from getting inside the crack case. In time the filter will wet with oil condensed, which is normal as that hose breaths both ways.

That is not a must do, but the engine breather must still work. There is a bracket on the ft reed box that holds that hose in place, and that bracket should go back on the 'coaster' plate.