Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Morgan Three Wheeler & Super 3 S&S Stealth Air Filter Troubles

Just did my first "mod" and fitted an S&S Stealth Air filter with muscle cover.

It looks great, but now I cannot, for the life of me, get the Morgan to idle or run smoothly in any way. It turns on, kicks, sputters, the engine rocks wildly, and it dies after a couple seconds.

Before I tear apart undoing everything, has anyone experienced something like this? Did I manage to screw up something as simple as an air filter install?

Be sure that any openings that are not needed are plugged. The S&S instructions are not as specific as they need to be. Mine came from the factory with bolts that were too short.

Sounds like you are leaking air. Check for the plug missing/follow the S&S instructions to the letter.

I THOUGHT I followed the instructions to the letter, definitely got the plug in...

I did think the instructions spec on tightening the two posts was weird and would require too much force to torque it and then bring it to horizontal so I didn't have them quite tight and I thought "hmm, maybe I need to tighten them down and I'm leaking around the posts." Tightened one per instructions and it snapped. Crap.

Either way out of curiosity I tried starting the M3W with NO air filter like in the photo and it had the same rough engine noise so I'd agree about leaking air, I just can't figure out where it might be from... I'll disassemble, triple check the gaskets, and try again (with a fresh post bolt).

The fit of the air cleaner in the holder seemed really tight to me, definitely not a slip on and install cover.

Hey,
I just spotted something missing, the Stinger in the Venturi.

I agree, the fit is very tight and had to basically been secured by tightening bolts rather than by hand, I was just trying to wrap my head around where I could have messed up. Just tore the whole thing down and can't quite sort it out...

Not to be dense, but nothing has to be done to tune the M3W for a different air filter, right? It should just be a simple bolt-on and forget it based on everything I've read.

I put it onto mine and it ran better, I also put the pipes on at the same time. Pipes made it run better and then the next day I did the air cleaner and it ran even better. Nothing needs to be done to the ecu, it will adapt perfectly.

The cover mounting bolts hold in the stinger, you did have the Stinger in it when you started it up?

Any air leaks upstream of the throttle blade only means unfiltered air is entering the engine. It should not have any impact on engine running. The presence, or absence, of the 'stinger' in the air filter housing means nothing, as it does next to nothing at anything other than full throttle running.

It's more likely you have accidentally loosened a connection to a fuel injector, the idle control solenoid, throttle position sensor, or perhaps the air flow sensor. You may want to check all of these connectors.

There is nothing about changing out the air filter that would, in itself, significantly change the running of the engine at idle or low engine speeds. Something else has occurred, and you should carefully retrace your steps of the install to see what else you may have accidentally impacted.

Hmm, now you have me wondering... Here's a video of some attempted starts with zero throttle input:
https://youtu.be/vhJwVO_YWMc

(Ignore the children shouting hello to me from the street)

Stock mufflers?