Difference between 78 and 79 Intruder?

[Metalman]

I have a new hood for a 78 Intruder that was still in the plastic when a guy threw it in with an Invader I bought. I have not even been able to give it away so I was planning on taking it to the landfill and even had it on the trailer ready to go when I had second thoughts about scrapping it and maybe using it.
 I have an extra running 79 Intruder with a pretty beat up hood and thought about putting the 78 hood on it. What is difference between the air intake on a 78 and 79 Intruder?Would I be ok to just put the 78 hood on a 79 and go with it?

[Lloyd (ljm)]

I would think you would be just fine.

[mswyka]

The 78 exhausts the air off of the cylinders differently than the 79.  79 and newer shoot the air straight up off of the PTO cylinder.  The 78 ducted the air into a channel formed into the hood.  To have it work properly you would want to get a 78 cylinder shroud for your engine.  I think that the objective is to move the warm air out out from under the hood so that the intake air to the engine is as cold as possible.

[MaxThrottle]

Additionally, you will have to modify the 1979 instrument gauge panel to fit the 1978 hood. The 1978 instruments are centered on a smaller panel with the handlebars/hood. The 1979-82 gauges are offset to the left on a wider (invader type) panel behind the headlight.

[Metalman]

Thanks Guys! I see there is a 78 cylinder shroud on Ebay, I will have to look into the gauge issue and see what I can figure out. The more I think about it the more I would like to have a 78 hybrid. 

[MaxThrottle]

Here's what I'm taking about.........1978 versus 1979 dash.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kawasaki-Vintage-Snowmobile-Dash-59225-3505-1978-Intruder-2-/151080449224?pt=Snowmobile_Parts_Accessories&hash=item232d18b4c8&vxp=mtr

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kawasaki-Vintage-Snowmobile-Dash-59225-3508-1979-Intruder-3-/121142049593?pt=Snowmobile_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1c34a0fb39&vxp=mtr

[Metalman]

I found some pictures from the back of a 78, it looks like the oil and gas gauge panels are the same. The dash mounting bracket must be different though, also saw an ignition mounting bracket on Ebay. I will have to go out in the morning and get a good look at everything.