Dust in my intake!!!

[Power Wagon]

I put on a K&N about 10K miles ago, and noticed the hose and housing had a very faint appearance of dust in them. I cleaned out both and went on my way.



I had the filter out to check it's cleanliness yesterday and BEHOLD, there is dust in the tube.



Thinking perhaps I had a bad filter or something, I searched the filter... not seeing anything from the outside, I proceeded to search the inside. It is absolutely pristine inside. Not a t race of the light colored dust, anywhere.



Well, I've been offroad and all over, in some immensely dusty places, so I expected the filter to be dirty (it was, still is), but I could NOT find anything wrong with the filter.



As I was putting it all back to gether, I realized the cover - the part the tube clamps to, had a dusty ring around part of it. It looks to me like it leaked through the gasket on the front of the filter, so I looked at it. It's perfect, it appears, no dents, tears, or anything.



I put it all back together, and realize that my entire front cover is WARPED!!! #@$%!



Apparently, it created an ever-so-slight gap between a short section of the gasket and the cover, because it deposited dirt in a narrow streak along the "lip" of the cover that goes inside the filter.



This is probably the source for the dust last time. It had a brand new filter last time. I suspect it was just cleaned before I got it.



I have no idea what one costs, but if you have any suggestions for a quick fix... I'm thinking self-stick foam in a thicker - wider band around it to help seal... I dunno. Ideas?

 

[JHansen]

That sucks Mark (literally as well as figuratively I suppose ). I'm thinking along the same lines as you-an extra piece of sticky-back foam to seal things up. Maybe some of that stuff they use to seal heater cores to the housings-when we did Dad's Caravan it came with some stuff that was extremely dense-no dirt would get through that. I think you can buy it from an automotive HVAC shop-seems to me I used to see it in the Everco catalogs when I was still slinging parts.



HTH

J

 

[Wayno]

Dont fill like the Lone Ranger Power Wagon, I got the same thing happening on my 92 and my air filter is held on the air filter houseing with a wing nut and I have tighten it with pliers. I know the 93 air filter just slides on to the houseing. I took my K&N out and put a Fleetgaurd in its place to see if the dust goes away. I am begening to thing that the turbos are pulling to much air volume for the K&N. Thats all I can figure. Might not have that problem on a carb. engine?????

 

[hdm48]

Believe me when I say you are NOT over taxing the air filter. It will flow 2 times the air than a paper filter. If you are not sealing at the seal or the nut end you are going to get dust in there because just like water or gas it will seek out the path with the least resistance. If your end cover is warped I would put some silicone on it and some wax paper on the filter seal and put it together. wait a couple hours the pull it apart and you will have a perfect match. coat the seal with some K&N filter sealing oil and there you go.

I'll bet 90% of the people running K&N filters don't know that you should put sealing oil on the filter. If you don't dust can and will make it's way past the seal.

Just my 2C



--dave--

 

[Steve Campbell]

I think some one else suggested a little dab .....

of grease in the affected area would also solve the problem. The silicone sounds like it would be less messy in the long run.

 

[Wayno]

I put a rubber washer behind the wing nut that holds the filter to the houseing when I first put my K&N in, should not be any dust getting thru there. I might of lost 1/2 to 1 pound of boost when I put the Fleetgaurd filter in and I havent seen much gain in exhaust temps and I can hear my turbo whining now, never heard it before. I am going to run the Fleetgaurd for awhile an see if I get any dust in my intake tube?

 

[Diesel Freak]

a little grease goes a long way!