2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission How Do You Clean Your Air Filter?

[biggy238]

What have you guys found to be the best/easiest/most affective way to clean your reusable air filter?



I cleaned mine the other night and it took me almost two hours from start to finish. :{



Any Ideas are welcome.

 

[av8r]

Throw it in the garbage. :{ That's what I did when I found the dirt in my turbo ducting.



K&N are not reliable for your CTD. Go get a BHAF or at least a quality (Fleetguard) factory replacement.



Here comes the flame. :-{}

 

[biggy238]

$$$ When I feel my lower bowel rumble i'll yell for you to get the trash can to catch the money. I agree about the dust but until things let up I can't get another. It;ll have to do another 8000 or so until the truck is paid for. In the mean time... .

A standard BHAF was 50 some-odd dollars. I'm not paying that for disposable parts. It's just a rock and a hard spot i've found myself in.

 

[Hammer]

K&N are not reliable for your CTD

Here comes the flame.

Well av8r,

I can understand why you dislike the filter if you "quote" found dirt in your air system and threw it away,but,was it really the filters fault or could it have been a very poor fit to Ma Mopars junk,easily distorted air box?. Since we all know that the air boxes are a HUGE problem with fit did you even check to see if maybe that was the problem?. I'd bet not,but,what the heck toss it and your money into the trash and install the bhaf. Ok,you desired a flame shot there ya go and now I am done,LOL. BTW,we aim to please here so I couldn't let you slip on it.



Now with that out of the way and being more realistic the air boxes are a major problem and will pass dirt with even a paper filter. Most owners didn't even think of that when they first got their trucks and would just install the new flter and ride so the passed dirt would slip unnoticed. At any rate,K&N has a quality product which performs flawlessly in many applications and I feel they get a bad rap here because some owners refuse to admit they never checked their airboxes for fit or wouldnt admit the improperly over-oiled their filters when cleaning them. You could have this style problem with any oil-based drop in filter for your factory airbox and could have the excess oil problem with ANY design oil filter,AFE and Volant included. I also in my years here have even seen some owners trash the K&N style air filter for oil on the turbo impeller and when you read their signature they have a Walker Air-Sep installed on their truck so their driveway stays nice and tidey. Hmm,lets see here,reroute the crankcase ventalation into the turbo,which will keep my driveway all spiffy and oil free,then put a post up about my K&N filter which is causing my turbo impeller to have oil on it.



biggy,

At any rate to answer your question,time will vary for a proper cleaning and reoiling depending on how long it takes the filter to dry after its washed properly. When I had the drop in style filter I had 2 filters a Paper Fleetguard and my K&N,one to drop in while I cleaned and oiled the K&N. So when I did my service to my K&N,I washed it and allowed it to dry overnite. Then the next day I oiled it and laid it on a old screen which I sat over the trash can and allowed the excess oil to drain off. On the third day I would pick it up wipe the frame of the filter off and reinstall it. So your answer I would give is 3 days,yes its time consuming and meant I used the paper filter for a couple of days,but,when I reinstalled it I didn't have the excess oil problems guys whine about here. We do the same style cleaning with the filters for our fuel injection on our sprint cars. Clean them one day,oil them the next and allow them to drip off then reinstall them on the motor for the weekends battle. We have yet to ever have a engine failure due to dirt passed or excessive oiling of the filters. Done properly you will not have a problem just remember good things take time... ... ... Andy

 

[av8r]

Thanks for taking it easy on me, Hammer. :-laf



Actually I still have the @&%$ thing. I can't get the courage to toss it. I ran it in my CTD for 150k miles before I started reading here and found a few things to look for. Now I have a Fleetguard in it. As far as it not fitting, I can see your point, but it did (and still does) fit quite snug all the way around (just like the Fleetguard does). BHAF will come along as soon as I can.



I don't know if I was at fault for poor cleaning, or if it the design of the unit, but, either way its out now. And, I've lost confidence in a product that I thought was top shelf. :{

 

[dieselluver]

PM me for a BHAF and prefilter setup. I can get you a quality bhaf REALLY cheap.



Dieselluver

 

[biggy238]

Andy, Thanks.



I like the system you use. What did you actually use to clean the dirt? Normally this wouldn't be and issue but my air box had lost the sleeve from between it and the fender. In 1000 miles the filter went from clean to black and was pulling 8 or 10 on the drag-o-meter (I can't think for the life of my what the increments on that are. )

If it hadn't been so dirty I would have had such a time. I just wondered if anyone had a better system. Mine soaked in the supplied solvent and then in palmolive and nicely hot water and then a hot water rinse. IT did a good job. I just wondered if anything might have been faster. I'll probably pic up another paper filter and do as you said. I'll use the grease on the edges this time too and see about the outer seal.



It just seemed to me that the particulate on the turbo was extremely fine to have just passed around the edges. We'll see.

 

[CarlJensen]

My problem with the K&N was not the filter but the junk can that Dodge put it in! Never could get it to seal right so I went to BHAF out of frustration. Used to use Dawn grease cutter on it, works prety well.

 

[CMckee]

just a quick note , you mentioned you used hot water on it, that is a no no as the filter medium is cotton and will shrink with the hot water. i have had mine in for 2 years now, no oil on turbo no dirty turbo. it fits good and snug in the factory box and i usually do the clean overnite as well.

 

[biggy238]

Yet another reason to ditch that damned thing



So cold wash rinse cycle and line dried ya say??



JC whitney has AFE blue filters that should fit. They worth anything or should I skip? $44 seemed nice for the size filter it was. 4 inch outlet, 6inch base and 9 inches tall.

 

[tazzen]

I just cleaned my AFE tonight for the first time and was going to let it sit overnite and oil tomorrow night. hmmm guess i was doing the right thing. I was just going to post somthing like that . this site is great every time i go to do somthing or have a problem with somthing someone else has already just posted it.



Ed

 

[RichB59]

I use dawn dish soap.

I have the amsoil filter and use dawn dish soap. I can get it clean easily. I do have a question on the oil. Someone posted here to use the oil they use on motorcycle filters? Anyone have any experience with this or have a suggestion for something better? Mines due for its yearly cleaning.



Rich