How to Clean Aftermarket Air Filter?

[JWChessell]

I have an aftermarket washable air filter. I've been cleaning it by soaking it in kerosene, then blowing it dry with compressed air. Still, the kerosene takes a long time to evaporate/dry. Should I be using something else? Gasoline? Paint Thinner? Lacquer Thinner? A mix? Thx.

 

[jhenderson]

My first response is throw it away. They filter poorly. If you must keep it, wash it in soap and water, rinse well and air dry.

 

[jgillott]

I don't have a washable filter, but some that do here locally use Dawn dish soap and then let it dry as suggested. Easier yet is to just replace it with a good paper filter.

 

[HBarlow]

I agree with the suggestion to throw it away. The OEM paper filter does a much better job of filtering and will allow making more power.

 

[Bob4x4]

The OEM paper filter does a much better job of filtering and will allow making more power.

No,,,,,
There are many types of air filters that are washable that do a very good job of filtering and will be needed to produce maximum power. Dyno proven. Not armchair qb talk

For washing-solvents are not recommended . $10-15 will get you a cleaning kit to do the job correctly

 

[HBarlow]

Bob,

What makes you think the op has an engine modified to produce 500 hp or more?

You have your opinion like everyone else does but when it runs counter to what Joe Donnelly has repeatedly written in his articles in TDR magazine I'll ignore your opinion and go with what Joe has written.

 

[NIsaacs]

I don't use them but I have customers that do, what a pain it the rear. If I charged them for the actual time involved they could buy a drop in factory filter. Might as well go back to the oil bath type, at least they worked



Nick

 

[cerberusiam]

Follow manufacturers recs on cleaning. If they don't have any, toss it and go with a dry filter and Outerwears filter cover.

The wet filters will all contaminate the intake tract with the oil to some degree. Doesn't hurt much put it is a pain to clean. If you still have the stock box the deep pleat FL filters will support up to 500 HP and flow for 40 psi of boost while maintianing excellent filtration, dyno and use proven.

 

[Bill Stockard]

I don't use them but I have customers that do, what a pain it the rear. If I charged them for the actual time involved they could buy a drop in factory filter. Might as well go back to the oil bath type, at least they worked

Nick

Oil bath air cleaners aren't effective when the engine is idling or running at slow speed. An oil bath air cleaner depends on having enough air flowing through it to keep the metal gauze filtering media constantly bathed in oil to attract/trap dirt particles. At slow engine speeds, this doesn't occur and it's why diesel engine manufacturers changed over to the more efficient at all engine speeds dry type years ago. Also there is a much less of a chance of diesel engine "run-away" using a dry filter vs. an oil bath air cleaner.

Bill

 

[BigPapa]

I have an aftermarket washable air filter. I've been cleaning it by soaking it in kerosene, then blowing it dry with compressed air. Still, the kerosene takes a long time to evaporate/dry. Should I be using something else? Gasoline? Paint Thinner? Lacquer Thinner? A mix? Thx.

I've sold K&N's for years in the motorcycle business. Keeping them cleaned and properly oiled is the key. That said, they still don't filter as well as a paper filter.

JW, I would say from your description of how you have serviced this filter you've probably ruined it. All manufacturers offer the proper chemicals to service them with. I would not suggest any other method. Blowing the filter out with compressed air is probably the biggest and most common mistake. It separates the fibers.

K&N has a filter cleaner that is acid based. Their instructions are to "knock" large particles from the filter first by tapping the end on a hard surface. Then, spray the cleaner on, saturating the gauze. Let it sit for 10 minutes. Any longer and the acid deteriorates the gauze. Then, run cool tap water through from the inside out at low pressure until clean. If necessary repeat. Then, let the filter sit and air dry, no blowing or heat. Heat also causes the gauze to shrink and separate. It will generally take 18-24 hours to dry thoroughly. After dry, apply the correct oil, no substitutions. K&N's oil is red so you can see when the gauze is properly oiled. I would then suggest that you let it sit another 6-8 hours then take a paper towel and press against the screen to remove any excess oil that was not absorbed.

I've always suggested that if you want to run one of these filters to get two so you can just swap it instead of taking the vehicle down for the 2 days needed to service the filter.

I run a paper element filter myself.

 

[Bob4x4]

I have always run oiled filters on my dirt bikes also never had any issues with lack of filtration. In the last 20 years its all been off road in the desert or sand dunes. No stock engines but high reving 2 strokes with above twice the oem power levels.

 

[cerberusiam]

A 2 stroke motorcycle engines doesn't ingest 2000 CFM of air thru a relatively small area. You would need 10 of them to handle the requirments of 30 lbs of boost on a 5. 9 while maintaining an adequate pressure differnetial. Othwerwise, it just sucks the dirt and oil right thru the spaces in the media. K&N tested the WORST for this exact thing. Any oiled filter that is relying on an oil film to stop the particles will suffer the same fate at some point.

 

[Bob4x4]

Lol I never said anything about k$n. my friends and I have run our choice of oiled filters all over Baja. Through silt beds up beaches and wherever needed while chasing for the races and pre running as well. There seems to be a large disparity between reality and being pc. my brand of choice went through extensive testing by an independent lab with excellent results for filtration,dirt holding capacity and yes oil anyalisis for silica as well. My 94-very old is still happy as is my much newer but still old 05

 

[Bob4x4]

A 2 stroke motorcycle engines doesn't ingest 2000 CFM of air thru a relatively small area. You would need 10 of them to handle the requirments of 30 lbs of boost on a 5. 9 while maintaining an adequate pressure differnetial. Othwerwise, it just sucks the dirt and oil right thru the spaces in the media. K&N tested the WORST for this exact thing. Any oiled filter that is relying on an oil film to stop the particles will suffer the same fate at some point.

I guess I could do the math to see what the airflow for a300cc 2 stroke with crazy porting through. 44mm carb at 12k rpm.....

 

[AH64ID]

For the "bone stock" truck in your sig you cannot do better than the OEM 4" pleat filter.

Part number 53034249AA

 

[cerberusiam]

I guess I could do the math to see what the airflow for a300cc 2 stroke with crazy porting through. 44mm carb at 12k rpm.....

About 57 CFM.

A turbo capable of flowing 100 lbs\min of typical air will need 1300 CFM of supply.

 

[Bob4x4]

For the "bone stock" truck in your sig you cannot do better than the OEM 4" pleat filter.



Part number 53034249AA

That I agree with and sell a ton of them for those app's

 

[BigPapa]

Most motorcycle and ATV air filters use an oiled, dual density foam element and most people run an Outerware on top of that. These are best cleaned with dish soap and warm water.

 

[AH64ID]

That I agree with and sell a ton of them for those app's

It's the only stock filter on my truck, and I have been very impressed with it. I am changing to a new one because the old one is 2. 5 years old, but I still can't move the filter minder at 415 rwhp, and with it turned up to about 500 rwhp it just starts to move it, barely. That's with 25K miles on the filter, and a LOT of very dusty driving.

 

[Prairie Dog]

If you blew it out with compressed air then it's full of holes now. Hold it up to the sun and you'll see them - made the same mistake myself years ago on MC.

As said before, the new 4" pleated paper filter will flow just as well and filter better.