Advice on Air Filter

[Papa Rick]

With it being so dry and dusty my Filter is only lasting 1 1/2 to 2 months, (as compared to 3 months when we were getting rain) from the dusty conditions that I am in, (Hauling Logs).

My question is could there be a better way or different way to do my air filter that could slow down the change out rate, as my filter cost $117.00

The air filter sits right on the left top of the engine right next to the firewall, and the air tube goes to the very front of the truck in behind the grill.

This may sound like a stupid question, but I am just trying to save money if possible.

[Kranky]

Air filter: $117.00

Complete engine overhaul: $7500.00 to 10,000.00

Sometimes saving a few dollars now can come back to bite you in the ass later.

There are precleaners available which take out some of the dust before it gets to the main filter, but these are for externally mounted air cleaners. They go on top in place of the "hat" on the air cleaner.

With your type of air cleaner under the hood, this wouldn't work.

Whatever you do, don't try to save money by blowing out the filter element with compressed air! That can damage the paper filter media, and the dust cloud created can cause dust to settle on the "clean" side of the element, where it will be immediately sucked into your engine when the filter is re installed.

[Papa Rick]

Does anyone know if it would be possible to find some type of foam filter to go over my air filter? This may not be feasible but thought it was worth a question to ask, as I am thinking about lawnmower engines you know that have the paper filter with the foam filter around it.

I know my Truck is not a Lawnmower, but it is worth a thought.

Any suggestions, advice, and wisdom would be greatly appreciated.

[Cam]

If this is none of my business you don't have to say anything because this will probably be my first and last post here. If I were you, I'd just direct all my questions to Splitshifter to start out with because he seems to know an unusually great amount about all this. That's not saying others couldn't chime in too. That said, I'm outta here and I hope you get what you are looking for.

[Papa Rick]

This may sound crazy but has anyone ever tried to use the foam like you put on the window A/C around your Air Filter.

I have a Baldwin PA 2631 and was wondering if this was a feasable option around the filter?

Or fix it on the air intake at the front the Truck where it starts out at. I asked a couple of shop mechanics about this and both said they had never heard of this, but it might work.

This way I could take it off each week and clean it, and in the same token save from having to buy the filter every month.

[Kranky]

You could try it and see how your restriction gauge responds.

If the restriction gauge goes way up with the foam rubber "prefilter" on there, then it's probably not a good idea, your engine would be starving for air.

On the other hand, if the restriction gauge does not move much with the foam rubber on there, then I suppose it's OK.

If you wrap it around the element just be sure no loose ends of the foam rubber get into the gasket area where it would cause a poor seal and allow dirt to get drawn in.

[Papa Rick]

Splitshifter Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 3:12 pm Post subject:

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You could try it and see how your restriction gauge responds

I don't have one on this Truck. Everything is pretty much mechanical on my Truck. Would it be hard to put one on it, and if so how would I go about that?

[jorlee]

Splitshifter Posted: Mon May 28, 2007 3:12 pm Post subject:

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You could try it and see how your restriction gauge responds

I don't have one on this Truck. Everything is pretty much mechanical on my Truck. Would it be hard to put one on it, and if so how would I go about that?

That would entirely depend which kind you get. I know of 2 kinds.

A simple pushbutton reset. That has green yellow and red area's. This kind saves the maximun restriction, until the reset button is pushed. Usually mounted next to the air cleaner.

The kind I've seen in trucks is a guage mounted on the dash of the truck, with a small tube going to the clean air side of the filter, obviously. It will show you the vacuum as it's happening. If your filter starts getting plugged the guage will show a pull of vacuum. I think most go up to 25 inches of vacuum.

As for installation of each. Should be pretty straightforward depending on how an addon kit is installed.

[Kranky]

Should be a 1/8 pipe plug in the air cleaner housing, or in the ductwork between the air cleaner and the turbo.

Remove that plug and connect the restriction gauge there.

The type that has the plunger which rises with increasing restriction can simply be screwed into the 1/8 pipe opening on the air cleaner, and you can check it each time you're under the hood checking the oil or whatever.

The other type of restriction gauge can be mounted in the dashboard and a plastic tube runs from the gauge to the connection on the air cleaner.

[special k]

I'd put the gauge in first to be sure the filter is actually plugged when you replace it. It won't be hard to do yourself or to get a shop to do it for you. On your prefilter idea a lot of off road trucks have similar things if you dig around some heavy equipment shops you might find something you can adapt. We dirt track motorcycles on stone dust (crushed limestone) tracks and for years in if it was really dusty you would wrap the K&N filter with a ladies stocking. Now you buy a prefilter just for that job. Thats the same principle as your foam idea. I would try it as an experiment just keep an eye on the restriction gauge and you won't hurt anything.

[Papa Rick]

Found the K&N Airforce Pre-Cleaner and bought one over the net, just waiting for it to come in. It states that it will stop 90% of the dirt yet restrict the filter's airflow by ony 2%. Heck I would be glad if it stops 50% of the dirt as I am in some very dusty (like powder) conditions..

Thanks for you advice, and I will post the results after doing this for a couple of weeks.