CLEAN AIR FILTER

[felix7]

This is so asy I can't believe I'm asking for advice. But ... what's the best way to clean a foam air filter without buying expensive air cleaner cleaners and air filter oil. I have been told not to wash the dirty foam air filter in petrol (it apparently rots the foam); use hot water and detergent (?); special oil; kerosene; etc.
Then re-oil with SAE30; special stuff; or whatever.
No, I'm not a cheapskate but there must be a simple way to do the most simple of jobs. By the way the bike's a Bultaco. All help accepted with a smile - Felix

[Viper666]

Petrol & other solvent types actually expand the foam so holes that might have been 2 microns now are 4 or larger and risk letting dust through. Although if sufficiently oil they should still work alright but is it worth the risk?

There are some great products out there, and expensive, but I find 2 to 3 times through the mineral turps bath does the trick. I reuse old baths for the first wash as this is to dislodge the bigger stuff using fresh for last. I have spare filters so if the filter is muddy I use another so I can properly clean it. First with turps then with detergent, dry then through the turps again.

I dry with a heat gun and oil with Motul in a large ice cream container. Tipping unused oil back into the original container.

I use spray on oil to spray around the air box & covers, you would be amazed how much dirt this traps stopping it getting to your filter and inside the manifold throat, before carby, to catch any nasties that get passed. I do this so that when I remove the filter I look inside and have yet to find anything but if I do I know I have a sealing problem. I also grease around the sealing surface of the filter.

If I have been for a short ride or practice with little or no dust I just check the filter and if it looks good I give it a light spray with the can stuff but let it dry, tacky, before starting. ALWAYS clean a filter after pressure washing & never start it till you do. Water can pool on the filter and, if sufficient in size, will suck in as a blob taking contaminants with it. I destroyed a new motor in less than 20 seconds starting it after washing.

Hope this helps.

Viper666

[EML]

When I worked in Europe with sidecar crosser Hansi Bachtold, he taught me more in an hour about washing bikes than I had learnt in the previous 20yrs.
We used to wash the filters in hot soapy water up to 8 times to get all of the grit out.
As a test, and I still do this, after you are happy with what you think is a clean filter, let it sit for 5 mins then with a fresh tub/bucket of hot soapy water( not too sudsy) give it a last rinse, then let that water cool and swirl it around, then let it settle for a minute-then see what settled in the bottom. Rub the residue between your fingers and imagine it in your bore, you will get the picture pretty quickly.
There is also a special method to reoiling the foam to ensure it's the same each time(for jetting etc...)
 but if I told you that I would have to kill you.
ps NEVER wring the filter through your hands as this stretches the pores of the foam- rather just squeeze it between your hands in a ball.

[RMJJ]

After the best part of 30 years washing filters in petrol I decided to give the warm water and washing up liquid method a try.
Superb results were obtained. After as EML says about 8 to 10 wash and rinse cycles it comes up like new.
I use the blue Putonlene stuff, after washing the gfilter is back to a creamy white colour, no signs of blue oil or dirt.
I decided to try this method as petrol is so expensive in the UK now but mainly because none of my borders are able to sustain life anymore 

[All Things 414]

what's the best way to clean a foam air filter without buying expensive air cleaner cleaners and air filter oil.

Yeah. Air filter oils and cleaners are so much more expensive than Bultaco engines. I usually get Armorguard to pick mine up from the bike shop and deliver it under the cloak of darkness at about 2 AM when my Rottweiners are at their hungriest and then.......

Proper filter oils actually stick better to your filter and wont run to bottom of the thing leaving it dry on top. The only time I've heard of anyone running engine oils in filters these days was to put a partial amount in with the filter oil to stop it drying out on long desert type runs.
Oil is a lot cheaper than metal....

[suzuki27]

Have you guys got a day job?  A good swish through the mineral turpentine-squeeze out the excess, then into warm soapy water followed buy a run under the tap(clean flowing water). Squeeze dry then hang on the line until really dry then oil, insert and off.

[zman]

yeah i agree turps and hot soapy water works well

[felix7]

Many thanks to bothering to answer my simple question. It enforces my belief in this forum. Turps, soapy water and filter oil it is!
All Things 414: your sarcasm - given you also have something Spanish between your legs - is insulting. Accurate, but insulting. Yes, the implications on my behalf certainly looked cheap. And I take your point that oil is cheaper than metal. But humour me, please.

[jimg1au]

felix 7
i use this method
degreaser soak in first,2nd wash in water,3rd wash in truck wash and water,keep rinsing in fresh water till no more grit in bottom of bucket.dry and apply air filter oil.use what ever brand you like
cheers
jim

[Ji Gantor]

Some one on here suggested using the clothes dry to dry the filter if you don't have time to wait for it to air dry which in the colder months can take up to 2 days. I now use the dryer all the time as I run three bikes and can not afford the time to wait.

Ji

[All Things 414]

  humour me, please.

Ok. What do you call a male cow covered in salsa and wedged between two corn shells?

Are you ready (giggle)

I don't know how I come up with this stuff I really don't.....

A BULL-TACO
Haw, haw, hawwwwww. 

[TeeBone]

I only wash in Turps (twice) then in water and soap to remove the residual. My oil of choice? Belray. In over 20 years of using it, I have NEVER dusted a motor and I lived and raced in the Pilbara for 10 of those years.


I wonder if the oil flow meter will come out!

[bazza]

same as SUZUKI 27   have never had a vintage motor with crap in it in 18yrs and longer for my modern rides

[firko]

I hand wash the filter using liquid washing up detergent and squeeze it dry. I then put it in the washing machine along with my load of garage rags (while the houshold ladies are otherwise preoccupied). Once it's washed I hang it on the line until dry. I then use Uni Filter filter oil thinned a little with 10w/50 squeezed through. When I raced I often did two filters at the same time and put the other in a ziploc bag so I'd have a fresh oiled filter at the ready if needed. Geoff Eldridge put me onto the washing machine method and in 30 odd years it's never let me down (and I've never been caught using the washer).

[bazza]

Firko you deviant I must talk to the lady of the house at Castle de Firko