D.I.Y Free Air Filter ReOiling Session

[HaiR1]

I do service my AirFilter every 10 000km or earlier coz I sayang my bike n tour often on NSHW..

 

[Isopropyl]

Well... Typically, recommended is to change every 10 000km or 1 year( whichever comes 1st )

If those with washable type, service it abt 10 000km or so..

 

Many factors may affect the conditions of the filter.

Eg (dusty/sandy environment n ECT)

 

I'm sure U wouldn't want to risk damaging your engine coz of nt servicing the filter or Replacing the worn-out Stock AirFilter to "save few bucks of your money"

 

Worth saving $$ or being Plain- Lazy..??

Think again . . . .

 

it not about saving money or being lazy. do read up K&N website carefully on their recommendation.

 

To be more specific, the filter does not require cleaning if you can still see the wire screen on the entire air filter regardless of how dirty it may appear......

 

Source

 

Air filters typically plug very slowly, and initial filter restriction may not occur until 50,000 miles or more depending on operating conditions......K&N Air filters become more efficient at stopping dirt as they build a dust film......

 

Source

Edited October 28, 2012 by Isopropyl

[HaiR1]

it not about saving money or being lazy. do read up K&N website carefully on their recommendation.

 

 

 

Source

 

 

 

Source

 

 

 

 

 

To-Each-His-Own

[Isopropyl]

changing or cleaning the filter too often might actually do more harm then good.

 

For all of you, here's a quote from an engineer at Parker Filtration that is the basic precept of air filter maintenance :

 

"Ninety percent of the lifetime amount of dirt that passes through a filter does so in the first 10 percent of use."

 

Any filter has an initial efficiency rating and a final efficiency rating. The initial rating is done after the filter has had 20 grams of either fine or coarse grade dust applied at a specific flow rated based on the maximum flow capability of the filter. The final rating is take when the filter reaches 20-25 inches of water restriction at that flow. A filter could start out at 97 percent initial efficiency and end up at 99.9 percent on the final. The final figure is the one touted during advertising. Typically, by the time the filter has reached 20 percent of its lifetime, efficiency has improve 1-3 percent. This is why changing a filter too early causes more dirt ingestion than changing it a little late. Changing your air filter too often is killing your engine with kindness, more or less. A one percent increase in filtration efficiency is a 50 percent decrease in contaminants passing thru the filter.

 

I asked why both efficiencies are not commonly listed and the gist of what I was told is that, often, they don't even test it and if they do, it improves so much and so rapidly that it's immaterial.

 

Bear in mind that any filter will test better, efficiency-wise, on coarse dust vs fine dust. Both types have the same size particles in them, a range from 2-200 , but the percentages of each changes. The fine grade dust has more fines in it, obviously, and fines pass thru any filter more easily.

 

I interviewed two engineers for a project, both specialists in air filtration, and both said it's best to leave the filter in place rather than constantly molesting it. They especially cautioned against blowing, tapping and attempting to clean them, though they conceded that a careful person could probably get back a few thousand miles of life from a careful cleaning. A big danger is that you will mess up the seals on the filter and when you reinstall the used filter and it won't properly seal the second time around. How likely that is depends on the construction of the seals and that varies considerably by design and the quality of construction. Those engineers, and others besides, recommend using a restriction gauge as the sole arbiter of when it time to change an air filter.

 

Lotta money being wasted by some of you people. Don't you know that air filter efficiency improves as the filter loads up? You are actually doing more harm replacing a slightly dirty filter for that reason, plus when you open the air box up, you are letting dirt in by accident. On top of that, as you will read below, fuel economy isn't effected until the filter gets so plugged the car basically won't run. Power may be effected but since the average filter has 20-40 percent more airflow capacity than the engine can use, you have that percentage to play with before power is effected. There's where a restriction gauge plays a part (read below).

 

I have access to a flow bench (Superflow SF600) and tested the stock air filter assembly on my F150. It flowed an average of 621.58 cfm @ 28" H2O. When I calculate the airflow needs of the 5.4L engine at it's rated maximum power (300 hp @ 5000 rpm) it's 480 cfm figuring 100% VE, so I have 23 percent to play with (it's less really because 100% VE isn't often achievable... usually 0.85 is more real world and that gives me nearer my 40 percent)

 

So, my cars now have air filter restriction gauges and the air fitlers aren't touched until restriction reached 2.5kPa or, if I have the manufacturers spec, I'd use that. Actually, 2.5kPa (about 10" H20 may be conservative)... the generic upper limit I've found is 5kPa (20" H20). Going on about 5 years with our Honda and three on the F150 and neither is anywhere near 2.5 kPa.

 

LookHere: Air Filters & Fuel Economy http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/pdfs/Air_Filter_Effects_02_26_2009.pdf

 

This 2009 report tests the effect of dirty air filter on fuel economy using standard EPA dyno routines. They used later model EFI cars (2003-2007)and one 1975 carbureted car. The conclusion what that the fuel injection could compensate for the restriction up to the point where the car's performance had deteriorated to barely running and fuel economy decreased only by a percent or so. Performance degraded, of course. The carbureted car was more effected but fuel economy wasn't lowered by nearly as much as "common knowledge" dictates... only 2.5 percent.

 

In every case lower end performance was unaffected until the restriction reached the level at which insufficient air was being inhaled. Performance dropped mightily at that point but the EFI could still trim fuel to keep the mixture about right. They found that in "normal" driving situation, the car was almost unaffected by a clogged filter because the airflow needs were so low. In a few cases, the filters were so clogged that the engine sucked them into the intake tube when they tried to make full power tests.

 

 

source

[Isopropyl]

guys, just to update. recommendation from K&N themselves for those that is using their air filter.

 

in their facilities, they have their own laboratories and equipment for air flow / filtration tests so i pretty sure they tested and have the data to back their recommendation.

 

yeah... after all it is not about trying to save a few buck or being lazy isn't it:cool:

 

Hello,

 

Thank you for contacting K&N regarding filter care. We suggest on motorcycles to check every oil change, and clean if necessary. That is if, the dirt meets or exceeds the wire mesh on the filter.

 

Thank You,

 

Lisa Kubo

Product Specialist

K&N Engineering