Thread: K & N FILTERS

Originally Posted by rick130

yep, found that when I last serviced it over twelve months ago. There was also a fair bit of buildup of muck all the way to inlet manifold. It was the father-in-laws before we nicked it, and servicing has never been his strong suit. Most of the farm equipment hadn't been serviced for years when we turned up to run the place 5 years ago.
Since left, (with tractor ) so don't have to worry about the neglect anymore.

Yes - servicing is the key to oil bath aircleaners - if the oil gets too low or too gooey they will let dust through. Servicing is the key to paper filters as well - but usually they just choke up rather than letting the dust through, although some when choked up can't stand the pressure differential and buckle allowing unfiltered air through. In severe conditions the aircleaner (of whatever type) may need servicing several times a day. This can be made easier if you have a cyclone type separator as a precleaner, as on my Chamberlain 306 tractor - takes thirty seconds to empty perhaps half a cup of dust out several times a day, and you don't even have to stop the engine. In the usual car situation this is collected in the main aircleaner, and some road situations can be as bad as anything in the paddock - and even with a snorkel you are getting the air from a metre or so lower than the tractor.

John

Originally Posted by JDNSW

Yes - servicing is the key to oil bath aircleaners - if the oil gets too low or too gooey they will let dust through. Servicing is the key to paper filters as well - but usually they just choke up rather than letting the dust through, although some when choked up can't stand the pressure differential and buckle allowing unfiltered air through. In severe conditions the aircleaner (of whatever type) may need servicing several times a day. This can be made easier if you have a cyclone type separator as a precleaner, as on my Chamberlain 306 tractor - takes thirty seconds to empty perhaps half a cup of dust out several times a day, and you don't even have to stop the engine. In the usual car situation this is collected in the main aircleaner, and some road situations can be as bad as anything in the paddock - and even with a snorkel you are getting the air from a metre or so lower than the tractor.

John

So, JD

You're suggesting that rather than go with the K&N we should all be attaching Dyson bagless vacuum cleaners to the air intake?




Cheers
Simon

I run a K&N with a pre-filter in the snorkel. No dust problems here although I need to get into the dust a bit more often

Muddy

Originally Posted by abaddonxi

So, JD

You're suggesting that rather than go with the K&N we should all be attaching Dyson bagless vacuum cleaners to the air intake?




Cheers
Simon

No - in addition, not rather than. If you are operating in dusty conditions a centrifugal precleaner collects the bulk of the dust before it gets to the main filter, so the main filter only has to get the real fine stuff (which the K&N doesn't anyway). A centrifugal filter only is not adequate, but they are easy to clean, and do not need an element replaced, and greatly increase the service interval for the main element. See almost any tractor or earthmoving equipment and many heavy trucks.

John

I had the unfortunate experience of having a unifilter disintegrate after about 80,000 km. I was fairly good on the service intervals around 5000 or when required on inspection. It was oiled as per instructions. However a large 10cm diameter piece let go and went through the inlet turbo bending a impellor fin. Required removal of the turbo to have fin straightened and clean of intercooler.

There was no indication of the foam being fatigued it just pulled the bottom of the filter apart. Luckily the turbo survived and I can only assume the foam was burnt through the cylinder on combustion. I too had the impression that they worked better for increase of air flow etc. I'm now back on the paper filter.