Air Filter Foam

[bluninja]

Hmmm, got a 'new' 25 year old GT200 X5 this week. Doing a few little checks and found the air filter foam is a crumbling fossilised mess (what's left of it). What foam can I get away with for the air filter, rather than going and buying some expensive stuff from Suzuki?

BTW my pre ride checks didn't work; 14 miles into the ride I lost the clutch, when the screws on the clutch cover vibrated loose I only noticed when the downchanges seemed a bit harsh. All tightened up and ok ...for now.

[badlieutenant]

I think I paid about 20$ in an auckland shop that gave me enough to make to filters. The uni-filter spray was dearer, I think.......

[Motu]

Seeing as it's obviously a budget project I'd just use panty hose crutch over the carbs...used of course,by the person of your choice - or you could buy your own,but oh,decisions,decisions....coffee,navy,chocolate,yo u might spend too much time in the shop.

[bluninja]

Seeing as it's obviously a budget project I'd just use panty hose crutch over the carbs...used of course,by the person of your choice - or you could buy your own,but oh,decisions,decisions....coffee,navy,chocolate,yo u might spend too much time in the shop.

If they are used, would I need to oil them??? Maybe this is the wrong road we're going down here but Motu you're right I don't want to spend much money on this bike, though I'm told it's a 'classic'...perhaps I should tart it up and sell it onto an enthusiast....nah I'll just ride it.

[badlieutenant]

Seeing as it's obviously a budget project I'd just use panty hose crutch over the carbs...used of course,by the person of your choice ......

LOL Ive done this and before you ask Im not telling..............

[F5 Dave]

unifilter make foam sheet. You can cut it to size & if it needs gluing super glue works fine but use a bit at a time at it goes hard. Normal foam filter oil.

[Bonez]

Hmmm, got a 'new' 25 year old GT200 X5 this week. Doing a few little checks and found the air filter foam is a crumbling fossilised mess (what's left of it). What foam can I get away with for the air filter, rather than going and buying some expensive stuff from Suzuki?

BTW my pre ride checks didn't work; 14 miles into the ride I lost the clutch, when the screws on the clutch cover vibrated loose I only noticed when the downchanges seemed a bit harsh. All tightened up and ok ...for now.

Para Rubber have two grades of filter foam in various thicknesses.
Here's a handy site for roll your own filters- http://www.dansmc.com/aircleaner.htm

[F5 Dave]

When I was somewhat younger & somewhat dumber I used normal foam & oiled that. Didn't go none to good.

[vifferman]

I've got some unifilter foam - it's actually quite cheap, about $23 for enough to do three average-sized filters. Looking at it, it's just fairly ordinary plastic foam about 20mm thick, with fairly small holes in it.

I had a foam filter made for my VF500 a few years ago - took the paper element (which had a metal basket) to a guy who made car filters, and he cut the paper off and used the basket to glue plastic foam onto. I did the same thing with my VTR1000 a couple of years ago - carefully cut the paper out with a sharp blade, then used silicon to glue the foam in. Worked brilliantly.

[badlieutenant]

I've got some unifilter foam - it's actually quite cheap, about $23 for enough to do three average-sized filters. Looking at it, it's just fairly ordinary plastic foam about 20mm thick, with fairly small holes in it.

I had a foam filter made for my VF500 a few years ago - took the paper element (which had a metal basket) to a guy who made car filters, and he cut the paper off and used the basket to glue plastic foam onto. I did the same thing with my VTR1000 a couple of years ago - carefully cut the paper out with a sharp blade, then used silicon to glue the foam in. Worked brilliantly.

I got sick of waiting for motomail to get a unifilter for my vfr and in the end used the same method as you viffer. When motomail did deliver a filter it wouldnt fit.
Ados glue works really well with the foam material.

[bluninja]

Thanks guys...dreading checking the plugs, the baffles, the oil filter, gearbox oil. But it gets me through the traffic to work and back (going to work is a novelty too hence the budget constraints).

[sir.pratt]

Para Rubber have two grades of filter foam in various thicknesses.
Here's a handy site for roll your own filters- http://www.dansmc.com/aircleaner.htm

Shouldn't take the ninjaman too long to pop down to Para Rubber

Maybe he could get an inflatable pool toy for that hot summer he's having

[bluninja]

In the end forked out for a sheet of filter foam from a local bike shop (£9 or $21 to you I guess)...enough for 3 filters. All fitted and oiled and back in place. Would have asked to borrow a pair of the missus's hose, but apparently they don't do double thickness gusset on tights any more...so there you go.

[Hoon]

Foam filters may be cheap but they aren't very good performance wise. I ditched my tired air filter in my zxr and replaced it with foam. My bike ended up being 0.2 - 0.3 sec and 5-10kph slower on the 1/4 mile.

Now I have a K&N but haven't had it back on the strip yet.

I had some intensive lab tests performed on the worn stock, foam, K&N filter in the sterile R&D Lab Facility at Hoon Racing Ltd (i.e. stretched my mouth over one end and sucked hard by the laundry sink in my garage) and the oiled foam had nowhere near the flow of the stock and K&N filter.

[F5 Dave]

Well this might interest you. On my YZF I replaced the clean paper air filter for a K&N direct replacement & the jetting requirement meant another size or so up on the mains as I lost over 10hp from being too lean.

Once the right jet was in the power curve was returned to as before, no better, no worse.

It was flowing more but there was another restriction in the inlet restricting power to that level.