Cleaning air filters?

**vr4king** · 22nd February 2009, 20:09

Or no toil in the dishwasher works..............not sure if its a one brand thing but it seems to work well when used with all 3 products cleaner,oil,grease

Only dislike it the rim gease(damm that sounds wrong) seems to have like a clear liquid when you first squeeze the tube to apply it

**4stroke** · 22nd February 2009, 20:36

i wont usrim grease, its a arse of an idea if your bike is a bit tight to get the air filter in and out, generaly just give it a lil xtra oil on the rim, yeah it supose to enviromentaly freindly

**barty5** · 22nd February 2009, 21:13

Originally Posted by Buddy L

If your blowing out your Car's or road Bikes paper filter then maybe, but not for off road foam filters.
Over Oiling can also make your bike run like shit

Bike was having trouble sucking air through it

as it was so thick, haven't made that mistake again, took along time to find out that problem.

NO that will fuck your cars filters as well if its paper or cloth and it dirty throw the dam thing away blowing it out will only trash it moves all the fibers/cloth them it dosnt do what its ment to.

**Buddy L** · 22nd February 2009, 21:22

dam garage reckoned they just gave my filter a blow with the air gun at my last service and it didn't need replaceing!!!!!!!
Can't be arsed servicing my ute, only my bikes

**warewolf** · 23rd February 2009, 07:48

Air filter oil is like a glue that never quite sets, so it both stays in place in the filter and holds the dirt. Engine oil is simply the wrong thing to use in a modern filter.

I've long used NoToil with success. Recently swapped to motorex and it is very messy in comparison. My mate who was using motorex has swapped to NoToil and is well impressed! I'll be swapping back when this motorex oil is used up.

Originally Posted by flyingcr250

ive heard the no toil degreaser will only work on no toil filter oil, because the whole system is environmentaly friendly. is that the case???

Not true. Also, the notoil oil does not wash out in water (ie if you dunk your airbox); it washes out in detergent and water.

A notoiled filter almost rinses clean as soon as it is put in the notoil detergent. The oil & dirt just seems to fall right off. Notoil cleaner on regular air filter oil has to work a bit harder (need a bit stronger concentration of detergent) but still works fine. You can also boost your notoil detergent with regular laundry powder, if your filters are really dirty and/or using other brand oil.

Originally Posted by vr4king

Only dislike it the rim gease(damm that sounds wrong) seems to have like a clear liquid when you first squeeze the tube to apply it

Knead the tube to mix it before you use it. It separates a little when left standing.

**warewolf** · 23rd February 2009, 07:55

Originally Posted by Reckless

Its easy to get one corner sitting up in the Ktm.

The filter cage has been redesigned as a result. That troublesome back corner now has an extended ridge of plastic in that corner to guide the filter in to place. There are also now 3 pegs to hold the filter on the cage, instead of 1. If you need another filter, it's worth getting the upgraded cage, too.

**Reckless** · 23rd February 2009, 08:32

Originally Posted by warewolf

The filter cage has been redesigned as a result. That troublesome back corner now has an extended ridge of plastic in that corner to guide the filter in to place. There are also now 3 pegs to hold the filter on the cage, instead of 1. If you need another filter, it's worth getting the upgraded cage, too.

Funny enough I had the problem on the 08 not the 03? Lucky it was one of those damp enough not to be dusty and dry enough not to be muddy days after rain in the Fire breaks behind Whitianga over Xmas. Man some of those where steep! I reckon overall the 03 filter is easier to position in the hole than the 08 one? On the more modern cage the lips on the cage don't seem to protrude past the filter edge (where the grease is) as far. Its not a problem though, once you know to be a bit careful and check it properly.

**camchain** · 23rd February 2009, 16:02

You wouldn't get me using anything other than proper super-viscous and extra-tacky foam filter oil. No air filter is 100% effective so you need the best protection you can get.

During the ride, as airfilter is doing it's job of crap collecting - the available surface area for continued collection of crap is reducing all the time. More chance of nasty stuff finding it's way into the engine.

I use kero then laundry powder/water. I've found for first cleaning stage, dabbing filter into kero grubby side down and wiping at the same time, 95% of the crap drops off and this helps avoid contaminating the nice clean inside part of filter. I always turn them inside out after cleaning to check as well. I'm a fussy filter cleaner but I sometimes get a stray bit of sand/grit on the inside that needs to be tweezered out.

I like to let a freshly oiled filter sit out in the open for half an hour or more. Gives time for all the carrier to evaporate properly and get to max stickyness.

This is probably true for all types, but I noticed the No Toil oil needed a good shake before using, otherwise you get left with a strange (but important looking) thick goo at bottom of container.

Booom I wish I had your airfilter sponsor! I can't afford that many spares. lol
Extra filters definitely the way to go. I couldn't live with having to clean just one filter every time.

**B0000M** · 23rd February 2009, 17:21

Originally Posted by camchain

Booom I wish I had your airfilter sponsor! I can't afford that many spares. lol
Extra filters definitely the way to go. I couldn't live with having to clean just one filter every time.

thats divided between my bike, mrs's bike and usually a mate's bike which seems to live in my shed... i wish i had that many filters for my 1 bike too!

**marks** · 23rd February 2009, 18:03

we wash our filters in kero and then air dry for a few days before oiling with spectro filter oil (horrible sticky stringy stuff).

I have recently been told that not washing out the kero can dilute the air filter oil. We never seen any evidence of dirt getting past -but then maybe we never would?

Thoughts?

**4stroke** · 23rd February 2009, 18:15

you'd see the dirt on the piston when you do the rebuild, you can see the build up on the crown and in the valve pokets.

**Reckless** · 23rd February 2009, 18:18

The soap wash we do directly after the Kero rinse takes care of this Marks. You'd be surprised how much more crap comes out and its only a squirt of Dynamo out of my hand cleaner bottle into a bucket, no big deal.

To all in general, we are not talking about a long drawn out task here, only takes 10-15 mins max to wash and oil a filter if you take out the drying time.

But if you want to test your theory marks mix a little Kero with a little Filter oil and see if it changes the consistency/tackyness of the filter oil.

**Reckless** · 23rd February 2009, 18:21

Originally Posted by 4stroke

you'd see the dirt on the piston when you do the rebuild, you can see the build up on the crown and in the valve pokets.

You reckon you'd see grit on the inside of the boot just after the filter 4stroke? or is there to much vapour coming out the back of the carb which keeps that area washed?

**crazyxr250rider** · 23rd February 2009, 18:31

I just chuk mine in the washing machine with the overals at the workshop with normal clothes powder(they come out spottless) then re oil with normal castrol airfilter oil (the stuff in a bottle not the spray can type)
has to be a hot wash though otherwise it doesnt do shit