k&n filter maintainence sub...

Can one use let's say Simple Green to clean the filter and a light weight oil afterwards?

K&n says the red in the oil is there to identify places one may have missed on first pass, big deal.

ten bucks for the kit vs. what laying around in the shop don't make sense.

Thanks,

Mike #300

i wouldn't use the simple green but some normal dishwashing liquid would be ok to clean it with. As for oil why risk it?

cause i learned from experience that many "speciality" products are actually repackaged common everyday entities.

and to be really honest, for the first time in my 45 years i'm actually being frugal, where normally i'd err on the side of overkill and pee money away.

i have great motivation to accumulate enough money for a down payment on a house in fl., vs. coexisting with the crap that just fell outside my window here in ny.

aren't you glad you replied?!?

thanks, appreciate the cleaner advice...

Mike #300

use a light detergent, ie dishwashing soap. I wouldnt use simple green it is a pretty stout cleaner.

Still trying to figure out what might be an equivalent weight oil.

Thanks,

Mike #300

I myslef would throw away that K&N crap filter and go with a stock, or even a AMSOIL one, you might pay a bit more but its worth it! I cleaned my buddys K&N air filter for him, when I looked and throtle body, there was a 1/8 in of silty dirt or the butterfly and down into the intake. They say K&N are good, they are not worth there weight in s**t.

If you saw that much grime with a K&N I have only two explanations: either the grit was there before the switch, or you mistook the million mile warranty for only needs cleaning every million miles. K&N clearly states the cleaning schedule(for overly dusty environments, etc.) in the owners manual. Follow this and you are golden. If this was such a bad idea, why are so many filter makers now copying the oiled gauze?

Gotta agree with Krawler, I just pulled my homemade cone set-up, praobably let it go too long, (nothing ridiculous, maybe double what's recommended, but can't recall maintenance schedule), and I could still see plenty of daylight via the inside out.
My inspection is (now was) :speepin: do, so I bought a couple of cans of gumout to clean up the tb. No grit at all down there, the floor of the intake manifold was pristine. More carbon than I would have liked to have seen in the tb itself, so a little toothbrush/rag worked fixed that. Not k&ns' fault.

All in all, very happy with k&n, just would like so save some $ and I know some half empty container of Mobil 1 or tranny fluid or whatever lying around the garage would probably spray fine in a pump sprayer.

Thanks,

Mike #300

Even if you where to keep that filter oiled and cleaned, if you take it out and look at the sun through the filter you can see millions of holes, basicly you can see sun. Now if you would like a little education read on, I'm no expert or anythang, but your eyes can see down to about 40 micron. and most of your engine ware will be in the 30 to 25 and less micron, now if you luck out your oil filter might filter out some of that, so if you run a K&N you are getting dirt in the motor. plan and simple. K&N has even sayed they know there filters let dirt in the motor. One reason you see so many people in the race series run K&N is because they tear there motor down and often. I can tell you that the AMSOIL filters ARE BETTER!! period.

Your local motorcycle shop will have air filter oil available. Read the can first! There is oil intended for use on foam filters and oil for cotton gauze filters. Of course you want the cotton gauze one.

triple 4 said:

Even if you where to keep that filter oiled and cleaned, if you take it out and look at the sun through the filter you can see millions of holes, basicly you can see sun. Now if you would like a little education read on, I'm no expert or anythang, but your eyes can see down to about 40 micron. and most of your engine ware will be in the 30 to 25 and less micron, now if you luck out your oil filter might filter out some of that, so if you run a K&N you are getting dirt in the motor. plan and simple. K&N has even sayed they know there filters let dirt in the motor. One reason you see so many people in the race series run K&N is because they tear there motor down and often. I can tell you that the AMSOIL filters ARE BETTER!! period.

Click to expand...

must be a salesman...or smoking crack.......

as far as the argument about letting the K&N filter going too long without cleaning=letting MORE dirt in doesn't make much sense...

the more dirt on the filter, the greater its ability to collect more dirt. so a dirtier filter wil actually filter more dirt out of the air--only catch is (obviously) your airflow will become more restricted

I've run a small (5x5) round K&N on the end of my stock air tube for several years. I've run it till you can't see any pleats because they are full of dirt. I've not had anymore accumulation of dirt in the throttle body than with the factory filter setup. The key is having it properly oiled. I have seen lots of filters that let in a lot of dirt. K&N, and others, including OEM styles. In every case, the filter was not properly oiled, was damaged, or didn't fit and seal properly. For example, before running the open element, I got a K&N factory replacement which did not fit the airbox properly. I've also seen the same w/ many replacement filters not fitting correctly.
Anyways, regarding servicing. I've always used the K&N oil, but have used regular detergent, including Simple Green, to clean it. I always tend to oil the filter on the excessive side, and let it sit for a day or two to allow the excess to run off. As far as the filter getting dirty, K&N in its own literature says to let the filter accumulate as it improves filtration and doesn't restrict flow substantially. Like I said, I've run mine till you can't see the pleats, and when cleaned (3 times in 80K), it only makes a noticeable difference in noise from the intake. To each his own I guess.
And as far as seeing daylight through the element, lots of filters, including OEM allow light to pass through. If properly oiled, they still catch the majority of dirt.

Brian

One of the main reasons I cleaned it this week is because my inspection's due (well, was due:gag: ), and as usual, in this stinkin' blue state, successfully attempts to lib. you to death, whether we're talkin' permits to hike public trails, personal self-protection in public;read 2nd. amnd), or pc in the form of yer mode of transportation:soapbox: are the norm. 55mph, please....

For the last five years my emissions numbers have been creeping up, so before I get my next inspection, I even sometimes emory cloth the internal dist. contacts to max the chance of passing. Luckingly I got an old-timer who understands the old days. Does anyone remember using old pants belts as bearing journals/caps?!?. Seriously, I heard this story at his shop.

Anyways, like I mentioned in one of my latest posts, even with the pleats clear as day, not even in the sunlight, but in a pathetically lit garage, the floor of the intake manifold was as clean as if it came out of the factory.

Explorer, it's funny you say you let the filter sit to absorb the oil. The day I thought I had my inspection lined up, the night before I gently dried the filter with a hair dryer, and then after it dried and was oiled, I spontaneously placed it far enough (I thought) from a 30k btu propane torpedo heater :dunno: in my garage. Within like 10-15 minutes I had a puddle of k&n oil on top of the shelf. Talk about saturation point.

Try wrapping this around yer brain; When I stupidly owned a superbike, one of the guys on the forum recommened breaking in the new engine with NO filter, his logic being all that dusty grit will make a great break-in medium.

We report, you decide. :jester:

Mike #300