Foam Air Filters

Has anyone got some way to get away from using these type filters or a method for making them yourself? With all my bikes, the filter is just costing too much for my current operation.

They look simple enough to make ... Is the foam manufacturers are using now anything special or has some sort of air-filtration rating?

Clean air via this filter for the bike is about as important as oil and you can't cut corners in cases like this but I'm always looking to cut operating cost as much as possible for the long term. Short term out look, take better care of the ones I have and use the world-wide, motorcycle part supply line of honda\yamaha...

How are you cleaning them?

I have 5 or 6 filters that I rotate in and out of my 3 huskys, some of them going back to 2009 when I bought my first one. They are all still in good shap and have been cleaned many times. I have twin air and moose filters, both hold up well.

With proper care they should last for a very long time.

Later,

Wouldnt try to make my own filters as a blown motor is going to cost more than a bit of foam.
Here in the UK 24mx sells a pack of ten filters for £65 around $98, Here thats a good deal but not sure is its a good deal world wide, They also do the filter skins in packs of ten at a good price if its dust / sand thats your problem.

Ten for 98$ sounds reasonable if they last a few cleanings ...

Its not very dusky here at all really ... I have run some sort of skin also over my filter here till they got worn .... It was like they kept the inner foam filter 5x as clean, at least to the eye ... I was considering just cleaning the inner foam every 2nd time I cleaned the outer skin because the inner foam was so clean looking ... Not sure how good an idea that is either ...

I'm using the No Toil oil and cleaner and got past the glue issue coming off the foam due to the green NoToil oil issue ... Now, mine rip at the base where it fits against the air box too often or the foam just goes bad after a few cleanings and starts flaking off ...

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I'm thinking you have a good idea in several filters ... Seems I heard several of you guys say you have several filters ...

You just keep the extra ones oiled up and ready to be swapped out? How often to you change them? I'm thinking I might be abusing mine by leaving them on the bike too long before taking them off and cleaning ...

Can you use cooker hood filter foam to pre filter the main air filter? So cover side panel gaps and bottom of air box with it.?

No toil... It sure seems to be hard on air filters.

I use kerosene for cutting the filter oil followed by a generous dose of dish soap that I get at the dollar store to cut the dirt. I have some twin air filters for my WR250f that I have had for 10 years.

My oil of choice is PJ1, it has served me well for a long time, and no grease on the filter lip. That just seems to add more mess to clean up. Moose filter specifically tell you to not use grease on the filter lip.

I clean my filters when they look dirty, sometimes that is one ride others it is 5 or 6. Depends on the conditions.

Later,

i have always used gasoline and it seems to clean filters really fast and the filters themselves last a long time.

As 'jmetteer' said, I also think No Toil is really hard on foam air filters.. The previous owner of my Husky WR250 used No-Toil.. When I bought the bike from him, the next day I washed the air filter (got the cleaner from a friend).. When it was dry I, looked over the air filter and noticed it was coming apart at the seams.. Crazy..

I use BelRay Foam Filter Oil.. And wash first with either kerosene or stale gasoline.. And then Tide Detergent and then rinse real well until water is clean.. Washed and oiled this way I have never seen a air filter come apart like the one with No Toil.. YMMV.. Good luck and cheers..

If you guys have had filters last yrs, I gotta change my maintenance practice ...

I started a new practice with this filter change by soaking the filter a few hrs in the cleaner so that it cleaned up with easy squeezing ... Next I distributed the notoil inside the filter somewhat evenly and spread it gently thu the foam and let it sit several hours before I put it on the bike ... No more ripping them off the bike ~2hrs before I ride for cleaning.

Also, using my last filters, I have enough to start rotating them between the bikes I ride --> Have the filters clean and in bags making the changing easy enough for a ~lazy guy like me ... Maybe get off the no-toil down the line also but I'm thinking my maintenance was at fault ... I'm gonna track the time each filter is on the bike and swap in out after no longer than 3(?) weeks ...

My 012 bike came with a moose filter ...Its got a cool looking seal around the base where it fits against the air box ... I'd try the 24mx 10 pack but no shipping over here ...

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FBob .. The locals here are varied and really just make it happen, depending on their budget... The street bikes may not even have a filter or just nylon stretched over the carb ... Trail riders usually have something for a filter but it could be about anything (modified \ homemade at times)... Maybe a dry filter or use any oil type on a filter ... I'm guessing the low-dust here and low mileage makes these options ~somewhat workable ... The racer guys with the good bikes do it right pretty much ... Not sure what oil they use but most racers are about like the states ... They work all week and ride only on race days with a little practice mixed in so they just don't require alot of maintenance I guess ...

I was trying to do dirt bike touring here is why I have the bikes ... Now, I have figured out I don't need the extra responsibility of actual-paying-customers-from-around-the-world-touring plus I'm not too wild on just anyone riding my bikes now... You never know who some of these people are or their riding skills till they arrive ... I'm probably gonna rent some Sunday at a small race we have here but I'll know everyone and can keep my eyes on them ...

18k has been sniffed a few times but not sure what this week will bring ... Might be under 17k? Its like you get up in the morning and the market moved and you will be told then, why it moved. You are a winner or loser at this time. Its been that way since I was forced to watch it due to magical stock-options being given out to me ... Am I the only person here with a federally insured retirement account?

I have used this for years and have not had a single filter fail! Sorry the image is so big, its copied off ebay.

I put 50ml or so in a tub, rinse the filter in it a few times by working it in and wringing it out. Then just rinse the filter in water.

Not exactly the cheapest way of filtering your air, but definitely not foam!

http://www.knfilters.co.uk/search/product.aspx?prod=HU-1200

Looks good on paper (no pun intended), but I couldn't bring myself to part with nearly 70 Great British Pounds for an air filter.
No doubt it would be cheaper in the USA though

Mike

This is true for best filter life !

As older husky rider had posted a few years ago. Gasoline to clean and ATF to oil. He's only on his 2nd or 3rd air filter. I still have my original twin air filter and have been using his method. Still works fine and no tearing. I figure if it works for his bike, it should be fine!

Yeah Kelly. Have you seen how many miles he has put on his bike. He said that he puts a rag at the bottom of the airbox, because the ATF will migrate down there. Put your filter in a ziploc with some ATF, and work it in, some paper towels to blot the excess off the filter and that's it. I grease the lip with some bel-ray. Every time I have cleaned my air filter since using ATF, it's been just as clean inside as if I had used some over the counter oil. I was a little skeptical at first, but it has worked fine for me. He rides in some very dry and dusty conditions in Texas. His bike should be in a museum when he finally retires it!

ATF, motor oil, or even chainsaw chain oil works fine. All I used was motor oil until I found Notoil