How to clean the air filter??

Tony_Idaho · Jul 5, 2012

OK, I just took apart my Oil filled air filter. I noticed that when I pulled the air canister off, the engine ran much better. So I figured air flow. Took the clamp off the bottom, and found that there was little to none oil in the bottom of the canister, with some water. Proceeded to clean up, then looked at the main part of the air filter. Looks like it is made up of steel wool of some kind. but it is all gummed up with black sludge. I've tried break cleaner to no avail and also dunked in gas. It made the gas turn black pretty quick, but the sludge remains. Doesn't look like it was ever made to remove and replace with new steel wool, because it has notches punched into it so it doe not move.

So, how do I clean out the darn thing?

Thanks
Tony

rustred · Jul 5, 2012

you could remove it from tractor and soak and dunk it in varsol. a tub or pail. could also try pressure washer after.

rustyfarmall · Jul 5, 2012

(quoted from post at 09:56:49 07/05/12) OK, I just took apart my Oil filled air filter. I noticed that when I pulled the air canister off, the engine ran much better. So I figured air flow. Took the clamp off the bottom, and found that there was little to none oil in the bottom of the canister, with some water. Proceeded to clean up, then looked at the main part of the air filter. Looks like it is made up of steel wool of some kind. but it is all gummed up with black sludge. I've tried break cleaner to no avail and also dunked in gas. It made the gas turn black pretty quick, but the sludge remains. Doesn't look like it was ever made to remove and replace with new steel wool, because it has notches punched into it so it doe not move.

So, how do I clean out the darn thing?

Thanks
Tony

Immerse it in a 5 gallon bucket of diesel fuel. Leave it there for a day or two. Occasionally you need to agitate it up and down. Let it set and drain out till it's done dripping. Might be necessary to repeat the process.

John G. Hasler · Jul 5, 2012

Soak it in gasoline (or acetone if you can afford that much of it) for a week and then hit it with the pressure washer. If that fails boil it in lye.

Tony_Idaho · Jul 5, 2012

OK,

Which is the better cleaner?

Diesel
Varsol/mineral spirits/pain thinner
Gasoline
acetone

or do they all work?

Thanks
Tony

Nebraska Cowman · Jul 5, 2012

yep, soak and dunk. NEVER try to remove the mesh as
you will never get it back in without air pockets.
(I read this in an old service manual a couple
nights ago)

Nebraska Cowman · Jul 5, 2012

I had to clean the one in my WD Allis this spring. I
put it a pail of water with some Simple Green and
boiled it a while.

sflem849 · Jul 5, 2012

Hot water pressure washer

bobs old iron · Jul 5, 2012

check with local [if any] resturant cleaning company, the one that clean screens above stoves, see what they do for cleaning screens...

dhermesc · Jul 5, 2012

Gas works better than diesel, mineral spirits works about the same as gas. Never tried acetone.

uncle henry · Jul 5, 2012

i let mine soak in a five gallon bucket of diesel
about an inch off the bottom during the day in the
sun

rustred · Jul 5, 2012

yep, second that about diesel. varsol or cleaning solvent is probably the best bet, as you dont have to deal with the volitility of gas. safety first.

Harold H · Jul 5, 2012

Soak it in gasoline for an extended time, a couple of days, agitate it and redo it again in clean gas. It will eventually come clean. As stated elsewhere, do not try to replace the wire wadding.

Harold H

sgtbull · Jul 5, 2012

I don't think the mesh is the problem. Unless I'm mistaken, the air has to go through the mesh whether the cup is on or not, right? The air comes in the top at the intake, through the oil, then up through the mesh. The mesh catches the oily dirt, which then drains back down into the cup.
Since the tractor runs good with the cup off, and the air is still going through the mesh, my first thought is mud dauber nests in either the pipe or the cap...post back and let us know what you find.

Anonymous-0 · Jul 5, 2012

I suppose you could take it off and take it to a machine shop and have them immerse it in their cleaning tank.

Tony_Idaho · Jul 5, 2012

(quoted from post at 22:15:28 07/05/12) I don't think the mesh is the problem. Unless I'm mistaken, the air has to go through the mesh whether the cup is on or not, right? The air comes in the top at the intake, through the oil, then up through the mesh. The mesh catches the oily dirt, which then drains back down into the cup.
Since the tractor runs good with the cup off, and the air is still going through the mesh, my first thought is mud dauber nests in either the pipe or the cap...post back and let us know what you find.

Sorry, when I said I did not mean that I removed the bottom cup, I actually remove the hose from the Carb to the filter, so the Carb was getting no filtration. I looked at the mesh and it is very gummed up, I tried blowing with my mouth in the "output" to the carb and I could get anything....

I also looked into getting a new one. 510.94 !!! Not going to happen.

Thanks
Tony

rustred · Jul 5, 2012

that is why the mesh gets all dirty and plugged , because the canister is often neglected by not changing the oil as you have decribed what you found in it. should use the same oil as in the crankcase in summer and winter. change the oil regularly and more often in dustier conditions. i have seen then get full of water and then freeze and the tractor will not even start.oil bath is very efficient if looked after properly.

rhtx55 · Jul 5, 2012

Take the bottom cup off, remove the entire air cleaner from the tractor. Place into a parts cleaner machine, turn it on, set the hose in where the air breather cap is and let it "flow" over night. The next day take it outside, & dry with compressed air. Don't get too close to the mesh with the compressed air.
Take it back to the parts washer & repeat, only upside down, let it "flow" again overnight, take it out the next day & dry with compressed air again only from the opposite direction. This should remove any sludge, oil, or dirt build up. Re-install on the tractor, fill the cup up to the line with 30 wt motor oil & re-install. Replace both hoses from the cleaner to the carb, and clamps if necessary.

Allan in NE · Jul 5, 2012

Take a screwdriver and dig the sludge out.

Keep running it without oil and you'll be spending money on an engine.

Allan

CNKS · Jul 5, 2012

Paint thinner containing mineral spirits, not available here as parts cleaner. Gasoline is about the same but is dangerous.

GRWilliams · Jul 6, 2012

Tony, I pulled the oil bath air cleaner off of my 460 a few months back to clean it while I was having the engine rebuilt. I sat it upside down in a deep pan and filled the cleaner itself with mineral spirits and let it sit overnight. Some pretty gooey stuff came out when I poured it out. Using clean mineral spirits I filled it again, letting it sit for awhile. I did this several times until I was satisfied that all the goop was gone. To save a few $"s I filtered the used spirits through a paint strainer, after the initial soaking which I discarded, and reused it. Don"t use coffee filters, not porous enough, trust me on this. Ha-ha! I was amazed at what I found inside the filter medium after it was clean; quite a few well preserved ancient corn kernels and a few sunflower seeds, a few small stems and stubble too. I spent probably close to an hour or more just digging the foreign matter out of the filter. One thing I"ve discovered is that there is no end to the odd stuff you"ll find in and on a 50+ year old tractor. She"s good and clean now! I use a straight 30 weight oil in the oil bath. Happy tractoring & Good luck!

Geoff W.
Geoff Williams AMSOIL Dealer

Rich'sToys · Jul 7, 2012

I've also rinsed them with mineral spirits, or even gasoline. (Do it outside!)
But this is the first time I have ever heard that you should not attempt to remove or replace it. Why not? You can buy the replacement mesh from Steiners. I've not used it, but I know it is available.

charles todd · Jul 8, 2012

I have never had to clean the mesh, but I service the oil cup regular (at least when I think about it.) If you park it outside, place a bucket over the pre-cleaner. Normally when I clean the cup it has about 1" of sludge and water in it. clean it out, wipe out with gas, them fill to line with oil. In my case it is a 504 diesel and I use 15W-40. It takes a quart or so. I try to clean it 20-40 hours. I also clean the pre-cup at the same time. I usually clean the air filter 2x to an oil change.

CT

WI Dave · Jul 8, 2012

(quoted from post at 16:24:02 07/07/12) I've also rinsed them with mineral spirits, or even gasoline. (Do it outside!)
[b:033bc020d1]But this is the first time I have ever heard that you should not attempt to remove or replace it. Why not? [/b:033bc020d1] You can buy the replacement mesh from Steiners. I've not used it, but I know it is available.

The advice I was given here a couple months ago was to take the mesh out of my H's air cleaner to clean the mesh and housing. :?

WSJ · Jul 8, 2012

Dry air filters use Air Filter Service Gauges tell you when its time to clean or replace your air filter element.

This would be interesting to try on an oil bath filter.
What are the pros and cons?

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/WIX-24801/

How to clean the air filter??

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