what you guys think about blowing air in air filters to clean

Hi shawn,
I have been cleaning my air filters on my equipment and trucks for over 30 years and i try not to use air because it could distort or rip the paper.
what i do is tap the excess dirt out of the filter with my hands, when the dirt stops coming out of the filter i submerge it in water until the water becomes clean then i hang the filter up to dry, i keep spares so i always have one ready to install and i don't have to wait for the filter to dry.
Whenever i tell someone this they always think the water will ruin the filter, but in fact John Deere and cat and maybe others sold a non sudsing solvent for this practice and there is a company that does this as a business "recycling air filters". its on youtube.

 

I just have 2 sets of fleet air reusable washable filters. I wash um when home and always have a spare if it gets clogged on the road.

Why try and clean disposable filters...just buy a reusable one.

 

Well if its on youtube, it must be ok lol. You tube in itself is not a credential for the company.

 

Beat me to it. This has been a great investment, 1/2 mile better per gallon, noticeable performance increase.

 

I didn't say its on youtube it must be ok, i only referred to it because the video shows that it works and the only reason i started doing it was because it was in a owners manual on a piece of equipment i owned.
I considered buying them but Fleet air filters have problems with dirt by passing them and shows up in the oil samples, look it up, its here in the Garage.

 

We regularly use shop air to blow out filters from the inside out. Been doing it since this company has been around, never seen any damage from it. Dusty oilfield environments keep our filters dirty if we don't do something. Like anything else, a little common sense goes a long way when using compressed air on something like a paper filter.

 

Still trying to determine why it happened, but I used a Fleet Air for about 160,000 miles and had some issues. I am not able to explain why, but after a down grade where the engine got the rpms up more than I usually run, when I went back to the accelerator at the bottom of the grade, I got a backfire or stalling condition. Also, my used oil samples always had some fuel dilution. Not critical, but flagged. Since going back to stock Donaldson air filter, all of these conditions are different. Not one instance of a backfire / stall condition and fuel dilution has dropped off. And I also did have a little bit of an increase in silicon (dirt) showing up on the oil samples while using the FAF. Not a lot, but it was there. And iron levels in the used oil dropped down a little after going back to stock filter. I am sure the correlation was there between the slightly higher silicon levels and slightly higher iron levels. None were critical, but they were higher with the FAF than with stock filter.

I know others have had good results using Fleet Air Filters, and I can't explain why I did have negative issues, but they are what they are. My Fleet Air sits in the corner of the garage now. Not going back on my truck. Any perceived fuel mileage increase that might have been gained by the FAF was never noticeable. MPG for stock filter on mine the same. Never noticed any improvement in performance using the FAF. Anyone want a FAF for the FL Columbia?

And since I can get a Donaldson air filter for my truck for a hair over $37, I am not concerned that I cannot reuse them. A few taps, a little canned air, and they can be extended for some time. I rely on the filter minder gauge to give me a heads up when enough is enough, and I need to actually change out the filter. And I have a couple of them sitting at the house now. Don't need to carry extra on truck, since go home every weekend.

Somehow, the idea of a freer flowing filter like the FAF vs a stock filter, even a very dirty one, getting better performance and mpg seem to fly in the face of recent studies. I recently came across this study and found it very interesting. Can be dry in spots, so one can skip to the conclusion section and get what they need out of it...........

http://fueleconomy.gov/feg/pdfs/2013-01-0311_Diesel_AirFilter.pdf

 

Different air filters or the air flow they restrict, can cause a lean or rich condition which can cause the computer controlled systems to compensate by richining or leaning the engine.
Filters like K&N can cause problems just by how much oil you spray on them.
All my experience is with cars or motor cycles not diesels --so it may not apply.

 

You guys need to get pre-cleaners if you have to worry about dust buildup in your air filters.

 

Pre cleaners work to a point but dirt still gets past them, working in a dirty dusty job like demolition i have to change out air filter everyday and clean them at mid day.