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Kawasaki Air Cleaner

#1

graydog

graydog

My 25HP Kawasaki has an oblong paper air filter and a foam pre-filter over that. They are both pretty expensive and get dirty quickly. I add a wrap of 3M Vetrap over the foam cleaner and then replace it often, saving the pre-cleaner and the paper cleaner from getting so dirty so soon. The 3M Vetrap is the same stretchy stuff the doctor wraps around your arm when you get a shot. It stretches and sticks to its self. The Vetrap I use is the same stuff except it is made for doctoring animals; horses, dogs, etc. You can buy it at a vet supply store and probably Petsmart. It comes in a variety of colors.

This idea came to me from my son, who raced stock cars and wrapped it around the air cleaner on his race car. It is porous enough to flow plenty of air, even for a 350 Chevy V8 racing engine.


In the first photo, this is a new roll of red still in package.
In second, this is one dirty wrap I am replacing
In third, this shows inner paper air cleaner, the foam outer pre-cleaner, and the 3M Vetrap I am about to apply.
In fourth, it shows holding dirty wrap up to sunlight to show how dirty it got.
In fifth, it is ready to go back onto the carburetor.
In sixth, this is the new roll of white I used.


Sorry I could not rotate the photos. Click them to enlarge.

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#2

M

mechanic mark

I disagree with your idea, you're restricting fresh air to your engine. Foam pre-filter can simply be cleaned with mild soap and warm water and let air dry. Air filters are the most neglected & yet easiest & one of the least expensive parts to change on any engine. Altering parts, especially air filters, as you have described, can starve an engine of fresh air resulting in major internal damage to engine components. Air filters should be checked often, especially when finished mowing in dusty conditions.


#3

reynoldston

reynoldston

Something I wouldn't do because I replace my air filter once a year. If you want to get longer life from your air filter it looks like a good idea to me. A pre-filter to your pre-filter.


#4

primerbulb120

primerbulb120

mechanic mark said:
I disagree with your idea, you're restricting fresh air to your engine. Foam pre-filter can simply be cleaned with mild soap and warm water and let air dry. Air filters are the most neglected & yet easiest & one of the least expensive parts to change on any engine. Altering parts, especially air filters, as you have described, can starve an engine of fresh air resulting in major internal damage to engine components. Air filters should be checked often, especially when finished mowing in dusty conditions.
Click to expand...

How can restriction of the air filter cause major engine damage?


#5

reynoldston

reynoldston

primerbulb120 said:
How can restriction of the air filter cause major engine damage?
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing. If anything it would make for a richer running engine. More carbon buildup is the only thing I can come up with?


#6

graydog

graydog

mechanic mark said:
I disagree with your idea, you're restricting fresh air to your engine.........................
Click to expand...

The Vetrap is very porous. It is not nearly as restrictive as a dirty OEM foam pre-filter. It mostly just stops the pieces of trash before they get to the pre-filter. I replace the Vetrap about every 20 hours and find it is covered with dead grass with hardly any dirt and trash passing thru to the pre-filter.


#7

7394

7394

reynoldston said:
I was thinking the same thing. If anything it would make for a richer running engine. More carbon buildup is the only thing I can come up with?
Click to expand...

X 3, That's about it.. Personally, I like the idea..

Now a much more free flowing air filter (like a K&N or such) could cause a LEAN condition, which could cause engine damage (burnt valves etc).. .


#8

graydog

graydog

it's funny the airflow is being discussed. In the 2nd and 4th photo, the reason there is a white area on the Vetrap is because the Kawasaki's OEM cover for the cleaner pressed up against the Vetrap and/or pre-filter restricting air from moving thru the filter in that area. Even without the Vetrap, that area of the pre-filter is blocked. I suppose K. made the cover and then later decided to add the pre-filter even though there was no room for it.


#9

graydog

graydog

Thanks for your input.


#10

logert gogert

logert gogert

Personally....I think your idea is a great idea, good thinking out of the box...
Similar to when for about a year I had a BUNCH of left over scotch brite ( it’s that hard green stuff on top of sponges )
And I just used scotch bright as a air filter lol


#11

graydog

graydog

logert gogert said:
Personally....I think your idea is a great idea, good thinking out of the box...
Similar to when for about a year I had a BUNCH of left over scotch brite ( ..................

I have a 60 year old Lawn Boy. I still use it right up around the house.
It came with a filter that looks like an SOS pad but doesn't keep dirt out of carb. . I'm going to run out & buy a Scotch Brite Pad & make a better filter. Thanks
Click to expand...


#12

B

bertsmobile1

Foam wraps are available from all of the aftermarket suppliers at a reasonable price.
So it is a case of buying 3 or more wraps and swapping them every couple of mows .
They can be washed out in warm soapy water and are best washed with shampoo so you can take them with your into the shower
Pulling the filter off & replacing it too often damages the sealing surface on push on filters then they leak around there in prefference to to sucking through the flter because it is less restrictive .
When I service an engine, if the wrap is still in useable condition I wash it & give it back to the customer .
As a guess about 1/3 actually use them.
The commercial customers replace the wraps very regularly I sell them a lot of extra wraps but they do oil them.
Then there is a big difference between running a mower 5 hours a day and 3 hours a week .


#13

logert gogert

logert gogert

Wait.....you arctially gonna use my idea....holy crap.?

And, no problem


#14

7394

7394

I converted my FR Kawasaki air filter to the FX 2 stage canister style.

Check the link in my signature. Works super.


#15

logert gogert

logert gogert

Speaking of that,
1. Believe me, it’s AWESOME
2. Why’d you do it?
3. What are the advantages or gains from doing it?


#16

7394

7394

Thank You. I did it because it is a much better filtration system.

And the small stock filter & wrap needed changed every year. Wrap always needed washed.

The FX system has almost 5X the filtering media. I only put approx 25 hours per year on.

The FX system can "usually" run 200 hours on the outer filter & more on the inner. But the Filter Minder® will show me visually when the filter is getting dirty.

That is why.


#17

cpurvis

cpurvis

7394 said:
X 3, That's about it.. Personally, I like the idea..

Now a much more free flowing air filter (like a K&N or such) could cause a LEAN condition, which could cause engine damage (burnt valves etc).. .
Click to expand...

Buddy is too modest. He has fitted his Kawasaki engine with the best filtering system of all, a large pleated-paper air filter, complete with restriction indicator to show the operator how dirty the filter element has become. I would love to have this same system on my engine.

But I don't, so what I'm doing is to buy extra foam filter wraps and exchange a clean one every 10 hours or so.


#18

7394

7394

Cpurvis- Appreciate the compliment.(y) Another reason I did this, I had the idea in my head since I bought my Kawasaki powered Toro in Aug, 20/ 2014, but let the warranty expire first, & talking with my Dealer, he said what I had planned can NOT be done.

That certainly helped with my incentive.

I would add your elevation where you live is important here, as too high of an elevation would likely require a step down 1 jet size or so to lean it out depending, & visa-versa. My system & elevation worked out well, as I'm still running the OE jetting, & Plugs still read very well.

Buddy


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