Washing paper filter in kerosene?

[bertsmobile1]

Skid steers, power brooms and the similar used in construction use Donaldson filters.
They have 2 fabric elements that are dry cleanable .
No idea about the US but a friends demolition company used to buy the filters by the box load , change the outers daily then get me to drop them off for cleaning.
This is a low pressure pulse cycle followed by a low pressure spray from the inside out with dry cleaning fluid.
Apparently you can do it 12 to 20 times depending upon how good the filter was in the first place.
Two of his excavators were fitted with snorkels that breathe from the top of the cab and their filters went about a month.
While you get dust quite high you will be amazed at how little gets sucked down a suitable snorkel.
The other option is a wet filter or a separate cyclone prefilter with dust bag,
A smaller version of what you see hanging off a sawmill.

 

[turbofiat124]

1. No I think you are trying to find a way to save a few dollars on your yard mowing. This Started out kind of ok but still had elements of disaster. Cleaning a paper filter with a flammable liquid seens a bit drastic and expensive as well. It did not seem to be effective or safe from git go but I figured you would figure it out for yourself.

2. No manicured lawns here. Filthy dusty crap to mow all year long. I clean and replace the outer poly filter lots. Inner filter as needed. That is around 5 times a year.

3. What you are wanting to use is not the same as what engine manufactures use. This is why I chimmed in.

4. I will more than be happy to support you all the way when you get to a place that looks like it will work. Until then I will warn of potential problems so you can avoid disaster.


In the final thought. I have no malice in my heart. I only speak up when I think it needs to be said. The foam you are dealing with is designed to be used for your bottom not for cleaning moving air. What you are doing is how people come up with wonderful inventions so do not stop. As most successful people say. The difference between one who succeeds and fails is you do not give up.

OK maybe I took your post wrong. My initial post should have been titled "Alternatives to paper air filters".

You did mention those foam filters worked great on dirt bikes so I was wondering what you had against them. Or is seemed like I was being cheap by blowing paper filters off with compressed air or trying to wash them in something. As far as washing the paper filter in kerosene, I only did this one time and allowed it to dry until the next time I mowed (like two weeks). But yeah, I figured these type of filters were throw-away. I just wanted to look into something besides paper filters that I could clean and reuse. I don't care to get my hand's dirty.

My guess would be the reason they don't use this type of filter anymore is because it's quick and you don't get your hands dirty. As if changing the oil is not going to get your hands dirty!

All you had to say was, "maybe look into the same material your UNI filter is made of and buy sheets of it you could trim out instead of using something from a crafts store, that it was the wrong material for the wrong application" and I would have understood. No I did not think about the foam rubber I was going to use as being too restrictive.

I did visit UNI filters' website and they do sell sheets of the same material the filter material I can cut down.

http://www.unifilter.com/accessories/


My father's yard is in much better condition than mine. Last time I changed the oil in his mower, I looked at the air filter and it was barely dirty and not worth changing as of yet. Yet he mows more often than I do. Like twice a week compared to me where I mow every 2 weeks and both of our yards are about the same size. I just happen to have "natural native" and azolla grass that doesn't grow as rapidly and he has some genetically engineered grass he fertilizes.

Concerning these paper filters. Yes they are over priced to be honest. Why a B&S air filter no bigger than it is sells for the same price as some automotive air filters. Just like a "Genuine" B&S oil filter sells for twice as much as a WIX or Bosch oil filter for an car.

I just recently did some maintenance items on my 1998 Chevy Van. New transmission filter, fuel filter and air filter.

The air filter had about 10,000 to 15,000 miles on it. It wasn't too dirty but I replaced it anyway. Yet I was not having any performance or fuel economy issues. I think I paid around $20 for it. If I cut down this filter into the size of an 18.5 hp B&S filter, I could make about 8 of them.

I know I've posted this photo before but as you can tell this filter should have been replaced a long time ago but the engine never seemed to have starved for air. How it was breathing is the question.

So am I replacing filters before they actually need to be replaced? If the engine is still running fine and the filter looks dirty does it really need to be replaced or cleaned? Maybe replace the filter every time I change the oil regardless of what it looks like?

My plan is to do some mulching tomorrow or Saturday and as dry as it's been, I know I'll kick up a dust cloud. I will post a photo of what my UNI filter looks like after I'm done.

Sorry if I took offense to your post.

 

[bertsmobile1]

The price has nothing to do with the size of the filter.
It is all about how many are made , how fast they sell and what else is in the logistics chain.
Down here for instance Deer parts are the cheapest mower parts by a long way.
Original Deere part retail for about 15 to 25% more than I can buy pattern parts wholesale.
This is because Deere have a warehouse in every state full of farm equipment, and in one tiny corner near the dunnies is a couple of racks of mower parts.
The same storeman that picks the $ 2000 headder part also picks the $ 5 mower part & they travel on the same trucks.
So when I order something it is picked on the day shift and sent 50km to the local delivery center then another 65 km to me.

MTD have a stand alone warehouse only in Melbourne so my parts have to go overnight 1400 km to a regional despatch center then to my shop.
Thus the entire cost of running the warehouse is bourn by the mowers & mower parts.
MTD original parts retail for 6 times the wholesale price of the aftermarket parts.
Belts I buy from Stens for $ 35 retail at the MD shop for $ 140.

In the case of air filters, shipping would be almost the same cost as the actual manufacture

 

[BlazNT]

Sorry if I took offense to your post.

I am a matter of fact type of person. I have given the wrong impression a few times. It is a problem I have. I corrected what I wrote 3 times before I posted because my wife read it and asked if I was mad at you. I said no why and she pointed out a few things. I reread and figured she was right. I corrected and then thought it was ok to post. I guess I did not correct enough. I try but can not always "clean" up what I type. So do not worry about reading my post as offensive.

Now on too your filter issue. If I was you I would clean the pre filter after every mow. It will make the filter last a lot longer. I test my filters by dropping them to the concrete and if lots of stuff comes out then replace time. I do remove the prefilter before I do the drop test. I buy my filters on line and normally what I need for the year. Much cheaper that way. I spend about $8.00 each. That is filter and prefilter. I also buy extra prefilters. Normally 2 to 1. So 8 filters with prefilters and 8 extra prefilters. I buy oil filters the same way.

 

[turbofiat124]

I am a matter of fact type of person. I have given the wrong impression a few times. It is a problem I have. I corrected what I wrote 3 times before I posted because my wife read it and asked if I was mad at you. I said no why and she pointed out a few things. I reread and figured she was right. I corrected and then thought it was ok to post. I guess I did not correct enough. I try but can not always "clean" up what I type. So do not worry about reading my post as offensive.

Now on too your filter issue. If I was you I would clean the pre filter after every mow. It will make the filter last a lot longer. I test my filters by dropping them to the concrete and if lots of stuff comes out then replace time. I do remove the prefilter before I do the drop test. I buy my filters on line and normally what I need for the year. Much cheaper that way. I spend about $8.00 each. That is filter and prefilter. I also buy extra prefilters. Normally 2 to 1. So 8 filters with prefilters and 8 extra prefilters. I buy oil filters the same way.

Things always sound worse on the internet!

I could probably buy these air filters in bulk compared to one at a time. I found a good deal on some Rapture oil filters for B&S engines, 3 for $12 with free shipping instead of the usual $9 a pop+ tax from Lowes.

I think the consensus was it's not recommended to blow out a paper filter with compressed air. Or soaking the foam pre-filter with oil because it can contaminate the paper element.

I had been blowing the paper off with compressed air (inside and out) and washing the foam filter (un-oiled) with water for ages and never really seemed to have an issue. I've never blinded over an air filter to the point the engine would not run. So maybe when I look at the air filter, and it looks dirty but the engine runs just fine, it could go longer without being changed?

One day my co-worker barely made it into work. He had this old beat up 1976 Ford F-150 with the "Big 6" engine. Someone had installed one of those small 4" Mr. Gasket air cleaners on the carburetor!

He pulled it into the maintenance shop and starting looking around. He pulls the plugs and they were carbon fouled. He asked me if I would drive him to an auto part store for new plugs and I said, "Stick them in that bead blast cabinet and clean them up". While he was doing that I pulled the air cleaner and held it up to the light and could not see through it!

With the air filter removed, the engine idled smooth.