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Do you clean, or discard dirty air Filter foams?

Do you clean, or discard dirty air Filter foams?

Old 03-10-2009, 07:39 PM
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Default Do you clean, or discard dirty air Filter foams?

I am just wondering what most of you do..I was always a fan of cleaning them, but I have read a few people dont take a chance with dirt getting into the engine and just throw out the filters when they are dirty..

What do you guys do? Clean or toss?
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Old 03-10-2009, 07:42 PM
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the inner i chunk it the outer i clean and reuse.
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Old 03-10-2009, 07:43 PM
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depends on what kind of oil you use jaz.

i personally use kyosho green oil , reuse , clean thoroughly with dawn dish soap, hot water and alot of elbow grease

of course i have about 20 full sets of the type of filter i use and have a clean bag and a dirty bag . (hobao hyper8 filter, huge surface area)
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Old 03-10-2009, 07:47 PM
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I have been using the klotz oil for a year, water souluble, I clean em, a few times, with dawn, as above, had good results, I toss em if I look at em twice, like above I have a few....Get a supply, rotate em, if they look bad toss em, I get a few races out of them all, I do keep a bottle of Mugen oil for "wet" races...
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Old 03-10-2009, 07:57 PM
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i need to pay attention to this thread. i've allways thrown away my airfilters after they got dirty. now, with the economy and the fact i don't make what i use to, i need to start saving them. i understand the cleaning part, but re-oiling, do you just rub the oil in? or is there a way to do it? what is the oil to use?
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Old 03-10-2009, 08:00 PM
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I have been wondering this for a while too. Somewhere I read Adam Drake and on the RB engine website said not to reuse the foams, just get new ones. However, Ive been cleaning with motor spray/nitro cleaner then with dish soap and they are fine.

On a side note, with the Losi preoiled foam filters, what air filter oil do they use? I have Traxxas now, but when I clean the blue stuff out, then put the red traxxas oil in, it looks kinda weird and I dont think it is good for the air filter. I havent ran those yet. Im assuming Dynamite air fitler oil?
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Old 03-10-2009, 08:01 PM
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Originally Posted by jrwoodchuck
i need to pay attention to this thread. i've allways thrown away my airfilters after they got dirty. now, with the economy and the fact i don't make what i use to, i need to start saving them. i understand the cleaning part, but re-oiling, do you just rub the oil in? or is there a way to do it? what is the oil to use?
I clean, then put the foams in a plastic bag with oil. I "work" the foam till it is covered with oil then put a paper towel on the filters and remove any excess oil.
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Old 03-10-2009, 08:29 PM
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I too am saving money by cleaning my filters. I use dish soap to wash them out and I have used a couple different kinds of filter oil. I had a small bottle of something from hobby town, now I use K&N oil, but I have even used after run oil with good luck. I keep them in a clean zip lock bag and change them out - at least the outer filter- every time I come off the track. The inners stay pretty clean unless the track is uber dusty... But I will change out the inner at least before then main, if not more frequently.
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Old 03-10-2009, 08:40 PM
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I look at this like I do my dirt bike. I don't buy a new air filter every time I ride it so why buy a new air filter for my rc every time I drive it.

I clean mine with PJ1 air filter cleaner for foam air filters available at any motocross store and use Maxima air filter oil. Which comes in a spray bottle
If it sticks enough that a 450 can't suck the air filter dry then an rc won't.
Plus you get ALLOT more air filter oil for your money using the maxima stuff.

Oh and about Drake and RB saying to put a new one every time well Drake gets them for free and RB wants to sell more stuff.
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Old 03-10-2009, 08:45 PM
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Go to the dollar store in your town and get some stuff called Mean Green it will clean your filters and make them look all most new the first couple of times after i clean them 3 are 4 time i throw them in the trash.
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Old 03-10-2009, 08:49 PM
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I clean with warm water dish soap, then let dry,put in sandwich bag spray with k/n air filter oil got at[ moto shop] then rub into filter. on the pre filter I like to put just a little oil on it. when they get to dirty I toss away.
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Old 03-10-2009, 08:51 PM
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I've always wondered too.

What would be the best solution to clean them with?I mean,I don't want
any left over residue from the cleaning product to get into the engine.

After they're clean,what high quality oil can I use to relube it back up?
I was thinking to use the Klotz castor oil to lube it,would that be O.K.?

Some suggestions please..
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Old 03-10-2009, 08:53 PM
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PJ1 air filter cleaner and Maxima air filter oil
BEST
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Old 03-10-2009, 08:54 PM
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I run motor saver filters and the 3 to 4 bucks you spend on replacing the filter is well worth the chance of dirt getting in that expensive mill. I like my motors to last the majority of the race season and 3 bucks is a cheap insurance plan. I have run old filters that I have cleaned and re-oiled without problems but it only takes a tiny spec of dust to kill compression and flatten out performance. T€he air filter in your automobile you don't clean it (unless you have one of those K&N jobs) you replace it every oil change. Its cheap insurance. When you clean the element does it look as good as new??? Or is it still just a little dirty. That dirt has the chance of getting into that engine and thats not a chance I'm willing to take. I change the filter every race day cheap insurance as far as I am concerned. Lets face it RC is not a cheap hobby you can cut corners and the result will show on the track.
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Old 03-10-2009, 08:58 PM
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+1 on the PJ1 foam filter cleaner. I use PJ1 filter oil as well. I've got some pretty old filters that still look/work great.
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