Well it's fine to replace your filters if that's what you want to do, I just think it's being excessively obsessive!!!

I've washed my filters on my quad & truck (K&N's) & my RC car many times & when looking at the intake tract or in case of the RC car the rubber inlet hose I've never seen any dirt.

So if you want to send me your discarded filters I'll clean them & reuse them!!! LOL!!

But yours is K&N servicable filter (if you've got the black rubber headed one)......you are SUPPOSE to wash and reuse that $25 filter....
We were talking about the $3.50 foam filters...........

Up untill a month ago, i also used to clean and re-use my filters. After each race meet, i'd open up the engine, clean and inspect and i always had pre-mature wear. I was replacing pistons/sleeves/conrods way too often and that was an expensive excercise on my RB engine!!! I then decided to read the instruction booklet that comes with the engine and i am now getting much less wear and the engine is staying tight for much longer. The booklet quotes

"....Make sure that the foam of the air filter is completely oiled and in perfect shape at all times. Change the foam filter on a regular basis and DO NOT clean and re-use the foam". That is exactly how it is writen.

I only have the K&N on my quad & truck (well my race car too but that's another story) my RC car has a Dynamite foam filter.

I clean my filters- no problems with premature wear at all.

I use dish soap or simple green- something that will "de- grease" the filter. Put a dab inside and outside and rub it around. Rinse real good with warm water (from the inside out) and dry overnight before oiling.

I re-use the same 5- 6 filters and only use them once or twice before cleaning again.

I do the same thing with no problems. I have a solvent washer that i flush the the filter from the inside out then wash with dish soap and rinse. Dish soap breaks the surface tension of the oil and gets all of it out of the filter. Dry and re-oil ready to go!!!

rookie: the purpose of the stickiness is to trap dirt before it can enter the innerarea of the foam filter element. think of sticky as your friend. my method will definately clear out the old filter oil as well as almost all of the crap stuck inside. a preliminary wash with soap and water, with WD40 to clear out most of the grime, and then a post-wash with soap and water is guaranteed to clean your filter. make sure you press down hard when soaking the filter in wd40, you'll see the dirt squeeze out of the areas you apply pressure on.

Thanks for the detail information...........I would give that a try, however, I don't know what engine that I would want to use the "re-build" filter............
Still, $3.50 every 2 weeks is not a hugh problem for me....but good to know there is an alternative if 1 day $3.50 is a big problem for me....(ie....having 9 kids and several wifes and get laid off at the same time....LOL)

hey ya never know it could happen. LOL
but at least you would have something to do LOL

The concept behind the foam filter and oil is it will trap all the dirt / dust into the filter and still let the air flow thru so the carb still be able to suck in clean air without sucking in the dust/dirt........when you are washing it, espeiclaly when you are squeezing and rubbing the foam, you are pushing all the dirt toward the center (inside) of the filter....and you THINK you can pushing them out of the filter...except, you cannot garantee that is always true. Then you put the filter back in the carb, the dirt, might be just hanging at the edge at the center of the fitler, and once the engine started, it will all get sucked in into the carb....

I havn't had any problem with premature wear, but I do it differently. I have a spray bottle filled with 1/4 dish washing soap and 3/4 water, dedicated to tires, bodies and air filters. The filter is soaked, inside and out with the soap. The filter is the placed on the end of the faucet in the sink with full water pressure and hot water, and rinsed clean FROM THE INSIDE OUT. While rinsing, I squeeze it several times. Repeat x3 or until all water in the bottom of the sink is clean.

Where do you guys find air filters for $3.50, at my LHS the cheapest ones are $12 a piece. I could use some new ones.

Wow....the fancy packaging must cost at least $9.00

This is just one of the filter that I have been using....even come with the white RD Logic logo on the filter....$7.50 for 2.

http://www.speedtechrc.com/store/ebp...inid=72&id=686

if you live in the states, i can sell you two rdlogics for $7.00. minimum order is 4 packages. it would come to $28 plus $3 for shipping, so $31.

you can also use these. I get these cheaper at my LHS

air filter

Thanks for all the input. I think I'll wash and reoil the filter once or twice before replacement for Sunday game engine. For race engine, it really not worth to wash.