Washing paper air filters and reusing them. Opinions?

Is this a wind up ? I can't believe you're washing out PAPER filters with WATER. The filters have a weave in them which catches and retains dust, you can't get all the dust out by simply dipping them in water and then running a tap over them, it doesn't work because the filter is designed to *retain* the dust. The only way to get all the dust out is to destroy the weave.

As part of the washing process you'll also end up with fibres that are stuck together, trapping dust inside the filter and allowing larger particles of dust to pass through the filter via the holes left because the fibres have got stuck together.

There are lots of ways of saving money and I'm in favour of most of them but this certainly isn't one of them ! If you want to have a reusable filter get a K&N or similar that uses oil to trap the dust, you can wash the oil off and apply new oil, works far better than paper as it doesn't clog up after 3000 miles and can be cleaned for years if you use gentle detergent and dry them properly.

Also sprach "Rushing7" :-

When I was a kid I knew the local jeweller - a proper one who made stuff on the premesis. He used to sell his floormats to a company that reclaimed the gold dust from 'em.

Back to my suggestion. We don't live in the Sahara, so stick a knife blade through each pleat and use the filter forever. Better still, buy a K&N which also lasts forever and does collect whatever dust there is about. What you need is protection from stones and bits of metal thrown up off the road surface going into the cylinders. The air in UK, despite what the greenies would tell you is actually quite breathable. This air filter stuff is a load of malarkey anyway. One of my early transports was a Ford Popular with the E93A engine (basically the model T Ford still being manufactured here in 1953). The induction was protected by a four inch metal disc held on by a grubscrew over the carburettor air intake. No oil filter, or oil pump, or water pump. Valve clearances anything between 12 thou and 30+ thou,-adjusted by grinding off a bit off the valve stem to increase or grinding in the valves to decrease. Engine lasted about 30,000 miles but you could always pick up another in the scrapyard. Never failed to start- six volt battery but it had a starting handle. Out of the Riverside Ballroom at New Brighton on New Years day at 2.0am - adjacent to the largest bathing pool in Europe to find two inches of ice over everything because the winter south west gales hurled the Irish Sea straight over the car park. Girl friends metal comb (the one they used for the beehive bouffant) to scrape a porthole in the screen and away we went, whilst all the others were stuck in the arctic, trying to coax some interest out of their modern cars-the one's without a starting handle. DaveK.

Happy days! many years ago I used to own an old 1936 side valve 'Talbot of London' two (very big) door saloon, from the time I bought it the battery was duff (wouldn't hold a charge for longer than a few hours) however it would usually always start winter or summer with just a half swing of the starting handle, never did get round to buying a new battery!

Not a wind up and officially sanctioned by many leading air cleaner manufacturers such as Donaldson. Like someone said, it is not worth the effort with cheap filters. As for the rest of your post, it is pure conjecture on your part. If you used industrial equipment in dusty environments you would know many different techniques for cleaning paper elements, most of which are sanctioned by the manufacturers. The paper in these and the bonding is of the same type as used in cars. There is only a difference in scale. That you 'cannot believe' shows that you have no experience in this area. No surprise. Don't do it if you have doubts.

Huw

Huw's method was an official one for a 116hp ford tractor engine I own. What I think may have changed is that the cost of air filters seems to have come down in real terms. I remember being staggered by the cost of a replacement air paper air filter in the mid 70s, having been used to oil bath ones prior to that.

AJH

I have no experience of industrial machinery, no, but the OP wasn't talking about a dirty great Combine in a field or earth movers, he was talking about his car.

Wet them if you must, but you can't say you're ignorant anymore ;-)

I refer you to a conversation on rec.autos.tech on this subject.

Huw