www.ShadowStuff.com - Air Filter Information

Air cleaner filter maintenance

The filter supplied with your air cleaner is made by long time manufacturer of after market air cleaners elements. In our opinion this company is one of the best as they have a no-compromise approach to their product quality.

The air cleaner element will have the manufacturer's recommendations for cleaning and oiling included with the element, but there are alternatives.

A quick web search on "air filter element oiling" will return a large number of sites to track down even more information.

While we do not suggest using other than the filter element manufacturer's recommendations, we have had good results with automotive oil and mention the following for your consideration.

How often should I clean and re-oil the filter.
Good question and how long is a piece of string?

The "how often" question depends entirely on the conditions of use. You know your local conditions and the type of riding you do, so keeping a close eye on things like fuel economy and engine performance in the early stages of owning the air cleaner will decide how often you need to clean and oil.

Black smoke from the exhaust pipes and/or a strong gas-smell of the exhaust is a good indicator of running too rich. The black smoke/smell can be caused by any number of things but one of them will be a clogged air cleaner element.

Will the element last forever?
Well, yes, no, maybe. Inspect the element closely looking for any signs of deterioration of the plastic foam. Long exposure to sunlight can slowly degrade the foam and make the filter less efficient. We therefore strongly recommend replacing the element after about 25 cleaning and oiling sessions, EVEN IF the filter looks OK, it should still be replaced.

Using engine oil of any weight or flavor
The good part about engine oil is it is thin and easier to dampen the filter element without over oiling. The down side is that engine oil is probably not as good as gear oil at trapping dust in a very dusty environment such as off road or a lot of dirt road use.

Gear oil, SAE 80 or SAE 90
The good part about gear oil is that it is thicker and stickier and therefore better at trapping fine dust in a dusty environment. The down side is that gear oil is harder to spread evenly throughout the filter element without over-oiling.

Over oiling
This is not a bad thing as over a period of about 3 or 4 hours, the oil will drain down to the bottom of the air cleaner and drip onto the engine casing or mist out while running and coat everything with a thin oily mist. Probably not what you wanted but will allow the element to settle itself to a useful film level over a short period of time.

This is NOT to suggest that over oiling is a good thing, it's just that if you do over oil, it will take care of itself over a short period of time and leave you with another mess to clean up.

OK, so how do I oil it?
Well first off let's start with cleaning it since you will always be cleaning it before oiling it except on the very first time when the element is new.

Cleaning
Use a good detergent and warm water. Something like Simple green or a good dishwashing detergent is fine. Don't over do the detergent as you need to rinse the filter clean before use.

Squoosh it around well in the warm soapy water until it looks and feels clean.

Rinse it well in clean warm water and squeeze out the water. Do NOT wring it out just ball it up and squeeze. If you wring it out you will quickly tear the element making it useless.

Let the element dry completely before oiling as the oil will not properly adhere to the foam if it is still damp.

Oiling
Before oiling, inspect the element closely looking for any signs of deterioration of the plastic foam. Long exposure to sunlight can slowly degrade the foam and make the filter less efficient. We therefore strongly recommend replacing the element after about 25 cleaning and oiling sessions, EVEN IF the filter looks OK, it should still be replaced.

Pour about 2 teaspoons of oil into your cupped-hand.

Dab the outer surface of the element into the oil until it has all been sucked into the foam.

Ball the element up and squeeze it in your hand and work it around to distribute the oil evenly. If it appears too dry to then add some more oil. Be warned the more oil you add to make this process easier, the more oil you have to squeeze out before installing it. See the over oiling comments above.

When it is completely coated with oil the filter will have an even color to it. If it looks patchy then the oil is not evenly spread.

When you are happy it looks right then install it.

	Air cleaner filter maintenance

	The filter supplied with your air cleaner is made by long time manufacturer of after market air cleaners elements. In our opinion this company is one of the best as they have a no-compromise approach to their product quality. The air cleaner element will have the manufacturer's recommendations for cleaning and oiling included with the element, but there are alternatives. A quick web search on "air filter element oiling" will return a large number of sites to track down even more information.


	While we do not suggest using other than the filter element manufacturer's recommendations, we have had good results with automotive oil and mention the following for your consideration.


	How often should I clean and re-oil the filter. Good question and how long is a piece of string? The "how often" question depends entirely on the conditions of use. You know your local conditions and the type of riding you do, so keeping a close eye on things like fuel economy and engine performance in the early stages of owning the air cleaner will decide how often you need to clean and oil. Black smoke from the exhaust pipes and/or a strong gas-smell of the exhaust is a good indicator of running too rich. The black smoke/smell can be caused by any number of things but one of them will be a clogged air cleaner element.

	Will the element last forever? Well, yes, no, maybe. Inspect the element closely looking for any signs of deterioration of the plastic foam. Long exposure to sunlight can slowly degrade the foam and make the filter less efficient. We therefore strongly recommend replacing the element after about 25 cleaning and oiling sessions, EVEN IF the filter looks OK, it should still be replaced.

	Using engine oil of any weight or flavor The good part about engine oil is it is thin and easier to dampen the filter element without over oiling. The down side is that engine oil is probably not as good as gear oil at trapping dust in a very dusty environment such as off road or a lot of dirt road use. Gear oil, SAE 80 or SAE 90 The good part about gear oil is that it is thicker and stickier and therefore better at trapping fine dust in a dusty environment. The down side is that gear oil is harder to spread evenly throughout the filter element without over-oiling.

	Over oiling This is not a bad thing as over a period of about 3 or 4 hours, the oil will drain down to the bottom of the air cleaner and drip onto the engine casing or mist out while running and coat everything with a thin oily mist. Probably not what you wanted but will allow the element to settle itself to a useful film level over a short period of time. This is NOT to suggest that over oiling is a good thing, it's just that if you do over oil, it will take care of itself over a short period of time and leave you with another mess to clean up. OK, so how do I oil it? Well first off let's start with cleaning it since you will always be cleaning it before oiling it except on the very first time when the element is new. Cleaning Use a good detergent and warm water. Something like Simple green or a good dishwashing detergent is fine. Don't over do the detergent as you need to rinse the filter clean before use. Squoosh it around well in the warm soapy water until it looks and feels clean. Rinse it well in clean warm water and squeeze out the water. Do NOT wring it out just ball it up and squeeze. If you wring it out you will quickly tear the element making it useless. Let the element dry completely before oiling as the oil will not properly adhere to the foam if it is still damp. Oiling Before oiling, inspect the element closely looking for any signs of deterioration of the plastic foam. Long exposure to sunlight can slowly degrade the foam and make the filter less efficient. We therefore strongly recommend replacing the element after about 25 cleaning and oiling sessions, EVEN IF the filter looks OK, it should still be replaced. Pour about 2 teaspoons of oil into your cupped-hand. Dab the outer surface of the element into the oil until it has all been sucked into the foam. Ball the element up and squeeze it in your hand and work it around to distribute the oil evenly. If it appears too dry to then add some more oil. Be warned the more oil you add to make this process easier, the more oil you have to squeeze out before installing it. See the over oiling comments above. When it is completely coated with oil the filter will have an even color to it. If it looks patchy then the oil is not evenly spread. When you are happy it looks right then install it.