After noticing that these wet filters are just for light to medium dusty conditions and hearing of serious engine damage on wet filtered engines, I decided to replace mine with a regular paper filter.
It will cause additional cost for sure, but I hated the mess on cleaning them seriously. It always took atleast 20 minutes and a half can of cleaner.
It will cause additional cost for sure, but I hated the mess on cleaning them seriously. It always took atleast 20 minutes and a half can of cleaner.
I think so, a paper filter, is a "closed" filter while these oil filters allow a certain rate of pass through.
Look at the European Mann+Hummel filter company, when it comes to filtration they are the place to go. They state for their wet filters, that they're not suitable for very dusty conditions.
If you are just sickle bar mowing and snow blowing a wet filter may be fine, but flail mowing, tilling and sweeping may be a little too much.
For example Stump grinders, which use wet filters are known for premature engine damage.
Look at the European Mann+Hummel filter company, when it comes to filtration they are the place to go. They state for their wet filters, that they're not suitable for very dusty conditions.
If you are just sickle bar mowing and snow blowing a wet filter may be fine, but flail mowing, tilling and sweeping may be a little too much.
For example Stump grinders, which use wet filters are known for premature engine damage.
NibbanaFarm
Silver Member
For automotive, mining and construction the oil bath filters used to be the gold standard for dusty conditions. This was a half century ago. I'm sure things have changed. I had a 1967 International Scout that had an oil bath air filter.
Hi ppea 
Your original post and your photos made me curious of course, as I have the same air cleaner on my GX 390 engine as you.
Our filters are of the oil-bath type, and what I noticed on your photos, is that there are hardly any traces of oil to be seen. Could it be that there is way to little oil in the air cleaner case to make the cleaner work properly?
I just removed my air cleaner and made this photo for comparison:
As you can see, there are clear evidence of oil allover, and the filter seems to hold back debris as intended. I will of course need to clean it, and fill it up with new oil.
Here ia a photo of the air cleaner case, and also here debris has been filtered out:
When I clean it, I usually fill it up with new oil so the oil is flush with the horizontal „fins“ at the bottom of the air cleaner case. That has worked fine now for the almost 400 hours that I have used my tractor over the last 13 years.
A low oil level might not explain why parts of the steel wool is missing in your filter, but in your case I would replace the steel wool filter, and perhaps check the oil level more frequently in the future. If you don’t find the missing steel wool in the air cleaner case, there certainly is a risk that it has entered the engine, and that can’t be good
I hope that you haven’t had any problems with your engine due to this, and that with a new filter you will be up and running again soon
Best regards
Jens
Your original post and your photos made me curious of course, as I have the same air cleaner on my GX 390 engine as you.
Our filters are of the oil-bath type, and what I noticed on your photos, is that there are hardly any traces of oil to be seen. Could it be that there is way to little oil in the air cleaner case to make the cleaner work properly?
I just removed my air cleaner and made this photo for comparison:
As you can see, there are clear evidence of oil allover, and the filter seems to hold back debris as intended. I will of course need to clean it, and fill it up with new oil.
Here ia a photo of the air cleaner case, and also here debris has been filtered out:
When I clean it, I usually fill it up with new oil so the oil is flush with the horizontal „fins“ at the bottom of the air cleaner case. That has worked fine now for the almost 400 hours that I have used my tractor over the last 13 years.
A low oil level might not explain why parts of the steel wool is missing in your filter, but in your case I would replace the steel wool filter, and perhaps check the oil level more frequently in the future. If you don’t find the missing steel wool in the air cleaner case, there certainly is a risk that it has entered the engine, and that can’t be good
I hope that you haven’t had any problems with your engine due to this, and that with a new filter you will be up and running again soon
Best regards
Jens
In my photo the steel wool is already clean.I found the steel wool in oil.Probaly some steel wools maybe enter in the engine but the engire run perfect.I think to change the filter with the paper model.
In the first years of use my filter look like your filter and i clean 2-3 times per year until this year i found this steel wool missing and parts from it in oil.
In the first years of use my filter look like your filter and i clean 2-3 times per year until this year i found this steel wool missing and parts from it in oil.
oughtsix
Bronze Member
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2009
- Messages
- 94
- Location
- Redmond, Oregon
- Tractor
- '58 Fordson New major, BCS 735 & 715
That doesn't look like "steel wool" to me. That looks like a wire link chain folded back and forth on itself. It looks like filter was dropped and the wire link chain separated at the folds. Zoom in with a large monitor and you can see the links in the wire braid. I doubt if any of the wire braid broke off and went into the engine. I think it just separated at the folds. I sure the heck would not have been able to discern this from the picture displayed on a tiny little phone screen.
The way an oil bath filter is supposed to work is the air is supposed to travel straight down at the oil pool at a high velocity. Just above the oil pool the air changes to the opposite direction and the rapid change in direction is supposed to whip the heavier than air debris out of the air stream by centripetal force allowing it to be caught in the oil pool. I don't know the design concept behind that filter.
I would switch to a paper filter.