Cleaning an air filter

jlsmith · Sep 12, 2012

I read a lot of post on here about guys cleaning their air filter. First thing they say is that they blow it out with their air compressor. Just FYI this is the worst thing you can do to an air filter because the compressed air blows apart the mess fibers that hold the filter together allowing dirt and dust to pass right threw. The best way to clean an air filter IMO is to just bump it against the palm of your hand. This will clean it out and still save the filter and add life to your engine. I have been to many classes and all have stated the same thing. Hope this helps a little and keep on tractoring.

Jeremy

Soundguy · Sep 12, 2012

i wash mine in kerosene, pour some oil in it and reinstall..

gwdixon · Sep 12, 2012

jlsmith said:
I read a lot of post on here about guys cleaning their air filter. First thing they say is that they blow it out with their air compressor. Just FYI this is the worst thing you can do to an air filter because the compressed air blows apart the mess fibers that hold the filter together allowing dirt and dust to pass right threw. The best way to clean an air filter IMO is to just bump it against the palm of your hand. This will clean it out and still save the filter and add life to your engine. I have been to many classes and all have stated the same thing. Hope this helps a little and keep on tractoring.

Jeremy

Ah ha, using an air compressor to clean the primary filter is why my secondary filter has so much dirt in it. Oh, wait...there has not been a speck of dirt in my secondary filter in 600 hours.

Jerry/MT · Sep 12, 2012

Some of the primary air filters are washable. I've never done that. I tap them and then blow them out with an air compressor of just replace them. I've never seen any damage to the primary filter using compressed air but I suppose it's possible if the air pressure is too high. Never have replaced the secondary filter.

Thanks for the info.

jlsmith · Sep 12, 2012

gwdixon said:
Ah ha, using an air compressor to clean the primary filter is why my secondary filter has so much dirt in it. Oh, wait...there has not been a speck of dirt in my secondary filter in 600 hours.

Im not telling you that you cant blow it out. Its your tractor do what you want to. Just adding some friendly advise to help out. If you want to add life to your filter not blow it out. It does mess up the mess fibers. I just got done with a class last week and that was one of the topics.

oldballs · Sep 12, 2012

That's why I never go to schools/doctors....they are always telling you that the things that you've been doing all your life are not good for you. Thanx jl

Soundguy · Sep 13, 2012

if i sold filters.. i'd for sure say that you couldn't blow them out either..

vabiker23518 · Sep 13, 2012

I've used the leaf blower to blow air inside the outer filter...its not high pressure and seems to clean out the larger dirt/dust particles. Not sure if it extends the filter life but makes me feel better!

Gary Fowler · Sep 13, 2012

I have never had a damaged filter from blowing with compressed air and been doing it for over 40 years. Secondary filter is never dirty either. I start by tapping the filter on the tire which saves my hand a bit to get out the heavy dirt, then blow lightly from about 12" away with blow gun and 50 to 90 PSI pressure (what my compressor low and high settings are) . Never hurt one yet. I think I might get myself another teacher if I were you or if that guy was selling filters, go to another brand filter.

On the other side of that coin, in todays world of "I am not at fault for anything I do, its someone elses fault" attitude, I suppose that when suggesting a method, one has to consider the imbeciles in the world when making a statement. If you said blowing out with air is OK, then someone would hook up to a 250# 3/4 or 1" hose and go at it from 1" away which would certainly separated everything and then want you to replace their filter at no charge because you said blowing with air was the way to clean.

stevem5215 · Sep 13, 2012

I too have been blowing them out for thirty years with compressed air. Oh well, guess i'll have to start doing it the correct way now !

Steve

brain55 · Sep 13, 2012

Well, there is blowing them out, and there is BLOWING them out. If you tell the unaware they can blow out their air filters they will grab the unregulated air nozzle and blow 150psi through their filters. I do it, but I know not to go full bore at them either.

jefwyn · Sep 13, 2012

My manual says not to bump them on anything and to blow them out with compressed air. I'm so confused, now what do I do?

jlsmith · Sep 13, 2012

Soundguy said:
if i sold filters.. i'd for sure say that you couldn't blow them out either..

well I do sell filters and that wasnt the reason for the post. I never said you couldnt clean them and keep using them. I tell my customers to clean them and show them how.

jlsmith · Sep 13, 2012

brain55 said:
Well, there is blowing them out, and there is BLOWING them out. If you tell the unaware they can blow out their air filters they will grab the unregulated air nozzle and blow 150psi through their filters. I do it, but I know not to go full bore at them either.

brain your right and i guess i should have said it that way but like you said most will just grab an air gun and start blowing. This is when your mess up the filter. Thats why i said to bump them to clean them. Less chance of messing it up.

Soundguy · Sep 13, 2012

jlsmith said:
well I do sell filters and that wasnt the reason for the post. I never said you couldnt clean them and keep using them. I tell my customers to clean them and show them how.

that wasn't specifically directed at you.. was just an observation in general.

I believe it's one of the main reasons we don't see more oil bath air filters.

1, you can make more money selling someone a filter element vs a half quart of oil, and 2, from a dealer service standpoint.. it's faster to change out a dry element than a wet element.

just saying.. no offense intended.

jlsmith · Sep 13, 2012

Soundguy said:
that wasn't specifically directed at you.. was just an observation in general.

I believe it's one of the main reasons we don't see more oil bath air filters.

1, you can make more money selling someone a filter element vs a half quart of oil, and 2, from a dealer service standpoint.. it's faster to change out a dry element than a wet element.

just saying.. no offense intended.

None taken and your right, i wish we could see more oil bath filters in tractors. Make things more simple with one. I do respect your opinions on here and this post was more directed at the newbies and not the tractors owners who have been doing it for years like you and myself. I too have blown them out in the past with low air psi but have since started bumping them in the palm of my hand. Then again a lot has to do with your area. It is very dusty here which is harder on a filter than a non dusty climate.

JRobyn · Sep 13, 2012

jlsmith said:
Im not telling you that you cant blow it out. Its your tractor do what you want to. Just adding some friendly advise to help out. If you want to add life to your filter not blow it out. It does mess up the mess fibers. I just got done with a class last week and that was one of the topics.

Just what are "mess fibers"??

Soundguy · Sep 13, 2012

mesh maybee?

jlsmith · Sep 13, 2012

JRobyn said:
Just what are "mess fibers"??

Mesh fibers sorry lol The paper filters are made with fibers that over lay each other. When you hit them with high psi it spreads them apart which lets the dust and dirt pass threw more easily moving on to the secondary filter.