Steel Wool Filter for Kama 554

3RRL · Mar 16, 2009

You may have read this thread about re-routing the breather on my Kama?
Re-Routing Breather Tube on Kama 554
What this did is re-route some of the blow by from my engine back into the air intake manifold so it could be re-burned. Larry had mentioned that his breather is plumbed to his intake manifold on his Jinma and so is Loretta's 284. Where I put the end of the breather tubing, it went into my air filter so I could still read the Filter Minder if the filter got plugged up. I didn't want to get a false reading from air being sucked into it from the breather cap, bypassing the air filter.

Anyway, I figured the filter would get plugged faster ... which it did because of the oil vapors now going into it. It showed up on the filter minder when it got plugged up. The photos below are NOT of the plug up but just show the Filter minder that Larry installed for me.
Rob-

3RRL · Mar 16, 2009

I tried to wash out the paper element and dry it out, but the paper clumped together and the filter was destroyed.

I had bought spares from Chip at Artrac and they are pretty expensive to replace. In fact, I just ordered another spare filter. Anyway, after ruining the paper filter, I went retro and removed the paper element. I bought some 000 steel wool and jammed it into the air filter case pretty tightly. Then glued the filter ends back together again with an oil resistant RTV material. I did this when I had just over 600 hours and now I have nearly 630 hours on the Kama. It seems to be working pretty good. The oil vapors from the breather lubricate the steel wool making collection of debris sort of like the old oil bath air filters.
Rob-

Captinjack · Mar 16, 2009

Keep us advised as you acrue more time on this. I'd be interested in what the filter minder does when you brush hog the next time. Will the filter pressure drop increase at the same rate as the paper filter and what it drops down to after cleaning.

My Kama sucks a lot of air through the filter.

Good luck

mattman · Mar 16, 2009

I am scared more by a nasty air filter than black as soot oil. I would probably just pay the money for the paper air filters versus taking a chance on giving your engine a home made boring job. I feel as though the incoming air is critcal to the life of an engine. If the steel wool is letting dirt get by it that is not good.

mattman · Mar 16, 2009

Forgot to add that some tractors have an inner and outer filter element. Lot's of equipment has the double filter set up. The incoming air quality is considered important to the manufactures hence the dual filters.

3RRL · Mar 16, 2009

Thanks for the feedback Jack and Matt.
I will keep a close eye on it to determine how good a job it's doing. I sure don't want to screw up my engine. I do have that steel wool pack in there pretty tight. I was afraid it might be to restrictive but apparently not.

greg_g · Mar 16, 2009

I've always followed the precept that diesel engine longevity is directly proportional to the cleanliness of the air/fuel/oil it's fed. And that diesel engines appreciate cleanliness more than their gasoline counterparts.

That said, there are automotive air filters out now with porosity in the 0.3 to 0.5 micron range. Compared to that, I think you could drive a small ship through steel wool

//greg//

Diamondpilot · Mar 16, 2009

Rob

How about hitting your local auto parts store or even EBAY and getting a washable reusable air filter like a K&N or a clone and adapting it to your tractor. I put them on both of my Diesel trucks and the seem to do a good job with just a wash, dry, and oil once a year.

Chris

3RRL · Mar 16, 2009

Well then, I'll have to rethink this thing.
Are there any materials I can wrap around the steel wool, but inside the steel grate? I want to make this filter rinsable/washable and re-usable.