What type of solvent should I use to clean the air filter foam. The manual says a "high flashpoint solvent". What is recommended? Also are any of the foam oils better than the others?
Gas works really really god. that is.. REGULAR GAS WITHOUT PREMIX! lol Takes out everyhting. All foam filter oils do the same thing. basically, its almost like commonsenze. if you buy a thicker oil, its going to restrict airflow more, but trap more dirt. If you buy a thinner Oil, Itll allow more air flow, but most likley not grab the dirt as good as the thick stuff.
I'm sure I'll be flamed for this one, but I use gas and then soap/water. I use PJ1 filter oil which seems to work.
I've heard "gas will break down the filter", which is probably true but I can buy a new filter every year and use gas which saves me $$ over the newer cleaning solutions which cost more $$.
I've been using gas for... well a long time and it has never caused any problem. I reuse it and keep it in a plastic container ( dirt falls to bottom and I pour off the top! ) . I just let it air dry with out soap and water.
Gas will clean the filter fine, but it has 2 major problems:
1) It is toxic and will absorb through your skin. The fumes are toxic, too. Long term exposure can reportedly cause liver and kidney damage.
2) fire hazard (it's a low flashpoint solvent)
FWIW, when I used gas, I never noticed it damaging the filter or seams.
I used to use gas, but switched to No-Toil years ago. No Toil is a system with its own oil and powdered soap. The soap and warm water will disolve the no-toil oil. The no-toil powdred soap does not work on regular air filter oil, so you need the whole system (it's not expensive)
I'm with you Fred T, kero followed by soapy water. Depending on the foam, gas can reduce filter life but to each his own. There are those that say they don't notice any difference.
I'm a big fan of No-Toil. The filter oil is a derived from vegetable oils. Additives are added to it to make it sticky and tacky. You can clean the filters right in your kitchen sink with no harmful effects to septic or sewer systems.
With No-Toil, cleaning an airfilter takes about 30 seconds. Simply drop the filter into the soapy solution and agitate the filter for 20 seconds. A quick rinse and you’re done.
The best part is that you don’t have to handle any toxic chemicals.
I use a product which is basically identical to twin air filter solvent. It is good since you can use it like a parts cleaner too. I get all the dirt out by submersing the filter and then letting the liquid run from the inside out. This flushes all the dirt away in about two minutes. Then I get the garden hose and lightly spray the filter from inside out and when I don't see any solvent anymore, looks white, I know it is time to wring it out gently and hang to dry.
I read in a magazine that Belray foam filter oil was best since it is thick when it comes out of the bottle. It does keep a lot more oil in your filter and if you are not good at getting rid of the excess oil it can cause a rich condition in the carb. I also tried silkolene and it is very watery and is much more easily applied. I use a pan and pour some over the filter and then mop the oil up with the filter and press down on the filter to ensure even coverage. Then once that is done I squeeze it all in my hand to get rid of excess oil. The excess is easily poured back into the bottle from the pan.
Store your freshly oiled filter in a big freezer bag. I position the filter in a corner with the bottom or seam of the filter at the bottom, toward the corner. Then I seal the bag with as much air in it as possible. This keeps the filter from resting too much on the plastic of the bag. Why do this. When I store the filter in the bag, it is hung by a corner so the corner beneath the filter is able to catch all the remaining excess oil and when you go to take the filter out of the bag, this oil is not reintroduced to the filter.
Whew, that was a long explanaition.
I like both oils, silk for wet and bel for dry conditions.
No-toil is such a snap to use...one of the benefits is you'll be cleaning your air filter more often, and that's a good thing.
Their oil comes in both a bottle (liquid) and an aerosol. The spray can provides a nice even coat. It's particularly good on a filter that has a rubber base...one that can't be squeezed real well.
Keep a spare (or two). Clean two at a time. Store the second one so it's even easier to swap in a clean one....well, at least 1/2 the time! ;)
It's some sticky stuff! Soap won't touch it. Neither will handcleaner. Never have had a 'settling' or 'puddling' problem with it, even when a 'spare' has sat already oiled for a couple months.
They used to give you a free filter when you bought their 'kit'. Some dealers still do that. It's not an 'official' program anymore (they said).
I switched to No Toil and will never go back to anything else. It is safe and so easy to use. I can also clean my filter in the kitchen sink without any objectional odors at all. I don't like what gas or kerosene does to my hands, nor the potential for burning down my home. Heck, the stuff is so easy to use, the label even says you can use your washing machine to clean it with.
You can order it from no-toil.com or it's available from your local Honda dealer as Honda Pro environmental friendly filter kit (something along those lines).
I agree, No-Toil and I get it from the local KTM dealer here in Jax. When they don't have it, I order from Rocky Mountian Cycles. http://www.rockymountainmc.com/
l use twinair filter and their cleaning and oiling products.works good but l find after cleaning the filter it doesnt completley dry even after a couple of days and when you apply the oil its not as sticky.there is a new twinair product l heard of which is dry all you have to do is add hot water to it and presto.might give that a go after l,ve finished with the other stuff.hope thats any help to you.
I use mineral spirits to get rid of the oil, wash with warm soapy water, then oil with PJ1 spray. This system works well for me, though I admit I'm thinking about getting no toil. The mineral spirits work well because I keep recycling it until it is just too filthy to use. The problem is, I don't know what to do with it at that point.
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