In my last post I preached that you should change the oil every ride. The premise is that oil is cheap, engines are expensive, so it’s a no-brainer. The same goes for keeping your air filter clean and oiled. A tiny amount of grit getting into your engine is VERY BAD. Trust me on this.
As with the oil, a few basic rules: Clean and oil the filter every ride. (Ok that was one rule, even better). Maybe if you go for a little spin, and it’ not dusty, and the filter looks just as clean as when you started, then fine, you can let it go for one more. But the general rule is to clean it every time you ride.
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If you have a stock filter, take this opportunity to go online and order a Twin Air filter for your bike. They are constructed better, do a much better job filtering out particulate, and will hold up better.
Click here for Twin Air Filter
Few things you will need:
- Mineral Spirits (i buy at a local hardware store)
- Dawn dish washing liquid
- Lithium based grease (a can of regular grease from the auto parts store works fine)
- Filter oil (not the same as motor oil)
- Nitrile gloves
- Large disposable aluminum oven pan (I’ll explain later)
- If you have a utility sink, I advise using it as it can leave a little ‘petrol’ smell in the sink.
Cleaning:
- Put on your gloves, and remove the two bolts at the back of the bike seat, and remove the seat to get access to the filter (I usually leave the side panels on, you really don’t need to remove them).
- Remove the filter assembly from the bike, and stick a rag over the opening of the intake (so no bugs fly into your intake!).
- This is a good time to take a rag or paper towel and wipe off the surface where the filter contacts the intake. Be careful not to get any grime in the intake. (if your airbox is really grimy, you might as well remove it and clean it. See your owners manual, usually you will have to remove the rear tire, and one of the sub-frame members, but different bikes require different surgical techniques. I use warm soapy water with Dawn and a good stiff brush).
- Get a small bucket (I use some small paint buckets I got at Home Depot), and drop the filter, basket, and screws into it.
- Dump some mineral spirits into the bucket, pouring it over the filter, a cup or two should be sufficient.
- Squeeze the mineral spirits in and out of the filter a few times (don’t ever twist the filter, just squeeze it). Do a last squeeze to get most of the mineral spirits out of the filter. Set the filter aside.
- Swish around the remaining mineral spirits to wash any gunk off the basket and filter bolt.
- Dump the mineral spirits (as I noted in a previous post, I keep a 5 gallon paint bucket with a lid and removable pour spout to collect used fluids, and dump off at the auto parts store when it gets full)
- Now run some water until its warm (don’t get it really hot, it might melt the glue in the seams of your filter). Run about 3 inches of water in the bucket with a few squirts of Dawn, and plunge the filter in the soapy water, squeezing in and out several times.
- Dump the water, and repeat. I usually do this 3-4 times until the water no longer looks dirty.
- Use some of the soapy water to clean off the filter basket and bolt.
- Now put clean warm water into the bucket, and squeeze the filter out several times, again repeating until the water stays clean.
- Squeeze out the filter one last time, and set the filter aside.
- Clean up your mess so your wife doesn’t get ticked off.
- If you have an air compressor (which I really recommend) then take your air nozzle and blow off all the parts. Be careful not to blow a hole in the filter. I will usually turn the filter inside out, blow it, then turn it back, and blow it. I will also take some clean paper towels and squeeze the filter, absorbing as much water as possible.
- Set the filter and parts out on a clean rag, with the opening down (so no stuff settles on the inside), and let it dry completely.
If you are in a rush and want to ride right away, then you will need to get all the water out of the filter. After blowing it you can use some dry paper towels to get most of the water out. Then you can follow up with a hair dryer, which will dry the filter out. It smokes a little from the residual oil in the filter. I have never had one combust, but you never know. I suggest doing this in the garage.
Oiling the filter:
- Don’t use regular motor oil. It will not perform the same as filter oil, which is really tacky and will capture small particles of dust. I use Belray filter oil. One liter will last you 15 or more filter applications. How you get the oil on the filter is a personal preference. I have tried all sorts of different methods, and I’ll share with you what I have found works best.
- Go ahead and get your gloves on, set out your filter oil and grease out, and have some paper towels on hand.
- Take the large disposable aluminum baking pan I listed above, and set it on your tool bench.
- Pour a liberal amount (maybe 2-3 fl oz) of filter oil in the middle of the pan. Turn the pan up/down/left/right to let the oil spread into an approx ten inch, thin puddle.
- Take your now clean filter, gloves on (the stuff is really sticky), hold it from the inside, and roll the filter in the oil puddle. Go back and forth, sides, top, etc Get a good covering.
- Now squeeze the filter all over so you spread the oil into the filter. You don’t want it dripping with oil, but a nice even coat all over the filter. If there are spots you missed, just pour a little more oil in the pan and hit those spots. The filter should have oil all through it.
- Another method is to pour the oil into a plastic bowl (get one with a lid) that is large enough to dip the entire filter in. Dunk the Filter into the oil, let it saturate, then lift it out and squeeze out the excess oil. (reminder, never twist the filter, just squeeze it).
- Now put your filter back together, inserting the basket and putting the bolt through the filter and basket. If your basket has alignment marks, make sure that they are correct. The basket should be fitting snug inside, with the edge of the filter sitting on top of the basket edge.
- Now stick your finger in the grease, not a huge amount, and start making a grease seal on the face of the filter edge that will touch the intake. This will ensure a good airtight seal. You don’t have to glob it on, just a thin coat that will make a seal.
- Now set your filter back into the airbox, make sure the basket it lined up properly with the intake, align the bolt, and screw it back into place hand tight.
- Inspect around the filter and make sure that it seated good, with no gaps.
- Reinstall the seat, and your ready to go!
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