o2 particulate clarifiers

[Bbqjoe]

This is the setup I have.
I get about 20 miles on the dusty dirt roads, and this baby is plugged up like a Sumo wrestler on a cheese diet.
(Not that I've ever seen such a thing, I can only imagine)

Anyways, is there a better alternative, or am I just stuck with this air filter problem no matter what?

 

[chancer]

Do you oil that filter as per manufacturer recomandations?
Look for "outerwears" for it. and or a foam cover.
Also with the fine dust there is something called K&N Air filter grease. IT goes on the rubber boot where the filter clamps to the carb.

 

[Hellion]

Are you not using a pre-filter?

A foam outer sleeve? A filter wrap?

Show us a photo of your bike overall and the air filter element after 20 miles of dusty roads.

 

[Bbqjoe]

Do you oil that filter as per manufacturer recomandations?
Look for "outerwears" for it. and or a foam cover.
Also with the fine dust there is something called K&N Air filter grease. IT goes on the rubber boot where the filter clamps to the carb.

If I didn't oil it, the gas in the carb would be mud.

 

[chancer]

Ok Bob had a cheap Hack on Pre filters.
A foam Window ac filter bought cheap at home depot,
and a womens nylons.

Looked more like the filter was getting ready to rob a bank, but should help.

 

[Hellion]

There's another alternative--a rigid plastic or metal shield. Sometimes a heat shield, sometimes a mud/rain shield but the same structure and function...

 

[Bbqjoe]

They make a dust/dirt collector for heavy equipment. I have one on my Case, and one on an old dozer. Not sure how they work actually. Probably gravity to some degree.

---------- Post added at 06:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:57 PM ----------

Thanks Hellion.

 

[chancer]

I bet that Case Diesel draws ALOT A sheet ton more are than you Mini bike.

 

[Bbqjoe]

UNI's prefilter is $11.
For a nickels worth of foam?
Gotta be kidding.
http://www.unifilter.com/accessories/

 

[Hellion]

Sometimes the stock air filter and airbox are what is best.

People have warned me that on my Honda XL, for instance, that the factory air filter element within its sealed side cover is the best. I can ford small streams with this setup as long as the water level doesn't rise above the seat.

People who think it's more performance-oriented to discard all that and add a cone or foam racing filter are inviting destruction, even from simple rain getting sucked into the engine.

Where's that video of the guys dyno testing a car with various cone filters and "cool air intakes" installed with basically no improvement (and sometimes a detriment) to show for it?

 

[Bbqjoe]

Sometimes the stock air filter and airbox are what is best.

People have warned me that on my Honda XL, for instance, that the factory air filter element within its sealed side cover is the best. I can ford small streams with this setup as long as the water level doesn't rise above the seat.

People who think it's more performance-oriented to discard all that and add a cone or foam racing filter are inviting destruction, even from simple rain getting sucked into the engine.

Where's that video of the guys dyno testing a car with various cone filters and "cool air intakes" installed with basically no improvement (and sometimes a detriment) to show for it?

I don't think the stock air filter is going to fit the Mikuni.

 

[Hellion]

Wherever there's a will, there's a way young grasshopper!

 

[Bbqjoe]

Wherever there's a will, there's way young grasshopper!

Wherever there's a will.......
I WANT IN IT!

 

[KartFab]

So yes you oil it, outerwear's help a bunch (my filter was caked in dirt until i got one, the dirt seems to not accumulate as much on the outerwear - so thats the #1 reccomendation from a newbie like me.

Also if its getting plugged up, is it just aesthetics or performance robbing?

Thinking about this hypothetically, the engine only draws in so much air. If you were to spread that same air over more surface area, you get less flow in per square inch of filter, less air flow into filter surface area means less dust into it. E.g. get a filter with more surface area. May not prevent it from plugging up, but will prolong the inevitable. I ended up getting a 5" long and as big around as i could filter for the mini bike and an outerwear to match it. Drove it in all sorts of dust and rain and didnt get much on the outerwear at all. The outerwear has some magical water proofing on it too so you can drive it in the rain no problem.

Also, other engines and air systems use what are called cyclones. cyclones use gravity to filter out the big stuff, and the small stuff that still hangs out in the air makes it through. Cyclones have a cut point though, so if you exceed the flow for what the cyclone is desinged to flow at, you will drag the big stuff through too.

 

[machinist@large]

They make a dust/dirt collector for heavy equipment. I have one on my Case, and one on an old dozer. Not sure how they work actually. Probably gravity to some degree.

---------- Post added at 06:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:57 PM ----------

Thanks Hellion.

I'm making an educated guess that both of the swirl type precleaners you listed have Donaldson on them somewhere; they work on the velocity of the airflow coming in,and are most commonly sized for the engine's expected operational intake volume at full load. And if you haven't noticed yet, they are usually mounted quite high above the ground to keep them clear of as much crap as possible.

I don't know what one for a small engine goes for, but I'm guessing that it's not in McBudget territory. The best advice I can offer is what I would try using. Remove air filter. Source enough flexible hose to provide smooth airflow between the carb and and a fabricated filter housing; starting with (in this example) a new unused one gallon paint can from either the hardware or auto part's store.

You'll need to fabricate a way to mount the can as well as the connections to mount the air filter inside, then the connection from the lid to a vertical inlet pipe. The taller the better; you need to get the inlet as far away from the ground level dust and debris as you can. Your other machines can give you idea's about how tall.

Ad some form of rain protection to the top of the inlet, and mount the paint can on a slight angle with an ~3/16" to 1/4" drain hole at the lowest point (in case any water does find it's way in), and you should have much less trouble.

And for the record, this is where I would start, based on experience. Have I done it yet? No. But this is where I would start if I had the same problem. And for the record, all of the filtration system advice listed above by the rest of the tribe is still valid, it's just based on trying to deal with it at the carb, which on most of the machines we discuss here have the poor little thing stuck in the worst of the mess.

 

[Lorddurock]

They make a dust/dirt collector for heavy equipment. I have one on my Case, and one on an old dozer. Not sure how they work actually. Probably gravity to some degree.

---------- Post added at 06:59 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:57 PM ----------

Thanks Hellion.

if it the style im thinking of. you have a pre filter (just something to drop the large dust out. next you swill the air going into the filter housing this put the majorty to the dust on the housing walls. the hose that runs from the filter housing to the muffler is a actually a vacuum pipe hooked to a venturi in the muffler which just blow the dust right out the stack.

https://www.sy-klone.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/how-it-works/OptimaxAirIntakeSystem.gif

 

[Bbqjoe]

Maybe one of those nifty shields, and a chunk of radiator hose or pvc pipe to route into a area with cleaner air. A Fernco fitting or two also.

Just a thought.

Maybe just a ramcharger, or a tank of oxygen.

 

[Bbqjoe]

I realize your being facetious. Forced induction = free newton meters, right? Pure oxygen would be less dramatic than your oxyacetylene idea. But same results. I suggest you mix up some chicken poop and diesel fuel. Get it up to high RPM and dump a bit into your intake. That's really a good solution for your dirty filter problem.

Seriously, don't do that.

I'm getting it dialed in. Received some bigger filters, and made a few other changes.
I have my chickens on a low nitrogen diet, so I can park my leaky skiploader next to the pen.

 

[Lorddurock]

H and smog pump

hydrazine will do some self cleaning

http://www.dragzine.com/news/flashback-friday-the-story-of-the-leathal-fuel-called-hydrazine/

 

[chancer]

Thorazine!
Then you just won't care!!!!