Use a good air filter

[Edwin Spangler]

@Hellion mentions it all the time, as do other members BUT make sure you research and find a sufficient filter for the environment you drive in. Those "stage 1" filters are literally useless.

Here's the filter that comes with the "stage 1" kit from Gopowersports. It's maybe 10 hours in a pretty dusty environment.

-and then here's my "upgrade"

 

[Edwin Spangler]

Funnily enough, the dirt completely stops where you see and everything in the engine still looks perfect.

 

[Grizzlymi]

Yep, those cheap can filters are pretty much worthless in dusty conditions. Did you open the carb to have a look?

 

[Sparkwizard]

It is the cylinder walls and rings that take the most abuse from dust and grit, but it also works its way into the oil.
The stock boxes might not be pretty, but the paper filters will keep your engine running for a long time.

 

[Whitetrashrocker]

Funnily enough, the dirt completely stops where you see and everything in the engine still looks perfect.

Cause the airflow is fast enough to wipe the bore clean.
Your rings are feeling that.
Here's a pic of my low hour 301 with that cone filter. The rings behind is a new one. The one in front is the worn one.
That gap blows oil by and lowers compression. No Bueno.

 

[Hellion]

The stock boxes might not be pretty

@Hellion mentions it all the time, as do other members

BrownStainRacing is (probably) the sole proponent (around here anyway) of retaining and using the stock air box and filter. Here's one post that I could find: https://www.diygokarts.com/community/threads/help-with-predator-224.47924/page-4#post-602547

It just gave me an epiphany and it stuck. I know they are not that restrictive, and the hard plastic housing is what you need for extra insurance off-road because that cone filter can just come off too easily. Now some of the Predators have just a piece of grey foam in there and others have the more substantial metal/mesh drum style with paper "accordion" element, a foam pre-filter and all held down by a wingnut. I just checked, it's the Hemi models #60363 that have the nicer filter.

I have not bought a Rotaderp in years, maybe they all have the Hemi style air cleaner now.

 

[Grizzlymi]

You are right, most of my clones have been hemi's, and they had the better filter. The one non-hemi one had the gray foam. Thanks for posting that, I have never noticed. lol

 

[Denny]

Many years back I tried to say on here that the cone/gauze filters were junk. Everyone here tried to tar and feather me then run me off for saying that. My posts were even deleted. Even the foam with a little oil is a better filter than the gauze. The factory knows best.

 

[Edwin Spangler]

Your rings are feeling that.

Yeeeeap! Im down some power

 

[Hellion]

Many years back I tried to say on here that the cone/gauze filters were junk….

That’s a great way to describe the filter material. About as porous as a burlap sack (or the sack oranges come in) I *think* they are originally intended for street or (paved) track use but no one ever states such in the ad copy. I remember when a good filter was the Uni type, a straight up cylinder of foam that was oiled to capture debris…

We should mention when a filter is sometimes extraneous, like on a boat, snowmobile or a snow blower. On the latter I know it is a box like container that is around the open end of the carburetor, to prevent the engine from sucking up snowflakes from the blizzard you’re in, and there’s just no dust or particles around when you’re on the water….

Well I am sorry they shunned you, chased you with torches and pitchforks and called you a heretic Denny.

 

[Denny]

I felt like Frankenstein’s Monster. Mmmmm fire bad!

 

[Sparkwizard]

Pleated paper with an oily foam cover have protected engines in harsh environments for decades. It you feel any restrictions, get a bigger filter.
The gauze and red oil idea might have caught tire rubber on asphalt tracks, but on the beach or in dusty conditions...I'll take pleated paper every time. If it gets rich, stop and knock the dust out. It's a minor inconvenience but oh, so satisfying to see all that dust your engine did not ingest.

 

[Edwin Spangler]

Pleated paper with an oily foam cover have protected engines in harsh environments for decades. It you feel any restrictions, get a bigger filter.
The gauze and red oil idea might have caught tire rubber on asphalt tracks, but on the beach or in dusty conditions...I'll take pleated paper every time. If it gets rich, stop and knock the dust out. It's a minor inconvenience but oh, so satisfying to see all that dust your engine did not ingest.

There was actually more dirt in the filter than on the filter!

 

[Kartorbust]

Anyone test with one of those pre-filter socks over those cone filters for comparison?

 

[Hellion]

They sell a mesh drawstring "sock" sort of like pantyhose, for the gauze cone filters. That at a minimum would help if you were dead-set on using a cone filter. Look at this one, it is open on the top and has elastic.



Jinx, Kartorbust beat me to the sock question....

 

[Edwin Spangler]

Anyone test with one of those pre-filter socks over those cone filters for comparison?

Yea, I used it for a while. I could feel it restricting the airflow so I removed it. I now think that "sock" that comes with the stage 1 filter is intended to be used WITH the filter... Theres no way they would sell something that let THAT much dirt in. Even Gopowersports wouldnt do something that crappy.

 

[Edwin Spangler]

What rings are best to replace with?

 

[Mity2gt]

What filter….

 

[Hellion]

What filter….

Looks good if you never run it or just let it idle in your driveway. Some people just like to hear their motor rumble.

 

[Hellion]

What rings are best to replace with?

Cheapest you can find of course!