Air Filters-202: Make sure its sealed

An improperly installed air filter

Dirt and your intake do not mix

Living in the great state of Utah, we have the most amazing scenery to ride in... we also have some of the most damaging dirt around.    Its fine, gritty, gets into everything, its high in clay.  The minute it gets wet, well it just a mess. In short, I love our state, just not big on what is considered "soil".

So what does that have to do with Powersports?

With the exception of PWCs and Snowmobiles, dirt is a huge part of this industry we love so much .

All aspirated engines rely on air to run.  Specifically they needCLEANair to run optimal.  The manufacturers have went through great lengths to build adequate systems for keeping the air coming into your machine's intake as clean as possible.  These systems only work when they are sealed.  There is a reason for all of those hose clamps, box clips, cable ties, etc.  In short, for the filtration system to work, it needs to be sealed and sealed tight!

What happens when its not sealed?

We had a customer come in for a full service. Upon inspecting the filter, we noticed something off: the top of the filter (clean air side) had oil and dirt on one side.  As we investigated it further, what became apparent was a improperly installed air filter.  This resulted in an open air gap above the filter.  Basically, it negated the full efficacy of the primary air filter.   Here is what we found as we had to take apart and clean the parts impacted were  the Airbox Lid, Base, Filter,  Intake Hose, Throttle Body and the Intake Manifold.  Dont think a small gap matters?

Here is what we found as we had to clean the parts mentioned above:

If you have time to lean, you have time to clean.

I believe it was Ray Kroc that muttered that phrase and clean we did! We spent about two hours taking the system apart and cleaned it.  For the plastic parts, we used a parts degreaser, water and lots of elbow grease. For the throttle body and intake manifold, we used mineral spirts based parts cleaner in our parts washer.  We also inspected the top of the combustion chambers and did not see any dirt or grime.  It appears most got trapped along the way to the ports.  

Here is what it should always look like:

Closing it out

1. When having your machine serviced, have the tech go over what they did.  They should be able to explain it all.  Never assume it was done.  Like the rest of us, technicians are human and things can get missed.  It happens. At Five Mile Powersports, we walk through everything we did. We want the customer to know what we had our hands on, what we found and things they need to be aware of.  It reconfirms with the customer the work they asked for is done and they can verify it as we go.

2. Before you ride, check your ride.  Check the oil, coolant, check the tires, the CV axles.  If you have a jack handy, check the wheel bearings and bushings.  

3. If you find something wrong or it doesn't feel right, call your shop\mechanic and ask.