About 3000 miles ago I replaced my air filter with a new Racor ECO-BC 094973002 - that's the largest one made, rated at 1450 to 1750 CFPM which is comfortably more airflow than my 6V92 should ever need. I recently installed a new Filter Minder, and now it's showing that it's approaching time to replace the filter after only 3000 miles, and that's not even in dusty conditions! The Filter Minder reads off the 5" pipe to the turbo, and the 7" inlet pipe extends only a foot or so up into the air intake plenum. I've looked down into the filter itself, and there's no leaves or bird nests inside it either.
I can't believe that air filters last for only the equivalent of one or two cross-country trips. If I drove all the time in the desert or somewhere dusty I would understand it, but I don't do that. I don't feel like spending another $150 for a new filter - that's 5 cents a mile! I know to not blow dust off filters with an air nozzle, but how about turning the filter upside down and tapping it while gently pressurizing it with a vacuum cleaner's air outlet?
How long do air filters typically last in normal conditions?
John
Thats not right, something is goofy.
Maybe I need to measure my Filter Minder's accuracy? It's marked in inches of water or something like that, so I would have to convert that to PSI. I do have a brand new Racor fuel filter restriction gauge that I've not yet connected, so perhaps I can check it against that. Unfortunately I've never had a working Filter Minder until now - the old one was cracked long before I got the new filter.
John
I have 75,000 miles on my OEM air filter and my vacuum gauge has never moved.
--Geoff
I find it very hard to have to replace my air filter...and I do a bit of gravel roads too. Have you reset the minder? Your air filter should last 50k miles+, on paved roads.
So it seems my new Filter Minder is whacko. I'll still try to check it - perhaps I can make a simple manometer with a tube and a bowl of water, then I'll know for sure what's happening. I hate having gauges that aren't trustworthy or accurate.
Always something to do!
Thanks, John
My filter minder is brand new and it maxed out in the red without a filter even installed during a test run on pavement with the coach in neutral. I'm beginning to wonder if a simple spring can really accurately measure vacuum properly.
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Quote from: Scott & Heather on June 07, 2017, 03:10:59 PM... I'm beginning to wonder if a simple spring can really accurately measure vacuum properly.
I'm guessing that when they work well, they work well ... but they often don't.
Mine is constantly indicating too much vacuum through the filters, even with new filters. Is it possible these filter minders are made by the same company that makes the air filters? :-\ I quit putting any stock in it a long time ago and simply open the doors on the filter housings to see if they're showing any signs of dirt buildup.
Will
Those little gauges used to cost $12,. Made in USA. I haven't bought one in 15 years. I wonder if John's gauge is Chinese.
--Geoff
Umm... my filter checker is free.... I pull the filter out and look at it. If it's grimy, it goes back in. If it's black, it gets replaced.
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Does the air intake plenum restrict the amount of air getting into that big pipe that then goes to air filter? Some air intake systems have to pull through screening on exterior of coach or bus.
Filter minders are not accurate and not worth the trouble. Pull the filter out and look at it, and tap it to see what falls out.
Mine is a straight shot to the turbo through 7" diameter straight pipe
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I threw away my filter minder a long time ago. It never was accurate for me. I can tell the air filter is dirty when I start seeing black smoke out the exhaust and diminishing power. I duct tape a shop vac to the intake side of my Eco filter and carefully blow compressed air on the inside of the filter to clean it out. I have cut old Eco filters open and found them very sturdy and strongly constructed so I don't think I could hurt one by blowing it out. Filter Minders were invented for hired drivers...
JC
Quote from: Geoff on June 07, 2017, 03:57:41 PM
Those little gauges used to cost $12,. Made in USA. I haven't bought one in 15 years. I wonder if John's gauge is Chinese.
--Geoff
The leaflet with it from the Engineered Products Company in Iowa makes no mention at all where it's made. Usually anything made here proudly and loudly trumpets its "Made In USA" origin, but there was nothing like that with it. What's more telling is that Donaldson bought the company a few years ago . . .
I'll play with it on the weekend and see if I can come up with a compensation adjustment after I measure it against a water-tube manometer. Maybe making a pinhole in its rubber tube will bleed out just enough vacuum to compensate for its over-zealousness!
My turbo boost gauge still shows about 26 PSI on a hard pull, so that's another indication that my filter's still OK.
John
never had one on the m c i but have one on the featherlite and I checked it and it did show some restriction so I checked the new filter and found some leaf pieces in side against the filter ? vacuumed it off and all is good . so now I will look at the minder more often . so it can be useful
my intake screen is less then 1/4 " mesh so only the busted up dry leafs were getting in . the intake is on the roof as if it was like a ram air system
dave
On my 05 with an 855 there was always a little smoke and I was trying to find out why. ( another story but that is the nature of an 855 ) I added a minder and with a new filter that I thought was big enough the minder would go to yellow. I added another filter and now the minder has never went to yellow. I would think that is a good case that the minder was telling me there was not enough air.
Wayne
I'm with JC. When you start blowing black under full throttle, time to change. You can take the filter element out and see if you can see lite through it too. Good Luck, TomC
Quote from: lostagain on June 07, 2017, 08:48:32 PM
I duct tape a shop vac to the intake side of my Eco filter and carefully blow compressed air on the inside of the filter to clean it out.
JC
Wouldn't you blow into the outlet so the air is pushing dust back to the inlet side? (I wouldn't want to force the dust further into the filter media.) Any dust that then settles on the floor of the canister could be easily sucked up by putting the vac nozzle down the inlet pipe. Or am I all cattywumpus?
John
;D a new filter, a light, and a light meter... or two eye balls. :)
John, by sucking on the intake side of the filter with the vacuum, and blowing through the other side (outlet), I reverse the flow and get dirt out.
JC
OK, got it! Or as Bart Simpson says, it sucks and blows at the same time. D'oh!
Thanks, John
DO NOT BLOW OUT AN AIR FILTER!! By blowing out the air filter attempting to get more life out of it, you risk also blowing micro holes in the paper element letting dirt pass to the engine. Considering how expensive an air filter is (about $150) and how expensive an engine overhaul is (about $15,000), it just isn't worth being cheap. If you have a question about your filter, get a new one-and get a good brand name filter-Donaldson is one of the best. Good Luck, TomC
Quote from: TomC on June 09, 2017, 08:25:18 AMDO NOT BLOW OUT AN AIR FILTER!! By blowing out the air filter attempting to get more life out of it, you risk also blowing micro holes in the paper element letting dirt pass to the engine. ...
That's the #1 rule that I've always been taught about air filters. #2 is be *REAL* careful about taking a filter out and putting it back in again - often the seal on the filter will be torn or stretched and you may not get a good seal the second time you put it back in.
A "dusted" engine is a heartbreak in two ways -- 1) $15,000, and 2) it's usually preventable with a little care.
An oil sample will confirm if you have an air filter/seal issue too.
Quote from: Oonrahnjay on June 09, 2017, 08:51:58 AM
That's the #1 rule that I've always been taught about air filters. #2 is be *REAL* careful about taking a filter out and putting it back in again - often the seal on the filter will be torn or stretched and you may not get a good seal the second time you put it back in.
A "dusted" engine is a heartbreak in two ways -- 1) $15,000, and 2) it's usually preventable with a little care.
Those $80 gas blowers are a good example. They don't have a fuel filter. I remember fueling one while the wind was blowing. Some grit must have got into the fuel. The next day when I was using the blower, it started losing power then died. Pulling the cord I had no compression. Dismantling the engine revealed heavy scoring on the inside of the cylinder. There was an air filter but no fuel filter.
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I bought the eco lite filter where the housing and filter are one piece and you throw the whole kit and kaboodle out when you're done. I like this approach because instead of cleaning it, I kind of have to replace it. Small price to pay for peace of mind
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Quote from: opus on June 09, 2017, 09:11:10 AM
An oil sample will confirm if you have an air filter/seal issue too.
had is a better word..by the time an oil sample tells you anything it's to late...
An Eco filter is not made out of paper.
JC
What's it made of? Mine looks like paper??
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Quote from: eagle19952 on June 09, 2017, 04:16:11 PM
had is a better word..by the time an oil sample tells you anything it's to late...
Not totally, unless it's catistrophic. I had one one time and it told me I had a leak somewhere. Sure enough, it was a joint in the piping. Fixed it, next sample cleaned up and all was good.
Before an air filter got bad enough to let dirt in, you'd surely notice other signs.....or you should if you are observant.
Quote from: opus on June 10, 2017, 09:56:00 PM
Not totally, unless it's catistrophic. I had one one time and it told me I had a leak somewhere. Sure enough, it was a joint in the piping. Fixed it, next sample cleaned up and all was good.
Before an air filter got bad enough to let dirt in, you'd surely notice other signs.....or you should if you are observant.
i should have specified dust in an oil sample... we were taught one teaspoon of dust was deadly. :(
Scott, it looks and feels like some kind of synthetic material. It is not affected by water. It is contained in a plastic mesh. The ends are glued to the housing. It is very solid. Different than a regular replaceable filter cartridge.
JC