Air filter warning

[Iceni John]

Yesterday I was investigating where rain was entering the air intake, and in doing so found my air filter element is slightly split in several places.   It's an ECO-BC canister-type filter (Racor part 094973002, with 7' inlet and outlet), and looking down into it I saw some water had accumulated in the bottom.   If your air filter splits or cracks inside its housing you won't know unless you look inside.   The Filter Miinder restriction gauge won't show anything because there will be less air restriction than normal.   Fortunately I'm driving only a few hundred miles a year while I'm converting the bus, and those miles are relatively low-dust, so let's hope no major damage was done.   The engine still starts well and has good power, doesn't smoke or burn oil, and sounds healthy.   Even though the oil has less than 1000 miles, maybe I'll change it again just to be safe.

I now need to find someone that sells this particular filter  -  ABC Bus doesn't have it, and the Santa Ana NAPA didn't seem interested in ordering one.   ABC recommended CLF Warehouse in Santa Fe Springs, so I'll call them tomorrow.   TomC, does your company have them?

One curious thing I also discovered  -  the current ECO-BC, according to Racor's website, has a water drain in the bottom, but mine doesn't .   This would explain why I had some water coming out of my slobber tubes last winter when I started my bus after the torrential December rains here.   I guess the water accumulated in the bottom of the filter, then got sucked through the turbo and into the air galleries when I started the engine.   Fortunately it didn't get much into the cylinders, and after a few minutes it stopped dripping out;  the bus drove OK, except for one small puff of steam out the exhaust for a second or so.

Moral of the story  -  visually check the inside of your air filter, instead of just relying on the Filter Minder to tell you when it's due to be replaced.   Try to minimize the amount of water that gets inside in the first place.   And check the drains are there and actually work!

Has anyone else here had this happen to them?

John

[thomasinnv]

check the e place, found mine on there for $46.

[TomC]

A similar thing happened to Sean-his intake pipe pulled off the air cleaner without him knowing (it's in a tight spot [like most everything on his bus]) and caused premature engine failure requiring an engine rebuild. 

Keep a quality air filter in the air cleaner (like Donalson).  Don't EVER blow out an air filter-you'll create micro holes in the filter element allowing small particles in.  Don't use washable types-they too will create holes in them and the filtering is just not as good.  Considering most dry air filters are under $100.00 and usually don't need to change them but once every year or two-why fool around with them?  Good Luck, TomC

[Iceni John]

Tom, thanks for your reply.   The ECO-BC is a disposable canister without a separately-replaceable filter element inside:   http://www.launchrun.com/RacorCustomers/7595_Rev_A_(ECO-BC_Air_Filter).pdf   When I buy a new one I think I'll also have an oil analysis done to check for silica and other nasties.   Let's hope I dodged the bullet this time.   Because the element itself is not replaceable, there's no way I could even blow it or wash it, even if I wanted to (not that I ever would).

My concern is that most of us probably assume our filters are undamaged and always doing their job, and we rely on either a Filter Minder to tell us when they need to be replaced, or we replace them at fixed intervals.   In my case I wouldn't have known anything was wrong without looking down into the canister because of my rainwater issue.   Otherwise I would have been happily driving for many more years with a filter not doing its job, and the Filter Minder would not have revealed anything bad.

I wonder if the rain had weakened the filter element itself, so it split under the pressure of passing over a 1000 CFM of air?   Unfortunately there's no date to show when it was installed.

Incidentally, I called CLF Warehouse this morning  -  they can get my model filter in two weeks or so, but they won't/can't/don't want to sell directly to me because I don't have a reseller's number.   I now need to find a Racor dealer that can get a filter for me, presumably from them.   One tel number I have in my bus's parts manual is for California Bus  -  I called the number, and it's now LA Freightliner!   The parts dude there didn't have my filter, and I asked him if there's a Tom C working there but he hadn't heard of you!   If you can get this filter for me (from CLF?) you'll be my friend for life!   Is this doable?

Many thanks, John   

[viento1]

I also have the ECO and the vacume guage is always sneaking up to the red indicator. I replace it every 2 years and keep an old one that I use for Burning Man events.

I heard K&N is coming out with a replacement but TOM says no. So I stick with ECO

[artvonne]

  Man, you dodged a BIG bullet, good you caught it when you did. Now you have me rethinking pulling out my oil bath filters, lol.

[luvrbus]

Wix,Farr,Donaldson,Parker,Fram and other make the ECO line of filters they are easy to find CarQuest can get you one or buy one off Ebay like Derrick didn't take him 5 minutes to find one when we figured what openings he needed,any parts place that sells truck air filters can get one

good luck

[technomadia]

I also have the ECO and the vacume guage is always sneaking up to the red indicator. I replace it every 2 years and keep an old one that I use for Burning Man events.

That's a brillant idea!  We waited to replace our air filter after we left the playa this year..  but in future years, this makes a lot of sense if it's not due! 

Thanks!
- Cherie

[TomC]

Velocity Vehicle Group includes Los Angeles Freightliner, San Diego Freightliner, Las Vegas Freightliner, Bus West, California Fleet Solutions, Western Star Trucks, etc.  We have pushing 500 employees so not everyone knows everyone.  I'll look into seeing if we can get that filter for you John.  Good Luck, TomC

[Iceni John]

Tom, thanks.

John

[luvrbus]

Las Vegas sells the filter Tom I bought there before for mine Donaldson brand 200 bucks  

good luck