Do we think its sufficient to blow out the dust from the inside out of the EVO filter?
Trouble is if I ask the dealer to wash it out it wont be dry in time when I collect the car.
Sound correct?
I think that will be sufficient for removing the top level stuff which is probably the majority of what is on your filter. you can do a good washing re-oiling later when you have time, I wouldn't ask a dealer to do that.
Don't use an air hose to blow from the inside out -- you could accidentally blow holes through the cotton gauze, which would ruin the filter.
For a "quicky" clean, or to get the large chunks/bits off, you can try using a vacuum from the outside.
To clean it properly, you should wash the filter with water and the appropriate detergent (K&N detergent will work just fine). Or, in a pinch, you can use liquid dish washing soap (that's what K&N used to recommend before they came out with their own soap). Once clean, rinse from the inside out with clean water, then let the filter dry completely. Once dry, lightly re-oil with K&N filter oil -- not too much, or you could foul your
MAP sensor
. The filter should be moderately pink with oil, but not soaked or to the point where the oil comes off onto your finger tips.
If you are in a hurry, you can use a hair dryer to dry the filter faster. However, shaking off the excess water and letting it sit in the sun will also dry the filter fairly quickly.
If you put too much oil in the filter, tightly wrap the filter in newspaper or paper towels and let it on one side sit overnight. The newspaper will absorb the excess oil.
Cotton gauze filters (like K&N or Evo) rely on the oil to hold the dirt. If you clean the filter and don't re-oil it, you will greatly reduce its filtering capability. Also, only use filter oil, regular motor oil (or other non-filter oil) will destroy the filter.
Do NOT use a hairdryer with heat! It is cotton gauze, and will shrink if you dry it with heat, damaging the filter. If you want to speed up the process, you can aim a hairdryer, on cool, at the filter and let it sit, that will speed up the process a little.
On previous K&N cars, I would take the filter out in the evening, clean it, let it dry overnight, then reoil and reinstall in the morning.
The other option is to get another filter, so you can just replace it and then clean and reoil the dirty one at your leisure.
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I purchased one less than a month ago and it was, essentially, an K&N cotton-oiled filter. I also dont know where they are getting "injection molded venturi" as the one mine came with was machined aluminum.
Thanks for the feedback guys...:cheers:
That's funny 4by4, I just cleaned my V-flow this past weekend.
As others have mentioned do not use compressed air, high pressure water, or heated air.
I follow these steps religiously:
1) Do not pick off dirt or vacuum as it could mechanically work dirt into the filter material making it harder to clean,
2) Soak the filter inside and out with the cleaner in the K&N kit; really soak it. I wait 15 minutes.
3) With an open garden hose or with tap water over the kitchen sink (don't tell my wife!) flush from the inside out, opposite direction of airflow. Repeat as necessary until the cotton gauze material looks uniformly clean,
4) Lightly shake and let air dry. I leave it standing on the small end overnight,
5) Spray oil on the outside in the direction of the pleats to obtain uniform color. Apply a LIGHT coat from about 3-4" away. Let stand for about 30 minutes and inspect the inside. You are looking for a uniform reddish color from the oil.
6) If necessary, respray with another light coat and re-inspect after 30 minutes. You are looking for signs that the oil has JUST soaked through to the inside but no more. The inside should not feel greasy or oily.
I put 14,000 miles on my V-flow and for my driving conditions, the filter was too dirty. I'm decreasing my cleaning intervals to 10,000miles to correspond with my oil changes and will re-assess the intervals then.
My advice is to take the time and do it yourself to ensure it's done right.
