Quick foam air filter question
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Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 459
From: East Greenbush, NY
Quick foam air filter question
I have a Holley CAI and it uses a foam cone filter.... Do I need to put oil on it after I clean it? I got the K&N recharge kit, but the more I think about it the more I tend to think the oil is used only for the cotton K&N filter. What really confuses me is that Holley sells a botlte of oil, but they don't say what filter it is used for. I'm leaning towards not using oil... does anyone know for sure?
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Joined: May 2003
Posts: 2,275
Re: Quick foam air filter question
A foam filter will not filter anything without having oil in it. Most manufacturers however have gotten away from foam filters because they will eventually "leak" dirt. Even the small engine companies have gotten away from foam filters on things like lawnmower engines. There are a few cheap small engines left that still use foam but think about this for second.
The foam "cells" are interconnected like an extreme maze. therefore there are several routes through the foam from one side to the other. The foam relies on the oil to have the dirt stick to it so the dirt doesn't travel all the way through it. But what happens when enough dirt has traveled through it so the passage is entirely covered with dirt and there is no more sticky surface exposed to catch any more dirt?
It travels through the filter into the intake. So my advise to you is throw the foam away and either get cotton or paper. I bought a high capacity filter from Amsoil not long after becoming a dealer. I didn't know it was foam till it arrived and I never used it. I believe they changed the design so at least the one I bought for my truck is not foam any more.
BTW since your talking about air filters I thought I would mention compressed air and paper filters. NEVER ever blow out any paper filter with compressed air. The moisture in all compressors will form tiny droplets that blow holes in the paper too small for the human eye to see. But dirt will find those tiny holes. And blowing out a paper filter will void the warranty of any product. We were told the holes can be as large as 40 microns and dirt as small as 20 microns will damage engine components.
Just a little useless trivia for ya.
The foam "cells" are interconnected like an extreme maze. therefore there are several routes through the foam from one side to the other. The foam relies on the oil to have the dirt stick to it so the dirt doesn't travel all the way through it. But what happens when enough dirt has traveled through it so the passage is entirely covered with dirt and there is no more sticky surface exposed to catch any more dirt?
It travels through the filter into the intake. So my advise to you is throw the foam away and either get cotton or paper. I bought a high capacity filter from Amsoil not long after becoming a dealer. I didn't know it was foam till it arrived and I never used it. I believe they changed the design so at least the one I bought for my truck is not foam any more.
BTW since your talking about air filters I thought I would mention compressed air and paper filters. NEVER ever blow out any paper filter with compressed air. The moisture in all compressors will form tiny droplets that blow holes in the paper too small for the human eye to see. But dirt will find those tiny holes. And blowing out a paper filter will void the warranty of any product. We were told the holes can be as large as 40 microns and dirt as small as 20 microns will damage engine components.
Just a little useless trivia for ya.
Thread Starter
Registered User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 459
From: East Greenbush, NY
Re: Quick foam air filter question
Uh ohhhh.... lol... I should prolly put some oil on it untill I can order a K&N cone filter from work.... lol. I have been running it with no oil for 2 days now. I think I'll be ok though. I havn't drivin it much.
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