how to clean air filter

I have a cone style ait filter. I blew a coolant line this morning and the filter was wet. How should I clean it??

Wash it out with warm water so the water goes from the inside to the out. then roll it in some water with a mild detergent and then thoroughly rinse out.

Then shake it out and leave it somewhere warm to completely dry

you can also get proper cleaning kits from K&N they call it an air filter recharger kit, it comes with the detergent and oil.

Originally Posted by bobby_southward

you can also get proper cleaning kits from K&N they call it an air filter recharger kit, it comes with the detergent and oil.

+1 on the kit

I would have suggested that....but i dont think he has a K&N and that cleaner is designed to remove oil and maybe a tad to harsh for another type of media

ok, I see, your right Pirate, lol.....I thought everyone had K & N HaHaHa!!

They should.....

Originally Posted by Pirate_copy

They should.....

Just messin Pete.

Chet, what Pirate_copy said in the first post here is best. Do exactly like that. Don't use the K&N kit unless you have K&N, many filters are not supposed to be oiled at all and it will really screw things up if you do.

lol, i knew you would post when i made this comment Phantom

using a detergent of any type would be bad. could possibly damage the element. dry-type filters should only be regularly cleaned by using compressed air to dislodge any particles. a little water wouldn't hurt it too bad, though.

depends on the filter though. i'm only saying this because my last dry-type lifetime filter (Apex'i) wouldn't take well to any detergents at all.

Doesn't compressed air damage them?

Compressed air would be ok, compressed GAS would be bad for them methinks, although I don't know.

I believe a very well diluted detergent would be ok on a dry type filter.

+1

i do pretty much the same as pirate except i just spray an all purpose cleaner like simple green on the outside and then rince it out, sit it outside, let dry, oil it with k&n oil

If it is an oiled filter that is

Like the idea of spraying on a cleaner though, that is a great idea

Compressed air is bad for any filter. DO NOT USE IT! It can and will damage the filter. Use only the proper methods for your filter type. Here are some of the more popular...
ITG
K&N
AEM
Volant

Sorry, couldn't find cleaning instructions for AFE, GREEN, or Injen..

If you have a cheap one from ebay, just throw i away and buy a new one...preferably K&N

Originally Posted by jasonf860

Compressed air is bad for any filter. DO NOT USE IT! It can and will damage the filter.

proof? compressed air won't damage anything as long as you're smart and not spraying it full force with the nozzle point blank. using common sense while cleaning gently will not do anything bad. the only ones that suggest against cleaning with compressed air are the crappy oil type filters. different types (foam, paper, etc) require different ways of cleaning. a light dusting with compressed air won't do anything.

i dislike the K&N type filters myself. dry-types flow and filter better. if i get lazy i'll have to find that old particle reading comparison i found in the past.

apparently air filters are a fire hazards and illegal here in aus. Especially the K&N becaus they are oiled...
This is according to my mate. Cone should be able to verify this or not..

You are kidding right!!!

Originally Posted by straytowel

proof? compressed air won't damage anything as long as you're smart and not spraying it full force with the nozzle point blank. using common sense while cleaning gently will not do anything bad. the only ones that suggest against cleaning with compressed air are the crappy oil type filters. different types (foam, paper, etc) require different ways of cleaning. a light dusting with compressed air won't do anything.

i dislike the K&N type filters myself. dry-types flow and filter better. if i get lazy i'll have to find that old particle reading comparison i found in the past.

Well, what is the point of using compressed air if your going to be gentle about it? Why not just blow on it with your lungs, or use a hair dryer? FYI, ALL leading airfilter manufacturors advise against using compressed air to clean their filters. Most say to simply knock the filter around a bit to free any loose dirt and then follow their cleaning instructions. Some even recommend using a dry brush. but NONE of them say to use compressed air and most have severe warnings against it.

Too true Jason!

Originally Posted by jasonf860

Well, what is the point of using compressed air if your going to be gentle about it? Why not just blow on it with your lungs, or use a hair dryer? FYI, ALL leading airfilter manufacturors advise against using compressed air to clean their filters. Most say to simply knock the filter around a bit to free any loose dirt and then follow their cleaning instructions. Some even recommend using a dry brush. but NONE of them say to use compressed air and most have severe warnings against it.

again, proof?

out of the links you posted, the AEM filter was the only dry-type, and does not mention anything about compressed air. the apex'i power filter I had before did not mention any harm caused by it either. i've even heard from other people who have called apexi asking if its possible to clean and be recommended to use compressed air from inside out. only oil type filters (K&N etc) would suggest against it since they are fabric and not paper elements.
'gently' refers more to using lower psi instead of what you use for high power air tools/paint guns. if you can blow that hard...

just buy a new air filter. I mean really, they aren't that much money.

Originally Posted by straytowel

again, proof?

out of the links you posted, the AEM filter was the only dry-type, and does not mention anything about compressed air. the apex'i power filter I had before did not mention any harm caused by it either. i've even heard from other people who have called apexi asking if its possible to clean and be recommended to use compressed air from inside out. only oil type filters (K&N etc) would suggest against it since they are fabric and not paper elements.
'gently' refers more to using lower psi instead of what you use for high power air tools/paint guns. if you can blow that hard...

Ok, Apexi filters are not recommended to be cleaned, period. They are use and throw away filters. It says so on their website, and is also the reason they sell "replacement" filters for their intakes and such. They are great filters, with a LONG maintenance interval, but are still throw aways like a regular old OEM filter.

S&B, a less well known, but still respected filter company says specifically NOT to use compressed air also.

HKS, another performance filter company that offers both a wet and a dry filter has no cleaning instructions and sells replacement filters too as they are not cleanable. AEM is the ONLY dry flow filter on the market that is cleanable.