Stock air filters

[CatatonicBug]

Hold on..... You can re-use the OEM air filter???

Of course! Take it out, clean it, re-oil it, and put it back in. We had a thread going a little while ago that talked about using Club soda and Oxy-clean as a really good way to clean the paper filters. You can replace the squishy foam sealers around the edges with new whenever needed too.

[Smash]

wow, never new you could clean and re-use a paper filter. Didn't realize you were supposed to oil the OEMs either. Guess I need to use the search button!

[natemoen]

Paper filters do not like water. You can blow the filter out and knock the dirt off but they will eventually get plugged and not be useful for air passage. The club soda and oxi-clean was was cleaning a K&N filter and NOT a paper filter. If you use water to clean a paper filter you will get mud from the dirt and it will just clog it up and then your screwed.

You can buy rolls of K&N filter material. Strip off the old paper on the stock used filter that you pulled out and put the K&N material in its place and then clean it and treat it as you would a regular K&N filter, then yes you could use the club soda and oxi clean method to clean the new homemade K&N.

I do repeat though DO NOT TRY TO WASH A PAPER FILTER. All you can do to clean a paper filter is knock the dirt out and blow it out with air.

[Smash]

Ok, that's how I understood it as well. Didn't realize K&N sold their material seperate. I'll keep the old filter and will look to mod it. Thanks!

[CatatonicBug]

My apologies... I just referred to all of them as "paper" filters. I appreciate the clarification.

[XS1100_OEM4ME]

Nate

Paper filters do not like water. You can blow the filter out and knock the dirt off but they will eventually get plugged and not be useful for air passage. The club soda and oxi-clean was was cleaning a K&N filter and NOT a paper filter. If you use water to clean a paper filter you will get mud from the dirt and it will just clog it up and then your screwed.

You can buy rolls of K&N filter material. Strip off the old paper on the stock used filter that you pulled out and put the K&N material in its place and then clean it and treat it as you would a regular K&N filter, then yes you could use the club soda and oxi clean method to clean the new homemade K&N.

I do repeat though DO NOT TRY TO WASH A PAPER FILTER. All you can do to clean a paper filter is knock the dirt out and blow it out with air.

Nate A+, you are right , never wash a stock air filter or add oil As you say, blow them out with compressed air from the inside and a shop vack on the outside is OK too, two times and dispose and get new as you can never get out the small stuff and air flow is reduced over time. but JIMHO

[Ken Talbot]

Something new every day...

Nate A+, you are right , never wash a stock air filter or add oil As you say, blow them out with compressed air from the inside

Well, there's something I wouldn't have believed until I verified it tonight in my shop manual. I've still got the original 'hairy foam' filter elements in both Tsunami and Purple Reign. For the past 12 or so years, I've always washed them out with a bit of gas, blown them out with air, and re-oiled them with K&N filter oil. Guess I can cut out a few steps next time!