How to clean a dirt bike air filter
Posted on April 23, 2008
Filed Under Maintenance |
How to clean your air filter
Cleaning your air filter is a simple task which should be performed frequently. But if done incorrectly you could cause irreversable damage to your engine. We walk you through the entire process of cleaning your air filter and show you how to go about it the right way.
Preparation
You should always clean your work area before starting any maintenance task on your motorbike. Ensure the floor is free of dust and dirt. Also clean your bike, giving your motorbike a thorough wash is a good way of insuring that you will not unintentionally damage your engine by introducing any harmful material into it. You should get in the habit of cleaning up before most maintenance tasks.
Tools
You will need air filter cleaning solvent and a bucket to put it in, air filter oil, a plastic bag, contact cleaner, a socket wrench with an 8-12mm socket, fresh running water and a bucket of warm soapy water.
Remove the seat
On most motocross bikes there are two bolts on each side of the seat at the rear. Remove the two bolts and then slide the seat toward the back of the bike to release it from the clips that hold down the front of the seat.
Remove the air filter
Once the seat has been removed the air filter will be visible, clean in and around the air filter to prevent any dirt and other matter from dropping into the air box once the filter has been removed. The filter is held in place by a bolt with a wingnut, loosen the bolt until the air filter moves freely and then carefully remove the filter and bolt together.
Inspect the air filter
Check your air filter for any holes or splits in the material and if it appears damaged replace it. The purpose of an air filter is to prevent dust and other material from getting into the fuel system and potentially the engine. If your air filter is damaged, it will not do its job properly and you could end up replacing a lot more than just your air filter,
Clean the air filter
Remove the air filter from its plastic housing and place the air filter into a bucket filled with cleaning solvent. Remove the bolt from the plastic housing and place both items on a clean rag. Spray the plastic housing and bolt with contact cleaner and wipe them over with a clean rag to remove any oil and dirt.
Gently wash the air filter in the cleaning solvent by moving it around and lifting it in and out of the bucket of solvent and squeezing it out of the filter. Do this several times and then fully submerge the air filter in the cleaning solvent for 15-20 minutes. After soaking the filter repeat the gentle washing process, to finish squeeze as much cleaning solvent out of the filter as possible without wringing it. If you use excessive force like wringing the air filter you create slight tears in the filter which will prevent the filter from doing its job properly and will allow dirt to be sucked into the air intake, possibly the carburetter and engine through the hole in the filter.
Place the air filter in a bucket of warm soapy water and wash the filter as you did with the cleaning solvent. Once you are happy that the filter is free of oil and dirt, remove the filter from the bucket and using some fresh running water, rinse the filter thoroughly.
You then need to wait until the air filter is completely dry before continuing. Do not peg the air filter to anything and don’t leave it in an area where it is likely to come into contact with airborne dust or other material. Make sure you don’t leave the air filter out in direct sunlight to long as it will begin to perish. As the filter drys water will build up at its lowest point. Keep an eye on the filter while its drying and gently squeeze out any excess oil. You should always prepare ypur air filter the day before riding but if you’re in a hurry you could use a hair dryer on low heat to help it dry a little quicker.
Oil the Air filter
Turn the air filter inside out and place it into a plastic bag. Pour filter oil evenly onto the outside of the air filter starting from the center. Work the filter oil out from the center of the filter, you can wear rubber gloves if you like, until the oil has been spread evenly across the entire filter. You can tell by the colour of the filter and any spots you have missed will be a lighter colour. Gently squeeze out any excess oil and leave the filter to dry, make sure its placed out of reach of pets and children and also ensure there is no chance it will be subjected to airborne dust or other contaminents.
Put it all back together
Once the filter has dried, place the filter back into its plastic housing by locating the holes in the filter with the pins on the plastic housing. Your filter will only fit on the housing one way so make sure it is lined up correctly. Place the bolt back through the hole in plastic housing and then check which way the pins on the plastic housing need to be in order to fit into the holes in the air box. Replace the air filter and retighten the wingnut bolt. You can use grease around the outer edges of the air filter to seal any potential leaks between the edges of air filter and the air box. Locate the clips under the seat and push it forward to lock the seat in place. Replace the seat bolts and your done. You might want to tidy up your work area, and prepare your tools and equipment for the next time.
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i f i have an crf 230f do i have to oil it to and clean it to with that solvent