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MG MGF Technical - Filter Cleaning

With thoughts of my impending first service, I got to thinking about my Pipercross panel filter.

How often should it be cleaned?? I know when I got a K&N filter for a previous car, they intimated that (up to a limit) the dirtier a K&N got, the better it filtered. But, what about foam filters like the Pipercross???

And can anyone describe, in detail, the best way for an amateur (without an airline) to clean it. In other words not just "clean it with petrol"....but how??
SimonKE

Simon,

Not true about the K&N!

It needs to be cleanded annually with cleaning fluid and re-oiled otherwise becomes as useless as a chocolate fire guard.

Sam
Sam Murray

>> Not true about the K&N!

Sam, I suggest you go to:

http://www.knfilters.com/facts.htm#PAPER

and read the paragraphs under the two pictures, especially the sentences:

"So as dirt accumulates, the performance advantages of a K&N air filter can increase!"

and

"under most street conditions the filter will not require cleaning until 50,000 miles of continuous use"

...you may be cleaning yr K&N too frequently!!!

But my question was about foam filters, like the Pipercross....mine will've been on for about 7,500 miles by the time the service is due??
SimonKE

>...you may be cleaning yr K&N too frequently!!!
I think an issue with the F is that the filter dries out faster due to the hot engine bay, and a dry K&N is no better than no filter!

I thought the K&N _was_ a foam filter?
Will Munns

Will,

The K&N 57i filter is made of layers of oiled cotton fabric.

Simon,

I take your point about the service interval but, as Will says, the filter requires oiling more regularly, due to the high temperature in the engine bay.


Sam
Sam Murray

Simon, have a look at http://www.pipercross.com/gallery.htm
it might help you decide the best way of doing it.
Mike :-)
Mike

>The K&N 57i filter is made of layers of oiled cotton fabric.

Ah OK, I'll have to get one soon,
well as soon as I get around to changing the engine...
Will Munns

I used to clean my K&N by soaking it in soapy water and then re-oiling.
The Pipcross one is foam, I can so there is no reason why this should not work, but you Must re-oil it.
You should have got a spray can of oil with your filter (the oil is dyed white) you spray this on and work it evenly into the foam, quite messy but good fun :)
You should have done this before fitting the filter?
You can get the oil from filter retailers, but don't use K&N or Green filter oil on a Pipercross Panel as they are different materials/oils.
Steve White

Steve

>> You should have got a spray can of oil with your filter....

I certainly did!!

>> You should have done this before fitting the filter...

I certainly did...

>> quite messy but good fun

Absolutely!! ;-D
SimonKE

Mike, Mersea....do I REALLY have to dress like that to do the job??? And I'm still unclear where the oil and foam rubber come into it???
SimonKE

Sorry Simon, off topic from your original question, but I agree with Sam - the 57i kit does need cleaning every year on an F - primarily because those effective cooling ducts scoop dust and other road debris, and plasters the filter with it. I was always astonished how, after only 10k miles, the filter on one side was literally plugged and caked with dirt... the side facing those cooling ducts!!!

A panel filter inside a standard airbox will probably only need cleaning once every 2 or 3 years - pretty much as per manufacturers instructions.
Rob Bell

Simon

You could allways contact them for advice and the greese spray stuff, they are just round the corner from me, they are very helpfull:


Pipercross LTD
Units 4 & 5
Tenter Road
Moulton Park Ind Est
Northampton
NN3 6PZ
ENGLAND
Telephone:
Fax: 44 (0) 1604 494945
44 (0) 1604 644551
Email: sales@pipercross.com

I was under the impression that they had to be cleaned every 60k miles but I can see Robs point about cleaning every year.
J Price

This thread was discussed between 23/07/2003 and 24/07/2003

MG MGF Technical index

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