Ramair Air Filters - Cleaning

The Armstrong has a non-standard Ramair filter:
http://www.sweller.dynalias.org/images/mt500/mt500filter.jpg

I would usually clean this sort of thing in petrol but what about
reoiling. Do they use some special stuff or is it a bit of engine oil
and a squeeze?

 

The latter iwt. I'd doubt if the military would be expected to carry
special filter cleaning fluid and filter oil for despatch bikes. Prolly
wash out in kero or petrol and keep fingers crossed it doesn't affect
the sponge.

 

Hmm. It's not really ram air is it though?
Shouldn't it be round the front for that?
I think there's a firm called Ramair who make that sort of filter who
have a website: http://ramair-filters.com.

 

That site, naturally suggests you need their even more special stuff but
as long as you don't run it totally dry it will probably OK. On strokers
some reckon re-oiling with 2T oil is as good as the proper foam filter
oil. That's what I did for the new filter on the YZ, however, it is
rather thin and tends to continue dripping even after a good squeeze.
The filter oil is stickier, and for that reason perhaps more effective?
I used that on the lad's 85 and you can definitely feel the tacky
difference when removing the excess. A bit harder to get, though a
decent bike shop may have it even if not a Motocross place.

--
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| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
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If I may tag on to theis thread. What about K&N filters? There's one
in the ZZR and last service I washed it in paraffin and oiled it with
3 in 1. Do I have to buy anything special for that or is 3in1 ok?

 

Foam filter oil, unsurprisingly. Just get a tin of the proper stuff,
it'll last ages. Engine oil's nowhere near sticky enough & you'll just
end up with a smoking sticky mess on your crankcase.

Once you've oiled it, squeeze out as much of the excess as you can (&
pour it back into the tin for next time). Then leave the filter sat on
a bit of kitchen roll overnight before fitting it. Wear gloves when
oiling it, filter oil's a right fucker to clean off your hands.

Oh, & it's better to clean them in white spirit rather than petrol.

 

No, 3in1 is not ok!

 

It's not OE, it's an aftermarket Ramair filter - the original set up is
huge box and paper filters and intakes high up (for, I presume, fording).

 

Any recommendations?

Why white spirit?

 

"non-standard"

 

Good point. Or in the combustion chamber. Not such an issue on a
stroker.

I've already decided to treat the YZ to a new filter (easily acquired
on-line) and proper oil when I rebuild it. Much bigger surface area on
those pukka MX filters though so takes a smidgen more oil. Can't
remember what it was I had left in a tin when I did the 85. Blue and
very sticky it was. Might even have been Putoline stuff.

--
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Pete Fisher at Home: |
| Aprilia Shiver Yamaha WR250Z/Supermoto "Old Gimmer's Hillclimber" |
| Gilera GFR * 2 Moto Morini 2C/375 Morini 350 "Forgotten Error" |
+-------------------------------------------------------------------+

 

Not really. I use K&N simply because my local bike shop sell it, but
I'm sure any other brand will work just as well.

Because it works, is less likely to rot the stitching or make your bike
go up in flames, & is probably cheaper than petrol these days.

 

The one alternative I'd consider is chainsaw chain oil. I bought a 5
litre bottle to use in the Scottoiler & it's pretty sticky & stringy.

 

And....

 

And what?

 

What is suitable then, does it have to be K&N or will something else
do?

 

Ah, right (makes note to read posts properly).
When I used K&Ns on the home-made SUs on the SOGSs, I even indulged
myself in buying a bottle of the special filter cleaning fluid (which
just smelled like soap tbh, but is probably chock full of ionic
surfactants and other jiggerypokery) and the special filter oil in an
aerosol.
That was yonks back and they're still kicking about somewhere, so they
do last for ages.

 

I can't imagine why you'd even consider using anything else with a K&N
tbh. It's pretty critical to use the right oil & right amount with a
K&N due to how little physical filter medium they've got.

Foam filter oil would probably work, but I've no idea how you'd make
sure you put the right amount on, & you can't squeeze out the excess
with a K&N. Just use the proper aerosol stuff & follow the instructions.