gearbox

iTrader: (95)

I thought i would post a diy after gaining some experience on this subject. if you have the weapon-r secret weapon air filter, which is one of the best out there for both air flow and filtration, you also know it gets dirty fast. usually i have to clean it every 6 months. could be more often depending on where you drive. The filter element uses an oiled foam which is extremely efficient (not to be confused with oiled cotton gauze, which uses a completely different kind of oil and filter media). anyway onto the diy. there are so many different instructions that i thought i would post what worked best for me.

1. buy the cleaning supplies. this is very important if you want your expensive filter to last and look new. i highly recommend the real weapon-r kit for the cleaning solution ($30 shipped from racinglab.com) which will last a long time. I have used other aerosol foam cleaners (like UNI) and while it was very aggressive at removing the oil and dirt, it also stripped off a good part of the painted finish around the foam and ruined the look. it is strong stuff and smells nasty like a combo of kerosine, gas, and who knows what. i do not recommend using it. the weapon-r cleaner is liquid and comes with a lil sprayer on it. its greenish with some suds and almost reminds me of diluted simple green. you probably could get away with making your own cleaning solution out of water and dish detergent. the idea is to use something mild that wont harm the finish but still get dirt off.

2. spray the filter inside and out with cleaner and let it sit around 30 mins. be generous with the spraying and get it soaking wet.

hint: the filter opens up in half by removing the philips screws on the back. you must remove the rear mount in order to gain access to the inside of filter.

3. flush the filter out using warm tap water (or a hose if you dont want a dirty sink). make sure you flush from the inside out so dirt does not get trapped in the filter pores. keep rinsing it until there is no more soapy water coming out. let the filter drain and inspect it. it there is still dirt and oil, you may need to do a second application of cleaner. if you clean the filter often, chances are a single dose will be enough.

4. let the filter dry inside overnight after you get a majority of the water out.

5. oil the filter. this is the hardest part. and there are many conflicting opinions on how to do it. first, you need REAL FOAM OIL either the syrup stuff in the weapon-r kit or the aerosol form like UNI brand. these oils are very thick and tacky, unlike the cotton gauze oils that are liquid. now weapon-r is very conservative and says you should only lightly oil the outside of the foam. i have been oiling both sides for years and never had any issues with oil seeping out or getting gunked in the engine. i think you need to oil as much of the filter media as possible because this oil is what stops a large amount of dust from entering the engine. so i recommend doing both sides for best filtration. it is critical that you do not over oil! while it is thick stuff, it can still get sucked in or leak out and make a mess. the weapon-r loose oil in a bottle is a huge pain to use. you have to pour some on a cloth and gently dab it on the filter. This can be a very messy proposition and easy to put too much oil in the filter. i prefer the UNI aerosol based oil which you simply spray on like paint from 1ft away. i spray both inside and outside until the filter looks evenly covered. unfortunately due to the metal cages, there is no way to properly massage the oil into the filter. you can rub the outsides with your finger and let the oil soak in, but it will mostly be on the surface. be sure to grab some paper towels and wipe off all the oil overspray on painted filter surfaces. dont worry, it will not eat away the paint. but you do not want sticky oil on the trim because it will make a mess and dirt will get stuck. the filter can be installed immediately, but i like to let it sit for an hour to be sure the oil can settle. once you drive a few times, the surface oil will disappear and it will look normal. it is usually easy to spot dirt on the outside and this will tell you it needs to be cleaned. a clogged filter has worse performance compared to clean. and a clean filter still traps almost every size particle. so it is in your best interest to keep oiled foam filters clean for max airflow. i can actually feel power loss when the filter gets really dirty. so try and clean every 6 months or at least every year. more often in dusty environments. after a while it will look like the filter has no oil. dont worry, the oil is still there and you should be able to feel it with your finger. NEVER re-oil a filter that is even slightly used/dirty if you think there is not enough oil. you need to clean it first, then oil it again.