Air Cleaner Oil for Pre-filter

[Bio-T]

I was servicing my Dixon Lawn mower yesterday with a 10HP B/S engine. The air cleaner foam pre-cleaner was dirty so I washed and dried it. When I got ready to oil the foam I was out the Amsoil that I used to use for these. I wanted a good tacky oil but with time constraints a trip to town was out. I finally used Schaeffer's 132. Darn this is some sticky stuff and hard to get off my hands. Does anyone have a good recommendation for the foam pre-cleaners on small engines. What is the best to use?

Tony, br

 

[JHZR2]

I use K&N filter oil on my new foan filters on a 7hp B&S engine...

JMH

 

[davefr]

For my Troy Bilt, I believe the manual calls for a tablespoon of 30wt oil worked into the pre-filter.

quote:

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Originally posted by 59 Vetteman:
I was servicing my Dixon Lawn mower yesterday with a 10HP B/S engine. The air cleaner foam pre-cleaner was dirty so I washed and dried it. When I got ready to oil the foam I was out the Amsoil that I used to use for these. I wanted a good tacky oil but with time constraints a trip to town was out. I finally used Schaeffer's 132. Darn this is some sticky stuff and hard to get off my hands. Does anyone have a good recommendation for the foam pre-cleaners on small engines. What is the best to use?

Tony, br

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[BOBISTHEOILGUY]

After thinking about this for awhile, my question would be, isn't the object of oil'ing the filter to help catch the dirt and trap it? So, what is better than a sticky product such as 132 for catching everything? Seems logical that most oils just evaporate shortly after installing and only wet's the filter but I've never noticed motor oils to be much for being sticky.

 

[Bio-T]

I put the 132 on my pre-filter then rolled it up and openend it and re-rolled it tight. Then I removed the excess that oozed out. I ran it for about 1/2 hour and no black smoke. I may have hit on something on this. I have to do my 13HP Kohler in my John Deere tommorow.
I had to use a Citrol type product to get the 132 off my hands. This stuff must really stick to the engine internals when used in the crankcase. I can't see how you could get a dry start with this in the oil.

 

[tom slick]

the local motorcycle shop will have oil specifically designed for foam filters. it is really tacky stuff. no-toil is the easiest one to deal with. bel-ray makes it too.

 

[Propflux01]

This is strange, my 17hp Tecumseh motor has a foam element wrapped around a paper filter. It states no where, either on the engine or the manual, to lube this prefilter. Am I missing something here???

 

[Bror Jace]

I've said this before in a couple of other threads: use chain & bar oil for chainsaws.

Tacky and cheap ... just like me!

--- Bror Jace

 

[UncleS2]

I installed a new air filter on the lawn tractor last week when I changed the oil. I remembered Bror's advice, & used the bar oil for the chainsaw.

 

[penzdude]

tim, i know what you mean. i always knew you were supposed to clean out and re-oil a small foam engine filter that had that type of element, but my honda harmony has a paper type element with a foam pre-filter that was totaly dry when new and doesn't state in the manual that it's supposed to be oiled either. i guess it depends on the engine brand. i would think that an oiled pre-filter could possibly make contact with the paper pleats on the reg filter and damage them or cause them to absorb some oil where it would void "tapping out" the dirt or dust. penz

 

[Bio-T]

Tim,
I had to dig through my stack of files, but I finally found the instructions for cleaning and oiling the foam pre-cleaner on both the B/S 10HP and the 13HP Kohler. The B/S is 5 years old and the Kohler is 3 years old.
Basically, clean the pre-filter, let it dry. Use 1 table spoon of oil and saturate the pre filter. Then squeeze in a clean, absorbent cloth to remove ALL EXCESS oil. Do not oil the paper cartridge.

 

[cryptokid]

be carefull that you dont use somthing thats too sticky. it could block airflow and cause ya to run rich (ur carbed rite, i dont think any lawnowers come with fi yet...)

 

[PJ]

I found out from experience about not getting excess oil from pre filter when one of my mowers started running rich. Pores in paper filter are a lot smaller and close up if they get oily

 

[cryptokid]

i also rememberd that advice and used bar and chain oil, supertech brand.
it seems this brand of oil likes to rot the foam. my paper filter with foam precleaner for my honda gx120 crumbles in my hands now. that same day i did my leaf blower and its filter also crumbles.
dont really know what went wrong. the rest of you guys i guess havent had any problems because no one else mentioned this, so perhaps it is somthing to do with supertech brand.

 

[Bror Jace]

Crypto, it might have also been what you cleaned the foam element with. Gasoline? An aerosol spray cleaner? Orange Blast?

And, of course, the (often urethane) foam will break down over time ... especially when exposed to high heat. Most plastic/rubber products do just that.

Ask Spector about the Amsoil foam element he bought for one of his cars years ago.

I doubt the makers of SuperTech bar & chain oil would put some funky type of solvent in their product (fewer ingredients the better/cheaper) ... but you never know.

Yes, I thought about the mess the oil makes when it comes into contact with the paper. Even a minute amount of oil can spread and saturate a paper element.

But any oil, even plain oil, will do this. I figure when I experience running-rich problems or loss of power, I'll replace the paper element as well. Probably gonna do that to my Honda twin-cylinder mower in the next year.

In the meantime, I want to catch as much fine bits BEFORE they make it into my motor(s).

--- Bror Jace

 

[cousincletus]

I have a 5hp B&S in my Billygoat leaf vacuum and the foam prefilter specifically says not to oil it. So if it doesn't look like it was oiled from the factory, then I wouldn't oil it.

 

[Bror Jace]

" ... if it doesn't look like it was oiled from the factory, then I wouldn't oil it."

Correct. I was speaking only for the filters/pre-filters which specify needing oil.

--- Bror Jace

 

[cryptokid]

bror, i am pretty sure i used mild soap and water to clean the air filters.
i am also pretty sure they are less than a year old, so they shouldnt crumble in that short ammount of time.:\

 

[MolaKule]

Amsoil Bar and Chain oil is good for soaking oil-type foam filters.