K and N Air filter cleaning

[HarryHornby]

Do you guys have any top tips for cleaning a K and N air filter?  Do I need to buy their cleaning kit or have you used other products?

[Dudeofrude]

To be honest I'd buy the proper cleaning kit, if I remember right they're only about £10 and they last forever. I bought the piper cross one 2 years ago, have cleaned my air filter 3 times for far and have barely used any of it.
If you only clean it once a year with a service then I'd be surprised if you ever had to buy another lot again

[darrsi]

I use a bucket of warm water with washing powder in it, which has similar chemicals to the proper stuff.
Just rock the filter side to side for about 15mins then rinse off with clean water and let it dry naturally (don’t use compressed air).
I do still use the K&N spray oil when it’s dry though, which does last a very long time.


Washing powder certainly does work okay, judging by the colour of the water afterwards. But make sure the water isn’t very hot in case it distorts the rubber.

[darrsi]

Did a Google search, and found.....erm.....me. 


http://foc-u.co.uk/index.php?topic=17419.0

[focced_off]

Did a Google search, and found.....erm.....me. 


http://foc-u.co.uk/index.php?topic=17419.0

Now multiply that by 8,843 times, for each one of your fantastic Posts on FOC-U... you my friend are a FOCCING legend !! 

[Dudeofrude]

Did a Google search, and found.....erm.....me. 


http://foc-u.co.uk/index.php?topic=17419.0

Now multiply that by 8,843 times, for each one of your fantastic Posts on FOC-U... you my friend are a FOCCING legend !! 

Darrsi has brought his fan club to the convo 🤣🤣

[Bretty]

Using soap powder makes sense. The filter is cotton inside a wire mesh.

[darrsi]

Did a Google search, and found.....erm.....me. 


http://foc-u.co.uk/index.php?topic=17419.0

Now multiply that by 8,843 times, for each one of your fantastic Posts on FOC-U... you my friend are a FOCCING legend !! 

Darrsi has brought his fan club to the convo 🤣🤣

 

[HarryHornby]

Spot on Darrsi.  Great advice from this page, as always!

[red98]

Just bought the proper kit , £10.07  euro car parts via ebay.....

[midden]

I use a bucket of warm water with washing powder in it, which has similar chemicals to the proper stuff.
Just rock the filter side to side for about 15mins then rinse off with clean water and let it dry naturally (don’t use compressed air).
I do still use the K&N spray oil when it’s dry though, which does last a very long time.


Washing powder certainly does work okay, judging by the colour of the water afterwards. But make sure the water isn’t very hot in case it distorts the rubber.
[/quote


Think I'll go with liquid tab to prevent leaving a powder residue which once dry could get sucked into carbs.......  Don't trust my cleaning skills see 

[darrsi]

I use a bucket of warm water with washing powder in it, which has similar chemicals to the proper stuff.
Just rock the filter side to side for about 15mins then rinse off with clean water and let it dry naturally (don’t use compressed air).
I do still use the K&N spray oil when it’s dry though, which does last a very long time.


Washing powder certainly does work okay, judging by the colour of the water afterwards. But make sure the water isn’t very hot in case it distorts the rubber.
[/quote


Think I'll go with liquid tab to prevent leaving a powder residue which once dry could get sucked into carbs.......  Don't trust my cleaning skills see 

Just refill the bucket with clean water to clean the excess off, then run under a tap afterwards, it works fine.

[His Dudeness]

One £10 kit would last probably you a life time. It's so cheap you might as well do it they way they tell you to in the instructions.

[darrsi]

One £10 kit would last probably you a life time. It's so cheap you might as well do it they way they tell you to in the instructions.

I've used it, but i actually think the way i do it now is more effective.
Not really about the cost for me.

[darrsi]

Reason i clean it once a year, rather than the suggested multi thousand miles is because we do get weird weather from abroad involving sand/dust storms, etc, so if it's a nice sunny day and i have time on my hands i just do it anyway, no harm done.

[ponkster]

You are best using K+N oil to re oil it but the most efficient way to get the crud out of it first is to soak it in a bucket of hot water with biological washing liquid in it - I leave my filter in overnight , the rinse it under a tap - rinse from the inside of the filter to get everything out .
leave it to dry naturally ( on a radiator) - and as previously mentioned don't be temped to blow it through with an air line as it totally shags them !