Yanmar air filter

[Bob 04 H260]

I took my air filter and washed it out yesterday. It did not appear to have been oiled, was quite dry. Any foam air filter I have ever had on an engine was oiled before being put back in the filter housing. I looked in the workshop and operators manuals and don't see it mentioned.
What is everyone else doing ?
Bob

 

[Kite Runner]

I don't even employ the filter. Took it out like many other sailors. Unless you're plowing the lower 40 or driving through a dust storm the air out on the water is pretty clean. The housing and cage are still attached with the intake pointing down.
Also, the engine breaths much better.
Cheers!

 

[Ralph Johnstone]

Running Without the Element .......................

................... is probably just fine as there is not too much dust out on the open water.

However, because I have nothing better to do, I usually just wash it out each year, let it dry, and put it back in the housing. Have never oiled it. I think that is more for an oil bath air filter which uses a fiber filter soaked in oil rather than open cell foam.

 

[Roger Long]

Have never oiled it.

Good thing because the purpose of the washing is to remove the oil that condenses from crankcase breather fumes.

BTW I just discovered that my 2QM20 has a fitting for attaching the crankcase breather hose downstream from the filter. There is some danger in connecting the breather directly to the intake since the engine can run away by running on oil coming through the hose if ring wear or other malfunction pumps excess oil out of the crankcase. I installed an oil separator though so I'm going to reroute the hose to that fitting when I put the engine back together after replacement of my failed crankcase seal.

http://www.jegs.com/i/JEGS/555/52205/10002/-1

 

[Bob 04 H260]

thanks for the information, the foam element on my engine did not have any oil on it, my engine only has 380 hrs though. When I washed it out it seemed like it was not too dirty, might be rubber dust from the belts. I did not see a crankcase breather hose attached to the air filter assembly. I'll look for it when next check the oil level.
Bob

 

[kloudie1]

Bob, your engine has the breather hose connected to the intake manifold .. It has an oil separator and some reed valves to make it work correctly too.. The only caution I have is that the poly foam element will soon "corrode" and turn to dusty grit which the engine will consume. Check it carefully avery few months.. or replace it with some foam that does not disintegrate.. Some folks have replaced with a K&N pleaated unit .. I replaced with some other foam after having the engine eat two of the Yanmar ones. Lots of people run with only the big screen.. I helped a friend rebuild an engine that had inhaled a piece of "FOD" (small sliver of stainless) which embedded in the top of one piston and eventually caused a crack which propagated through the piston. Get some air cleaner foam and replace the Yanmar foam.

 

[Bob 04 H260]

Claude, interesting information, I have a new Yanmar foam filter still in the box that came with our boat as a spare, I have no idea how old it is, so maybe no better than the one that is in there in terms of disintegration risk.
I would like to replace it with a K&N filter but have no idea if they make one to fit. I may send them an email and ask if they have a reference for this engine. If so I'll post it on here.
thanks for the heads up, Bob

 

[kloudie1]

Bob, I looked at the K&N site and found nothing to fit.. The guy that put one on had to modify the filter to make it fit in the can. Never easy !

 

[Mariner356]

I don't even employ the filter. Took it out like many other sailors. Unless you're plowing the lower 40 or driving through a dust storm the air out on the water is pretty clean. The housing and cage are still attached with the intake pointing down.
Also, the engine breaths much better.
Cheers!

I have a Yanmar 50 diesel in my Hunter 410 and don't use a filter at all sailing on the Great Lakes.