Air Filter Service
Posted: 13 Mar 2011 11:04
Hello guys - would love some input on this!
Since taking ownership of my patrol I have serviced her 3 times - once every 5,000km; that includes oil and oil filter change, 1x diesel filter change, and air filter service.
Now with the after market turbo fitted by Alpine, with it came a "high performance" BMC air filter, including an "air cooling enhancing" CDA (carbon dynamic airbox). See picture below:
Now 10 months after becoming a 4x4 (let alone patrol) owner for the first time i still know nothing. So back then you can imagine how little i knew. My first service on the patrol was my first service on a car ever!! Anyway, with the assistance of my girlfriends mechanically minded brother, the service was done successfully, no questions asked. Specifically on the air filter, it was disassembled (which is a painstaking job as the whole system connecting to the turbo has to be taken out in order to get the CDA box out in order to get to the actual cone filter), cleaned with K&N cleaner and re-oiled with K&N oil. Then put back into place. Definitely, the filter looks as if it does the job of providing clean air:
2nd service i did on my own, just before leaving to zim in december last year. That's when I first asked the question... isnt this air filter a little too small?? I mean i have 4.2 engine, BMC website says filters designed for below 1,600cc and above 1,600cc! See comparison to size 10 slop, me thinks I have for 1,600cc:
Phone alpine developments and ask the question, why this filter? Their answer... Oh! I remember this job, we couldnt find place to fit the original filter (because of second batter) and having searched high and low the only thing they could find was this expensive filter from autostyle (filter = R600, CDA box = R1,800). Hmm... so I think... am i starving my engine of air with this small filter?! To me it feels like it. Then I think, what is impact of long term air starvation for diesel? I dont have answers for these questions, and I find it very difficult to approach mechanic with years experience will my non-experience and tell him i think maybe his solution for air filter not the best one? Frans?
So i do trip to zim (off-topic: Peter C im getting there in terms of the report.. maybe short answer is just go as soon as possible because it is awesome beyond words!) and whole time think this in back of my mind, but watching EGT's and water temp religiously.
so on saturday i planned for service. read lots on aussie forum about air filters etc, lots of options available there. space a general problem for TD42 with turbo and dual battery. Also plenty debate around K&N / BMC type filters and vs factory paper filter. In all honesty, i prefer to follow what will give engine longevity, but recognise challenge for space, and limited knowledge on the subject.
Anyway, back to saturday service, detach air intake pipe and air filter system. Pipe is mild steel, and the section straight after the air filer is showings signs of corrosion.... this doesnt look good to me, metal particles getting sucked straight into turbo?
Pipe clear of normal dust, so filter working, but this makes me concerned. Should I be? I have been to local supa quick already, its 58mm pipe and they can bend for me in stainless steel. Will just have to weld connection points on pipe (oil breather, I think that its, and then mounting bracket). Is this the best think to do?
Also check all the connection points... seemed to be quite a bit of oil come out of the oil breather pipe when I squeezed it. Also looked at the connection to the actual turbo, the pipe seemed to have a lot of oil around it, also "inspected" turbo, although I have no idea what i'm looking for.
Then i had also decided in my own mind that I need bigger air filter, aware of space limitations, so i head to autostyle to look for bigger K&N or BMC. Was at autostyle for very long time, debating many things with myself and gf's brother, eventually walked away 2 filters... a bigger BMC (that also manages to connect to the CDA) and then a standalone K&N filter (invoice says for honda s2000, but it was the biggest they had).
This pic shows relative sizes:
Fitted the K&N first, then ran out of time to fit the other BMC. But feedback on the K&N - definitely more responsive throttle, much louder air intake noise, turbo very eager to spin, freeway performance better, EGT's ,maybe 200deg lower. Air being sucked is very hot being in the engine bay, part of reason didnt get to fit new BMC was that had to wait too long for intake system to cool down. K&N filter can be fitted without undoing whole pipe system!
Long term, I think BMC filter with CDA is good thing if i want to run a snorkel (which I do have thank JG) as it runs a pass-though type system and rubber piping can be connected to the box. Then with overland trips I probably need to have donaldson pre-filter to ensure cleaner air. I dont know?
I also dont know what the typical approach is with both n/a td42s and turboed td42s? Would love if both na td42 and turboed td42 guys maybe show pics of their set up, what filters are being used etc?
Sorry for the long post but this is something that is bugging me as I want what is best for my troll (i dont have kids, but i can imagine what it feels like!!)
thanks
David
Since taking ownership of my patrol I have serviced her 3 times - once every 5,000km; that includes oil and oil filter change, 1x diesel filter change, and air filter service.
Now with the after market turbo fitted by Alpine, with it came a "high performance" BMC air filter, including an "air cooling enhancing" CDA (carbon dynamic airbox). See picture below:
Now 10 months after becoming a 4x4 (let alone patrol) owner for the first time i still know nothing. So back then you can imagine how little i knew. My first service on the patrol was my first service on a car ever!! Anyway, with the assistance of my girlfriends mechanically minded brother, the service was done successfully, no questions asked. Specifically on the air filter, it was disassembled (which is a painstaking job as the whole system connecting to the turbo has to be taken out in order to get the CDA box out in order to get to the actual cone filter), cleaned with K&N cleaner and re-oiled with K&N oil. Then put back into place. Definitely, the filter looks as if it does the job of providing clean air:
2nd service i did on my own, just before leaving to zim in december last year. That's when I first asked the question... isnt this air filter a little too small?? I mean i have 4.2 engine, BMC website says filters designed for below 1,600cc and above 1,600cc! See comparison to size 10 slop, me thinks I have for 1,600cc:
Phone alpine developments and ask the question, why this filter? Their answer... Oh! I remember this job, we couldnt find place to fit the original filter (because of second batter) and having searched high and low the only thing they could find was this expensive filter from autostyle (filter = R600, CDA box = R1,800). Hmm... so I think... am i starving my engine of air with this small filter?! To me it feels like it. Then I think, what is impact of long term air starvation for diesel? I dont have answers for these questions, and I find it very difficult to approach mechanic with years experience will my non-experience and tell him i think maybe his solution for air filter not the best one? Frans?
So i do trip to zim (off-topic: Peter C im getting there in terms of the report.. maybe short answer is just go as soon as possible because it is awesome beyond words!) and whole time think this in back of my mind, but watching EGT's and water temp religiously.
so on saturday i planned for service. read lots on aussie forum about air filters etc, lots of options available there. space a general problem for TD42 with turbo and dual battery. Also plenty debate around K&N / BMC type filters and vs factory paper filter. In all honesty, i prefer to follow what will give engine longevity, but recognise challenge for space, and limited knowledge on the subject.
Anyway, back to saturday service, detach air intake pipe and air filter system. Pipe is mild steel, and the section straight after the air filer is showings signs of corrosion.... this doesnt look good to me, metal particles getting sucked straight into turbo?
Pipe clear of normal dust, so filter working, but this makes me concerned. Should I be? I have been to local supa quick already, its 58mm pipe and they can bend for me in stainless steel. Will just have to weld connection points on pipe (oil breather, I think that its, and then mounting bracket). Is this the best think to do?
Also check all the connection points... seemed to be quite a bit of oil come out of the oil breather pipe when I squeezed it. Also looked at the connection to the actual turbo, the pipe seemed to have a lot of oil around it, also "inspected" turbo, although I have no idea what i'm looking for.
Then i had also decided in my own mind that I need bigger air filter, aware of space limitations, so i head to autostyle to look for bigger K&N or BMC. Was at autostyle for very long time, debating many things with myself and gf's brother, eventually walked away 2 filters... a bigger BMC (that also manages to connect to the CDA) and then a standalone K&N filter (invoice says for honda s2000, but it was the biggest they had).
This pic shows relative sizes:
Fitted the K&N first, then ran out of time to fit the other BMC. But feedback on the K&N - definitely more responsive throttle, much louder air intake noise, turbo very eager to spin, freeway performance better, EGT's ,maybe 200deg lower. Air being sucked is very hot being in the engine bay, part of reason didnt get to fit new BMC was that had to wait too long for intake system to cool down. K&N filter can be fitted without undoing whole pipe system!
Long term, I think BMC filter with CDA is good thing if i want to run a snorkel (which I do have thank JG) as it runs a pass-though type system and rubber piping can be connected to the box. Then with overland trips I probably need to have donaldson pre-filter to ensure cleaner air. I dont know?
I also dont know what the typical approach is with both n/a td42s and turboed td42s? Would love if both na td42 and turboed td42 guys maybe show pics of their set up, what filters are being used etc?
Sorry for the long post but this is something that is bugging me as I want what is best for my troll (i dont have kids, but i can imagine what it feels like!!)
thanks
David