The man we bought this from said cat told him it’s a no no to blow these filters out with air pressure. Cat says it can lead to pre mature engine failure. So working in dusty conditions and installing new filters every other day can get expensive right quick. What’s the life expectancy of these is it ok just to knock the dirt out and keep going ? This is a 2011 year model. RRR00416 I believe.
We have a D-4k. Blow them out carefully just like you do with every other filter. They are right in that it will lead to premature failure if you blow a hole in it but that goes for all your filters right? I will probably get flamed for suggesting that but sometimes it doesn't make sense to replace the filter every couple days, my opinion only.
Blowing filters out is an excepted practice everywhere I've ever been. I don't know about new stuff but the industry in general uses two filters in most all the equipment I've put my hands on. The inner will show color if the outer filter has been breached. I also used to put a dab of light colored grease on the closed end of the filter. Dusty air will change the color of that grease so you know next time to discard the outer filter.
The issue as I see it is the fact that nobody follows the recommendations to use l ow pressure dry air , instead they use the compressor on the service truck @120psi directly on the filter and then wonder why the primary air filter is full of pinholes and the secondary filter is plugged up.......... From the O&M Manual for the D4K........... Observe the following guidelines if you attempt to clean the filter element: 1. Do not tap or strike the filter element in order to remove dust. 2. Do not wash the filter element. 3. Use low pressure compressed air in order to remove the dust from the filter element. Air pressure must not exceed 207 kPa (30 psi). Direct the air flow up the pleats and down the pleats from the inside of the filter element. Take extreme care in order to avoid damage to the pleats.
I’m guilty of the high pressure air. I won’t do that again lol. But I have never seen a dirty inner filter on any of our equipment so maybe we been doing it right!
When two filters are installed, it is standard practice to "blow out" (clean) the outer air filter. The inner is never to be cleaned. If an inner filter is not in use, the single filter is not to be cleaned, just replaced.
Cat and Donaldson made this suggestion 30years ago. A bloke l was working for at the time took on board the advice, changed all the precleaners to the Turbo ll , fitted vacuum gauges in the cabs that were connected to the outlet pipe on the aircleaner. No filters were to be changed until the gauge showed 20 inches of vacuum. Those engines never suffered any loss of power or damage. I became a believer and did the same thing when I was running a forestry mulcher. Cats theory is a half full filter is more efficient than a new one.
It's not a theory, just common sense. Air filter condition indicators have been factory for more than twenty years that I remember. Problem is that they are mounted in the engine compartment and how many operators bother to even check engine oil let alone a restriction indicator.
That's our philosophy as well. Been blowing out outer air filters for years in the summer and never had any issues - knocks on wood.. We only use Cat filters though.
Restriction indicators work on everything except fire trucks. When they suck in a few embers during a fire, they burn holes in the paper filters and the indicator becomes useless. On the fire pumpers I used to maintain, I removed the indicators because, the less firefighters have to think about, the better . I just changed out the air filters during every service and to hell with the cost
IPA makes an air nozzle that has small holes the length of the pipe just for cleaning filters and radiators. They come 1,2,3 or 4 foot long called an air comb. Bob
For those who insist on blowing out filters a leaf blower is the go to tool. High volume low pressure air and easier than carting a compressor. My 2 cents worth.
I have thought I’d that fosho ! Just haven’t tried it. I will. I have blown off the debris on the hood of our skid steer with it though.
Same here, also great to blow out the radiator and charge air cooler.
Milwaukee makes an 18 volt "leaf blower" we keep in our camper to blow the leaves off the slides. Now ya'll have got me thinking..
Definitely concur with not blowing out the secondary air filter I personally don’t blow out air filters on machines I work on (not breathing the dust or taking the risk of damaging it) but I don’t see a problem if you do it right. Don’t do it as one customer I saw did on his skidder the air filters both of them were blown out so harshly they were heavily physically damaged and coming apart. His engine was very much dusted. also as an aside I hate the K series and backhoe filters. Those rectangular bastards are such a pain to get back in without beating the crap out of them I curse the engineer that came up with that design
The radial seal type of element worked well for years. I cannot understand how the engineers thought the weird shape air filters they are coming up with today were an advance.
I admit to stuffing up a 3304 by missing a piece of gasket stuck to the filter housing when replacing the inner element. Didn't take long.
That would suck fosho!
what fun is a normal filter when you can have one that takes a deadblow to reinstall and then you wonder if it’s sealing right or not