Diesel for washing foam air filters

[1992-rm250]

I'm using diesel for washing my foam air filters and I'm having trouble getting the diesel out of them. The method I'm using is:

1. Wash in diesel, squeeze out excess

2. Wash in warm water with detergent, squeeze out excess

3. Rinse in warm water

4. Dry filter overnight

After drying the filter, it still has an oily residue from the diesel, which seems to break down the new filter oil I'm applying.

What are others using to get the diesel out of the filter?

[CamP]

Sounds like you are doing everything right. Use Dawn dishwashing detergent after a 5 minute soak in Diesel. I do 3 separate soapy water baths to get all the silt and diesel out of the filter. Dawn works the best for this. 2 gallon plastic buckets are also perfect for this job. I have 3 of them and I fill them all with soapy water and work my way down the line. After the 3rd soapy bath, rinse with clear water and you should have a clean filter.

[GMO397]

I use dawn dish soap after the diesel. I use my kitchen sink (usually have to make my own dinner when the fiancee finds out).

Hot water and dawn massaging with my hands.

[shrubitup]

F to GMO: What's that diesel smell?

GMO: Must be the truck outside

F: The hell it is, my sink stinks!

GMO: Something else does too ?

Seems you'd be lucky to have dinner ever again with that attitude.

Anyway,? I don't use diesel. I use laundry soap and oxy clean. Works good!

[infamy]

i find diesel does not work that well. ive started cleaning my filters with it a couple months ago and it doesnt seem to get alot of the dirt or oil dye out of the filter. i have to wash it with soap and warm water about 5 times after before all the dirt is completely out.

[CamP]

i find diesel does not work that well. ive started cleaning my filters with it a couple months ago and it doesnt seem to get alot of the dirt or oil dye out of the filter. i have to wash it with soap and warm water about 5 times after before all the dirt is completely out.

Diesel is just about the mildest petroleum solvent so it requires a longer soak to break down the filter oil.

[zlathim]

I just use dawn dish soap and hot water. Wash, rinse, repeat.

[Ron731]

I use mineral spirits in my parts washer and then wash the filters out with simple green and let dry then oil up.

Been doing it for years this way so far so good:banana:

I did the diesel thing a few years back and it left to much of a oily residue behind.

[egoman]

By a gallon of varsol you cheap buggers. It works the best.

[Rearwheelin]

I have been using the same 3 gallons of mineral spirits for the last 8 years..... No soaking required and only a single rince in a bucket with dawn or moto wash and a rinse with fresh.... Works the best for the money and doesn't hurt filter.

[dragoon13]

single rinse in gas. squeeze out let dry, oil, install.

[Rearwheelin]

single rinse in gas. squeeze out let dry, oil, install.

Gas is okey .... I did Thad when I was a kid and destroyed filters prematurely....lol

[FGR01]

single rinse in gas. squeeze out let dry, oil, install.

No rinse with Dawn and water afterwards to get the gas residue out?

I hope you are not doing this on a 4-stroke.

Let's just say, a backfire screen does not really stop a backfire. Saw a guy's YZ250F burn up when it coughed back through the carb onto his gas-washed filter. ?

[Wandell]

I wash mine with diesel followed up with Simple Green.

[sundogranch67]

I wash mine with diesel followed up with Simple Green.

If you're cleaning with diesel- why would you then wash away the diesel oil and re-apply another oil? I don't understand this. Why not just leave some diesel residue on the filter to catch the dust- seems like a waste of time and money. I clean with diesel, then wring out as much of the excess I can & re-install- done in one step.

[sabortooth]

If you're cleaning with diesel- why would you then wash away the diesel oil and re-apply another oil? I don't understand this. Why not just leave some diesel residue on the filter to catch the dust- seems like a waste of time and money. I clean with diesel, then wring out as much of the excess I can & re-install- done in one step.

The residual oil left from a diesel wash is not going to stop much more particles that the filter would alone.

[Euro Enduro]

I wonder how kerosene would work, being safer than gas, but stronger than diesel.

The thing with diesel is that it is very oily/greasy, similar to premixed gas, so when you take it out it leaves that oily residue on it. Gas would be better, but people always say that it breaks down the filter/glue. I use paint thinner, or mineral spirits.

[sabortooth]

Spirits is good stuff.

[Chuck.]

While Diesel is a mild solvent mineral spirits works better, I buy from paint dept at Home Depot, then whatever liquid dishwashing soap wife buys.

[letitride]

I go Kerosine, Oxiclean, Dawn, then water. Sometimes there still a little oily the next day but the Filter oil seems to still work fine. I use Maxima FFT.