When is replacement required?
High-quality scooter maintenance also depends on timely replacement of the air filter. This element performs an important function - it cleans the air that enters the carburetor. Oxygen then enters the engine along with the fuel mixture. If you hesitate a little, the transport will begin to function inferiorly, disobey its owner and become less playful. Another disadvantage is that if the purifier is clogged, the scooter will begin to consume more fuel, which, of course, will affect its maintenance.
Mechanics recommend changing the air filter on a 4 T scooter every 5 thousand kilometers. It will also be important to clean this element from dust and dirt. Cleaning should be done once every six months.
Cleaning the filter, changing the oil or changing individual system parts is required more often if the scooter is used daily for a long time. In this case, an inspection must be carried out every 500 kilometers. Such actions will eliminate costly repairs and the purchase of spare parts.
Signs that you need to replace the air filter in a 4T scooter:
- clogged appearance of the structure;
- change in technical characteristics of transport equipment:
- slow speed development, the engine does not start immediately, etc.
All these signs indicate that the engine is not getting enough air. It does not matter which scooter requires help (Chinese, homemade or Stealth scooter), the procedure for replacing the cleaner will be the same for each vehicle.
When to clean or replace the filter
Scooter air filters serve to clean the air entering the carburetor and then into the engine as part of the fuel mixture. The filter element of a moped performs the same function. The consequences of untimely replacement or cleaning of them can be no less disastrous than with the wrong approach to this issue in relation to automobile air filters. In any case, the owner of a scooter or moped will start filling up more gasoline and will be annoyed that his iron friend has become sluggish and no longer accelerates to the km/h required by the passport.
Manufacturers recommend replacing the air filter of a scooter or moped at least every 5,000 km, and cleaning it after every 1,000 km.
If the scooter or moped is used in very dusty roads or terrain, then maintenance and replacement should be carried out more often. In this case, cleaning should be performed at least every 500 km traveled, and, in order to prevent premature engine wear, you can start with a test inspection and cleaning (if necessary) of the filter after the first 100 km. Based on the results of this check, it will be clear whether it makes sense to service the filter element every 100 km or whether the mileage before the next cleaning should be increased. When the time comes to change the filter altogether, it will be clear either by its appearance or by the behavior of the scooter or moped engine - after the next filter maintenance, symptoms will remain that it is clogged and the motor does not have enough air for it to work.
Replacing the air filter on a scooter
The process of replacing the air structure on a scooter begins with determining its type and general characteristics. Another important feature is the location of the air filter.
There is a “wet” type filter, which is most often installed on Chinese models. There are also “dry” cleaners. The latter can often be found on scooters from Japan.
The “wet” filter, which is based on oil- and petrol-resistant foam, is impregnated with special oil.
The design consists of two layers:
- Internal. The material contains small cells that are capable of trapping even the smallest air pollutants;
- External. This layer has large cells that trap massive flows of dust.
The air purifier for the 4 T scooter is mounted in special boxes. This design can be located in front of the carburetor, above the muffler or variator.
Preparing for work
Selecting a suitable filter is the main preparatory stage before replacing the structure.
The main rule that will allow you to cope with the task efficiently is that you should not skimp on cleaners. It is better to purchase a more expensive but original version than a fake one. A scooter, like a motorcycle, must quickly respond to the driver’s actions and reach the required speed, which is only possible if you have a high-quality cleaning device. Required tools for replacement:
- crosshead screwdriver;
- socket wrench;
- pliers;
- clamp
This set of tools will be sufficient for routine filter replacement on a 4 T scooter.
The next step is preparing the new filter for installation. Additional impregnation will help the cleaner cope with its task to the maximum. This can be done using oil or a special chemical. If the choice falls on an aerosol, then it should be applied in linear movements over the entire surface of the filter. It is not recommended to make circular movements, as you should then wait 20 minutes and check the surface for the presence of unimpregnated areas.
Replacement process
Replacing the air filter on a 4 T scooter yourself is only possible if the driver carefully reads the regulations and prepares all the tools and the cleaner itself for the procedure.
You should start by removing the old filter. For this you need:
- For simplified access to the engine cleaning structure, remove all parts of the mechanism;
- Clean the housing from dirt and dust. Some boxes will have to be removed for this;
- Disassemble the case: unscrew the screws and remove the cover. This must be done carefully so as not to harm the filter;
- Retrieve the old element;
- Wash the body thoroughly to remove any dirt (you can use gasoline).
Step-by-step instructions for installing a new filter on a 4 T scooter:
- carefully check the new cleaner for defects;
- saturate the surface with liquid;
- install the device: the side with smaller pores is placed inside the structure;
- install the structure so that it fits tightly to the body and lid;
- Reassemble all dismantled parts in reverse order.
This process will not take much time, especially if the driver has experience in performing such work.
Air filter task
The air filter on a scooter, as well as on any other vehicle with an internal combustion engine, is responsible for adequate filtration of the air entering through it. As is known, for combustion, gasoline in the combustion chamber must be mixed with gasoline in strictly specified proportions. All responsibility for this lies with the carburetor; it supplies both gasoline and air to the combustion chamber. The air, naturally, must be clean so as not to clog the thin channels of the carburetor and jets. Therefore, the air flow entering the carburetor can be filtered through a filter.
How often does it need to be replaced?
The frequency of replacing the air filter depends on the degree of use of the 4 T scooter, as well as the responsibility of its owner and the quality of the roads.
If the vehicle is operated on dusty country roads from morning to night, then the period of use of the air purifier will be short. Average statistical data indicate that it is necessary to change the cleaning structure every 5 thousand kilometers if the vehicle is not used regularly. The service life will also be affected by the quality of the filter itself. Original models will last much longer.
Purpose, design and maintenance of the air filter on a scooter
Everyone knows that in a scooter engine, during operation, it is not ordinary gasoline that burns, but a mixture of gasoline and air, prepared by the carburetor in a certain proportion. Gasoline passes through a fine fuel filter before entering the engine, and the air is cleaned by an air filter. If air purification is not carried out efficiently, then small particles of dust (or other contaminants) will quickly cause engine parts to wear out (especially parts of the cylinder-piston group). In addition to cleaning quality, an air filter has another important indicator - air flow resistance. This indicator must strictly correspond to the engine settings, otherwise engine operation will be disrupted.
Sufficient efficiency
A regular foam rubber or paper filter in the box creates a certain resistance, which, at stock parameters, does not create changes in the proportions of air and gasoline throughout the entire speed range. However, as the piston increases, the scooter engine's need for gasoline and air increases. We increase the amount of gasoline supplied by replacing jets and enriching the mixture, in some cases by replacing the carburetor. But the filterbox with the internal element remains the same. It can no longer pass enough oxygen and the scooter runs on an enriched mixture, with all the ensuing consequences. In particular, in this case it is impossible to realize the full potential of the engine.
Making your own scooter air filter
The background to the encroachment is quite prosaic. A friend had a “damn the kitten” problem with the piston, crankshaft, connecting rod, pin, in general, everything that makes the moped move, the engine on the 24 died, and seriously. The recently held first races on a seagull on a scooter inspired heroic deeds.
As a result, a friend buys a 65cc piston (Honda Takt AF24), a new crankshaft, and makes capital investments, since everything still needs to be changed. Well, after driving 300 kilometers, he complains that he doesn’t feel like he has 65 cc. Accordingly, I give him a bunch of links to engine tuning.
In short, after sitting in the evening, drinking beer, we decided to fire up his apparatus. Since I’m still calculating the pipe (I’m checking different calculation options - so that they match, otherwise I don’t want to buy Leovinci or something like that - it’s expensive) - but we’ll do it anyway. In the end, we decided to make the intake easier. Again, buy a filter
zero resistance is reluctant.
So I was drawn to the garage to “go crazy.” About two years ago, I installed a homemade filter
on his Yamaha Jog-Sekogd Edition (an old guy with a vertical motor), since my dear one simply got lost.
In general, the reliability of the filter element has been tested the hard way, over 2 years, without replacing the housing. It was decided, based on experience, to assemble a fan that was more practical to use and reliable to install.
As a result, having come to the market, we purchased:
Oil filter
for Moskvich KS-71 (411-412 Muscovites) - 4 g.
Siphon for washbasin - from 5g to 21g. (you need to choose from elastic plastic or with polyethylene impurities - in general, pure polyvinyl chloride will not work - it’s too fragile), although the siphon itself is not needed so much as its upper part - and some at the market sell it separately.
The second aspect when choosing a siphon is that a filter should be inserted into its neck diameter.
An M6 hairpin with a length of 220-250mm is selected experimentally. I purchased a mounting anchor of suitable length, since I didn’t have time to look for a hairpin for a long time. For 2.50 UAH.
Well, and, accordingly, a creative accelerator with a capacity of 1 liter. each. — 3.80 UAH each. :O)
I don’t count the mounting silicone and self-adhesive micropork, because it was available in the garage. Oh, and, of course, two clamps with a diameter of 25-32mm for as much as 1 UAH.
As a result, the idea is as follows:
That is, the filter element, without any modifications, is clamped between the neck of the siphon and its counterpart (a metal round flange with a bunch of holes), the whole thing is pulled together with the same hairpin, the length of which is selected according to the location, you should not leave a very long section of the hairpin, it will go into the air intake pipe and may rest against the carburetor.
Next, we make a plug - a plug for the response hole in the filter element.
We take our throat from the siphon and heat its narrow part (that is, the pipe) with a hairdryer, pull it onto a plastic bottle cap (I pulled it onto a Coca-Cola cap, it has a more or less cylindrical shape). We cut off the resulting plug from the throat of the siphon. It should fit as close as possible into the filter hole. Next, we take our siphon in our hands and from under the clamping nut of the siphon neck we take out the silicone sealing ring, which we put on our plug. As a result, this ring ensures reliable sealing of the hole in the filter element.
Everything is clear from the photograph:
We make a hole in the center of the cork and string it onto a pin, starting with the flange (lid) of the siphon neck into which our cork is inserted.
To ensure that the ring does not fall off and the structure has a more civil appearance, we fill the gap between the metal lid and the plug with silicone. To ensure an even tighter seal between the cork and the pin, the cavity in the cork can also be treated with silicone and a series of rubber washers can be put on and secured inside the cap with glue or the same silicone.
Air filter description types of device operating principle photo video.
The structure of a modern car is such that there are no small details in it. Even those details that at first glance are not particularly important play an important role. For example, an air filter, the importance of which is often downplayed by motorists. In fact, its importance is enormous, because if it is missing or heavily polluted, the normal process of fuel combustion becomes impossible, and the amount of harmful substances contained in the exhaust gases will increase sharply.
To ensure normal combustion of fuel in the cylinders, a huge amount of clean air is required - at least 15 liters for every liter of fuel itself. The air that enters the engine is unsuitable for enriching the fuel mixture without preliminary cleaning, because it contains too many solid particles and other polluting components. Once in the engine, they cause rapid wear of the piston group, bearings and crankshaft. The air filter in a car efficiently removes foreign impurities from the air, increasing the stability of the engine and extending its service life.
Working principle of the air filter
Basically, for 1 kilogram of fuel, the engine consumes 13-15 kilograms of air, the intake of which occurs outside the vehicle, and also regardless of weather conditions. Because of this, dust, small stones and parts of asphalt, moisture and other substances enter the engine. The filter is designed to clean the air entering the car engine from many harmful impurities.
Over time, with intensive use of the car, the air filter may become clogged with particles of dust or substances, which will significantly reduce the throughput and, accordingly, increase the load on the filter itself, which may become deformed.
For normal engine operation, the frequency of replacing the air filter should be twice a year.
.
As a result, harmful substances and impurities, bypassing the clogged filter, will enter directly into the engine, thereby significantly accelerating wear.
TYPES OF AIR FILTERS FOR CAR
There are several types of these filters used on vehicles. They use different filtering methods:
- inertial. Filters that were previously used on almost all types of transport, but over time, more advanced filters replaced them. Such a filter consisted of a voluminous body, popularly nicknamed “pan,” in which a cushion made of nylon fishing line was placed. Primary air purification was carried out precisely because of a sharp change in the direction of movement, when the air continued to move, and the dust, by inertia, moved to the bottom of the body and settled there. Secondary cleaning was carried out with a pillow. These filters were reusable, they had to be washed periodically, and it was used further. A significant disadvantage of this type of filter was its weak filtering property;
- inertia-oil. These filters were somewhat better than inertial filters in their cleaning properties, but are also already considered obsolete. Structurally, they were similar to inertial ones, but had one difference. Motor oil was poured into the bottom of the housing of such a filter, which, due to its properties, could “catch” and retain large and small contaminant particles. This filter was also reusable; it was enough to wash it and change the oil. On some types of agricultural the techniques are still used today;
- paper At the moment, these air filters are the most common. The air of these filters is purified by passing them through special paper with a porous structure. This paper is folded in a special way, which increases its cleaning ability. A feature of these filters is the ability to clean throughout their entire volume, and not just the outer surface, this is ensured by the porous structure and intertwined position of the paper fibers. The interlacing of fibers also ensures the capture of very small particles - up to 1 micron. The paper of these filters itself is treated with a special resin, which ensures its integrity and performance even after contact with water, oil or fuel. These filters are maintenance-free; if they are very dirty, they are simply replaced;
- filters with zero resistance. They use cotton fabric or foam rubber as a filter element. During the manufacture of these filters, the cleaning elements are treated with special compounds. All this provides a good filtering effect, while the filter itself provides much less resistance to air flow than conventional paper ones. It is believed that this filter is serviceable; it can be cleaned and washed for further use, but for this you need to use special shampoos, and after washing, impregnate the filter element with a special composition. And yet, over time, the filter becomes unusable and needs to be replaced.
How to remove and replace the air filter of a scooter or moped
The engines of most scooters and mopeds have a “wet” type filter (on almost all Chinese vehicles) or a “dry” type filter (mainly on Japanese ones). “Wet” is made of oil- and petrol-resistant foam rubber and impregnated with a special oil that ensures the retention of small particles. The filter itself consists of two layers:
- internal, having a fine-mesh structure - to retain the smallest contaminants;
- external, with larger cells - for filtering large particles.
Air filters on scooters are installed in plastic housings in the form of a box (usually flat and oblong). The housing, whether on a moped or a scooter, can be located in different places: in front of the carburetor, above the variator, above the muffler, under the floor guard in front to the right of the engine.
Removing the filter:
- We remove all parts that may interfere with removing the filter;
- We clean the filter housing from dirt (on some models of scooters and mopeds it will have to be removed for this);
- We disassemble the housing - unscrew the screws around the perimeter and carefully remove its cover, trying not to damage the filter element;
- We carefully inspect the filter element looking for damage: through holes, tears, loose fit to the lid or edges of the housing;
- Carefully remove the filter from the lid;
- We carefully clean the body and its cover from dirt, wash it with gasoline if necessary, wipe it dry and make sure that there are no threads or dust left (they can subsequently get into the carburetor, where they will clog the jets and channels).
If the filter is damaged or needs to be replaced due to its service life, then carefully install a new filter element in place of the one that has become unusable.
In this case, its side with smaller pores should be turned inward (for foam rubber). It is also necessary to try not to tear the filter element and to ensure that it fits tightly to the edges of the lid and housing. We assemble the dismantled elements.
WHEN IS IT TIME TO CHANGE THE AIR FILTER?
The driver does not need to know when to change the air filter; this can be done visually. To do this, remove the filter element from the air filter and inspect it. If it is clean, you can continue driving without problems. If the filter element is dirty or covered in oil, this indicates the need to replace it. Every car enthusiast can distinguish a dirty filter from a new and clean one.
The period for replacing the engine air filter depends on the manufacturer; on most cars it is 15 - 30 thousand km. So, if you are planning to change the air filter, look at the car’s registration certificate and the exact date for its replacement will be indicated there. Or use the advice above and inspect the filter visually if you don’t know when it was last changed.
Advice about replacing the air filter from my own experience . Its replacement can be combined with an oil change, which is done after about 10-15 thousand kilometers. You can change the air filter every oil change or every other time. This depends on the specific conditions in which the car is operated. As a rule, they change every other time.
Turbocharged diesel engines have more stringent requirements for air purification. This is due to the peculiarities of their operation. So, for diesel engines and cars with a turbine, the period for replacing the air filter should be reduced.
Rationalism when tuning
But what to do if you are not going to participate in races, but the original foam filter does not solve the problem of air supply when the piston increases. For these purposes, tuning companies of the Malossi subtype (for example, Malossi Red Sponge) and Polini have developed special filters that are installed in a standard plastic filter box of a scooter instead of the standard foam element.
They have excellent filtering characteristics and at the same time create minimal resistance to air flow. For each scooter model you can find a special cartridge model. But you can also buy a special blank and cut the required size manually.
ZERO RESISTANCE AIR FILTER
The design of a car air purifier may be different, but the principle of operation is almost the same for all. Passing through the filter element, the air can be purified by almost 99% - it all depends on the type of element. Naturally, as air passes through the filter, its flow slows down, and if it is old and heavily polluted, the engine may not have enough air. As an alternative to the standard ones, zero-resistance filters have been developed that have absolutely no effect on the flow rate of incoming air.
The design of such an air filter for a car is quite simple. Several layers of cotton fabric, after impregnation with special solutions, are fixed between two aluminum gratings. Such a design allows you to simultaneously pass twice as much air as purifiers of standard designs. At the same time, the quality of filtration remains unchanged
high - no matter how much dirt such an air filter retains, the quality and speed of cleaning do not change. Moreover, dust settled on the fabric itself takes part in air purification, trapping larger particles.
An equally important feature of a zero-resistance air filter is the ability to clean and reuse it. To clean it, you can purchase a special cleaner, after which it is washed with running water, and before installation on the car it is additionally treated with special oil. It is recommended to carry out such a procedure every three months, especially if the vehicle is used quite intensively, for example, in the summer.
Tuning air filters for scooters and engine life
The solution to the problem in this case is to replace the air filter with a tuning one . Among these are zero resistance filters for scooters . They are installed to replace the old box and can be either cone-shaped or cylindrical. There is also a different form of execution. Such filters allow air to pass through perfectly, but are characterized by low efficiency in retaining dust, dirt and moisture. A sufficiently high-quality zero-resistance filter is expensive, expensive to maintain, and requires special expensive aerosols.
At the same time, it still cannot compare in terms of filtration efficiency with a conventional foam element in a box. If used, the service life of the engine is reduced significantly, since the smallest particles entering the combustion chamber act on the cylinder walls as an abrasive. As a result, using a zero resistance filter on a scooter is only advisable when engine performance plays a decisive role over durability, for example in racing. And in this case, setting up the carburetor turns into subtle adjustments that not everyone can handle.
A few signs of a clogged air filter:
- The car uses more fuel than usual;
- The car lost significant power;
- The level of CO2 in the exhaust is significantly increased.
Most drivers do not attach importance to these facts and “drag out” the problem until the last, critical moment, however, experienced motorists, like the current regulations, confidently declare:
Some drivers, in a desire to save an extra penny, pull out and clean the old filter
.
Doing this is strictly prohibited
, since the resource of each filter is limited and, despite its clean appearance, it will not bring any benefit to the car. That is why replacement is the most obvious and relevant option.
The location of the filter depends on the make and model of the car, but the filters themselves are similar, since they are mostly made according to the same principle. How to change the air filter?
Very simple!
In cars with an injection engine, the filter is often located in a plastic casing, to which the air intake pipe is connected, and the cover itself is held on by latches. By unhooking them, the car owner has access to the filter, and the procedures for replacing it are similar to those described above. By the way, to change the cabin air filter, you need to carry out almost the same manipulations as with the engine filter. This procedure will take no more than 5-8 minutes on any type of car engine.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE CORRECT FILTER ELEMENT
If the question - why change the air filter is more or less clear, then many owners simply do not know how to choose an air filter for their car. This is largely due to the manufacturers themselves, who produce a huge number of modifications of devices. The materials of the filter element itself, the shape, degree of filtration, operating conditions, as well as the number of cleaning stages differ. To choose the optimal element, you should first read the recommendations of the vehicle manufacturer - be independent, and changing the type of filter installed is not always possible.
For many car owners, the determining factor when choosing a new air filter is its service life. Most manufacturers are now using increasingly modern materials and technologies so that they have to be changed less frequently, and the degree of air purification remains as high as possible. Despite all the achievements of the developers, it should be understood that almost any “air purifier” will sooner or later have to be replaced with a new one, so you should constantly monitor the engine’s operation, and if specific signs of air shortage appear, it is better to replace the filter element.
Often, many car owners, especially of expensive foreign cars, prefer to purchase not original air filters, the cost of which can be more than five thousand rubles, but cheap fakes. Owners of cars with a turbocharged diesel engine are especially guilty of this, since on such engines the filter replacement interval is more frequent, and its cost is more expensive - this is due to higher requirements in terms of air purification.
It should be understood that any counterfeit air filter does not fulfill its main task, only creating the appearance of protection. In addition to the lack of effective purification of the air entering the engine, counterfeits often and seriously reduce its volume, which leads to over-enrichment of the mixture, a significant increase in fuel consumption, and incomplete combustion of the mixture stimulates the process of premature wear of the main components of any engine.