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Kohler Air Filter - questions

Started by E-Tex, May 28, 2019, 09:47:49 PM

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E-Tex

my mill has a 38-gas.  I have 3 Air Filters "In Rotation"......(the larger, white one below).

I keep them as clean as I can with compressed air.  I will change the white filter 1-2 times during a long saw day.  (the small, blue, inner-filter is never dirty as far as I can tell).

They look clean when I blow them out and structurally they look like new.

I guess my question is....how long will the filters last doing this?  and is it ok to keep doing this?  or should I buy new ones more often and replace?




 




 
LT-50 Wide, Nyle 200Pro Kiln, Mahindra 6065, Kubota 97-2 / Forestry Mulcher 
L2 Sawmill LLC

DPatton

I know in the past a lot of us ( including myself) have been guilty of just blowing out air filters on small engines. I don't think this is a good idea as compressed air can adversely affect the filters performance. I replace my filters on my sawmill per Kohler service recommendations to keep it running at its best. In my opinion it's just not worth the risk to me to keep reusing the same filter.
TimberKing 1600, 30' gooseneck trailer, Chevy HD2500, Echo Chainsaw, 60" Logrite.

Work isn't so bad when you enjoy what your doing.
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TimGA

Guys,  
      You should NEVER try to clean the inner air filter. If you see any dirt on it your outer filter is leaking. 
   Be careful when cleaning outer filter with compressed air as you can put a hole in it if you hold nozzle to close. The inner filter is there in case outer fails, but is again not to be cleaned only replaced. 50.00 worth of filters is cheap compared to 2800.00 engine. IMHO
                     Tim
TK2000, Kubota L3130GST, grapple, pallet forks, 2640 Massey w/loader (The Beast) Husky saws Logrites One man operation some portable most stationary.

Brucer

From the W-M engine manual for the 28 HP EFI Kohler engine:


Quote"CAUTION! Do not clean elements with water or compressed air. Do not handle the inner element unless it is to be changed. Handle new elements carefully. Contact with the element could cause damage and prevent the filter from operating properly."
Read the manual(s) for each make and model of engine you run.

  • My JD diesel tractor manual says to tap the filter to knock dust loose.
  • My Cat 910 manual says to blow out the filter from the inside and NOT to tap it.
  • My Stihl chainsaw manuals say to blow out the filters with air, or wash them with soapy water and let them dry.
  • My Wood-Mizer manual says to replace the filters, not to clean them.

The different rules aren't there because no one knows what they're talking about. They're there because the different filters are designed differently.
Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

John Bartley

From the Kohler CH--service manual.  I didn't know how to extract a PDF, so it's two images ::



 

Kioti DK35HSE w/loader & forks
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Stihl 026

richhiway

you should never take out the inner filter unless it looks dirty. every time you disturb the filter you are getting some dirt/debris into your engine. as you stated the inner filter is never dirty leave it in place.

I would think if you use care not to damage it it's fine to blow out or tap out the outer filter, a lot less often then you are doing it. filters are designed to operate fine with some dirt on them, they have a service life. It takes a long time to "plug it up" to where it would affect performance.

the end cap acts as a vortex to keep the filters clean. I would check it once a month.
Woodmizer LT 40
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Southside

Conditions and hours can change how much your filter is impacted. I pull and blow out my mill, edger, and Re-saw filters weekly. Use a leaf blower and wash the foam liners on the Kohlers. 

If I am sawing a bunch of cedar or dry wood then I clean them daily. 
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Woodmizer LT Super 70 and LT35 sawmill, KD250 kiln, BMS 250 sharpener and setter
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White Oak Meadows

esteadle

I've been running my Kohler Command CH-730 since about 2003. My air filters do not need to be cleared out daily. Nor weekly. Not even monthly. 

I *gently* bang out (not compressed air) the outer element maybe once every 3 months in the sawing season here in PA. I get a small amount of dust that curls out in the wind. 

I replace the outer air element maybe once every 2 years or so. 
I replaced the inner air element once. Never touched it until I needed to rebuild the carburetor and that's when I changed the filter. 

If you're cleaning it out daily, I think you'd be getting a bit of dust and grit into your engine air intake daily, which is what these 2 things are supposed to prevent. 

If you really think you need to blow those out (and you actually see sawdust come out of them when you do?) check the dust ejector cap on the bottom of the filter canister and make sure it's still pliable and sealed when the engine is running. The air for this engine comes in thru the snorkel on top and should not be sucked into the dust ejector port, or you're going to clog up the outer element a whole lot faster. Those dust ejector caps are expensive (12-14), but worth the cost of a filter or two (20 each). 


Best of luck


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