I am preparing for a upcoming trip in my U240 from Lufkin,Tx to LasVegas,NV. I checked the air filter and I almost don't believe what I saw inside the filter cartriage, but there it was, a dead rat. My U240 draws air from around the camera housing at the top rear of the MH. I guess he got into the MH and tried to get out thru the air inlet of the engine and fell down the pipe. While I was doing this I also found that the duckbill value at the bottom of the air filter housing was gone. Where do I find a replacement value?
Pat,
I would think that if you are in Lufkin to go to FT or MOT. It should be available at truck parts too. Are you sureit got in thru the vent or with the DB Valve gone in that way??
Was the rat inside the centre of filter or on the outside of filter mesh??
JohnH
Pat,
Depending on which filter can you have will determine the Vacuator Valve that you need. Here is a link to a Donaldson page that list the different valves and there part number, if you want to order one rather than going to a truck shop.
http://www.donaldson.com/en/engine/support/datalibrary/055477.pdf
Pamela & Mike
FoT has them.
Rats can collapse their skeletons and slip through very small holes.
Good Morning All,
I found my value on the web site Mike listed above. Thanks for there at info Mike.
John: The rat was in the center of the air filter not on the outside. He had to have came down the air intake pipe just like the air, and when at the bottom he could not climb back up the steel pipe. Also there is a small box built around my camera and air intake in the cabinet above the bed. I had left the box off thinking about changing the camera.
Here is another rabbit to chase, the water getting into the donaldson air filter can can be drained out the duckbill value at the bottom of the can. My problem is that the only way water can get into the can is just like the air comes in. The water would have to soak thru the paper filter first. That would take a lot of water. The filter would be damaged by the water. I have not had any problems, but is this a poor design by donaldson/fot??
Pat,
Looks to me as if the above pictured filter has been damaged in shipment. The box may have been dropped and the end compressed. You can see it in the paper as well as the wire.
After looking at it, I went out and checked ours. No compressed wire. Might end up being short, at least on one side and letting dirt in.
Pierce
yes Pierce is correct and I would return that one and definitley not use it unless that "wrinkle" can be fixed by you.
johnH
It is definately damaged. That is the end that needs to seal well. Don't use it, get another one.
Any water coming down the snorkle into the metal air filter canister (tube) will collect in the bottom of the canister outside of the filter. Some may get sucked into the air filter. The inside mesh should help protect the integrity of the filter element. If water gets in there it should dribble out of the duck bill or you can pinch it to let water out. Chech the duckbill to make sure it is there, it is cleam and still plible.
Roger
John,
I put it on the big monitor and where the filter disappears below the cardboard toward the bottom of the photo, the paper pleats and wire are pretty straight. Looks like it got shortened about 1/2" toward the top where everything is bent. Must have gotten hit pretty hard on one corner of the box.
Hope this is a new photo! :D
Thought it was my eyes for a second. Thanks.
Pierce
Hope you can send that filter back. Would not use it myself.
The worst part, at least on our U240, is that the duckbill valve is on the clean air side of housing. Duckbill missing=dirty air directly to turbo. The first time I took the filter out I couldn't believe it. :o
Pat, I think that in most coaches, Foretravel reverses the air flow so the outside air enters the air cleaner from the outside of the long filter, and the duckbill can drain water before it encounters the filter. Don't know why they did some models 'backwards'. And don't know of air flow hoses can be reversed to 'correct' the situation.
I"ve had a senior moment.
After looking over the air cleaner, I didn't notice a "duck-bill" anywhere on my
filter system. Any chance a few of the 95' FTs didn't have a water separator?? pc
PC,
I thought that I was the only one. Can't find one on mine, just thought I was not looking right. Maybe someone can straighten me out on my 96.
Larry
Here are pictures of mine. The duckbill is a rubber thing on the bottom of the air filter canister. Squeeze to let any water our. Yours may be different.
Roger
Roger,
Thanks for the fast reply and the picture. Went out and checked mine, nope, nothing there but a smooth round cylinder front to back.
Larry
Things change from year to year more that I would have guessed. I'm sure the canister is something FT bought. Looks like Barry and Cindy's 97 has one. So does nay one else with s 95 or 96 hava duckbilll? I wonder if it is something that could be retrofitted?
Roger
As Roger noted, we now have the duckbill rubber drain, but when we got our coach, I saw a nickel-size open hole on the bottom of our air cleaner housing that we figured that we should close off with duct-tape. A few year later we learned that hole is intentional and originally held the duck bill drain, so we added it. If someone does not see the rubber valve hanging down, look for an open hole, but probably all years do not use it.
Doesn't seem to be a bladder affair on my 95'. I do remember noting a fair collection of debris laying in the base of the canister.
After a little house keeping I painted the area in an effort to end my concern that the canister needed attention.
As for dealing with water and whatever that the cleaner would digest, I'm not concerned.
With 20 years of use and my current station in life, it is what it is... pc
Pamela and Mike pointed out to me that somewhere on the air filter canister there should be a Donaldson model number. With that and the link in reply#2 you may be able to determine if yours had a duck bill or not or if one is available.
Thanks for the tip.
Roger
Ours is '96 and has a Duckbill valve, although until this thread I had no idea what it was.