Air Cleaner Quality

Topic: Air Cleaner Quality (Read 1206 times) previous topic - next topic

Air Cleaner Quality

October 26, 2018, 01:36:43 pm

We just received a member's new Donaldson air cleaner (blue) and were surprised with the difference in quality between the old Wix and the new Donaldson. The filter was intended for a U270 with Cummins 8.3 ISC 350hp but after removing the foam gasket from the old one and using glue to fasten it to the new one plus punching a hole in the end for the restriction gauge reading, it is now identical with the Wix intended for the U300/Detroit. Price on line is about the same for both brands with best around $59.

As you can see in the photos, the Donaldson has a silicon spiral wrap on both the outside and inside and the paper is glued to it so the danger of the paper separating and collapsing is minimized.

Our old one was imploded by the engine trying to suck air through a wet filter. This not only reduces power and mileage but raises the EGTs, especially up at altitude. It would be my suggestion for all owners to check their filters after driving in the rain if you have a low air intake like many GVs do. This is especially true for Detroit 2 cycle operators as the engine sucks at least twice as much air as the same size four cycle.

Donaldson xref: Filter Cross Reference Results - Toolbox | Donaldson Australia

Pierce

Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #1 – October 26, 2018, 01:51:03 pm

The DBA5029 is a standard flow filter for the ECG Konepac canister (air in the side and out the end)

The DBA5024 is a reverse flow filter for the EBA Konepac canister (air in the end and out the side).

Donaldson says they are not interchangeable.

The DBA5029 does not have a gasket on the small end nor a hole for the filter minder. The filter minder is a FT add on and for it to work the added the foam gasket and a small hole in the end of the small end of the filter. The filter minder should probably been connected to the other end of the canister to the output side. A gasket failure at the small end where a hole was drilled might allow unfiltered air to get sucked in.

Not all FT models are the same.

I am using the DBA5029 filter.

Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #2 – October 26, 2018, 02:10:21 pm

Correct but our U300 Detroit is also in the side and out the end. Always good to check for which one is correct. The filter gasket at the end is pretty well crushed flat when the end cap is tightened and about impossible to fail once assembled. The Foretravel model has the gasket and hole for the restriction gauge reading.

P

Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #3 – October 26, 2018, 02:14:12 pm

I know some of us swear by the filter minder but Pierce's filter was imploded and the minder did not show the stopage.If I was to
actually go by it I would mount it on the canister and not use the 3 foot of 1/8 hose.Would like to see the difference in with the hose and without it.

Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #4 – October 26, 2018, 02:15:28 pm

If you need a hole use a very small awl or nail and punch a very small hole instead of drilling a hole. No shavings to worry about. It doesn't need to be any more than 1/32".

Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #5 – October 26, 2018, 03:10:58 pm

Quote from: John44 – October 26, 2018, 02:14:12 pm

I know some of us swear by the filter minder but Pierce's filter was imploded and the minder did not show the stopage.If I was to
actually go by it I would mount it on the canister and not use the 3 foot of 1/8 hose.Would like to see the difference in with the hose and without it.

No, my filter minder was at the most restricted end. I reset it a couple of times but it always went to the end after a short drive. Can't check it after resetting it unless engine is at full load while driving. To clarify, the restriction reading is taken from the inside of the filter itself. This is the area of low pressure. The small hole allows access to the low pressure from a fitting where the cover of the air cleaner clamps down. A small tube sends the reading to the gauge in the engine compartment. The outside of the filter/inside of the steel filter housing is normal atmospheric pressure. The engine sucked so hard the paper filter and the wire mesh collapsed. If I had a restriction gauge on the instrument panel, I would have seen it immediately.

Yes, punch, not drill. Any size will do. Stock was about a 1/8" hole. Drilling will allow steel shavings to the clean air side of the filter and then injected by the engine. This would be a bad deal. I can post what the filter housing end plate looks like with the fitting for the restriction tubing if anyone would like to see it.

Pierce

Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #6 – October 26, 2018, 03:27:57 pm

OK, my PM mailbox has room now. So, here are three photos of the air cleaner canister cover, one on the outside showing the fitting where the restriction gauge tubing attaches, one on the inside of the cover showing where the round foam gasket seats and one of the new filter with the foam gasket glued down and a random hole punched in with a Phillips screwdriver and a hammer. Took less than a second to make the hole.

The area inside the foam gasket is the same pressure now (with the engine running) as the inside (clean side) of the filter and allows the correct reading on the gauge. You can see how the gasket will be crushed with no possibility of failure/leaking.

Pierce

Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #7 – October 26, 2018, 03:41:53 pm

Pierce,
It may be the camera angle, but the picture of the two filters side by side makes it look like the filters are cylindrical rather than conical. Can you confirm the form factor?
Don

Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #8 – October 26, 2018, 03:54:54 pm

Quote from: Don & Tys – October 26, 2018, 03:41:53 pm

Pierce,
It may be the camera angle, but the picture of the two filters side by side makes it look like the filters are cylindrical rather than conical. Can you confirm the form factor?
Don

No, both are (or old one was new) conical. Sorry about the camera angle. About 7 1/2" small end, 10 1/4" big end and 28 inches long metal to metal.

Pierce

Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #9 – October 26, 2018, 05:25:08 pm

I did the same thing awhile back when I discovered that the filter I had ordered did not have a gasket on the small end and no port for the Filterminder. At first I thought it was a defective product, so I researched and Found out about the varieties of very similar filters for different applications. At the time we were leaving for our first long trip and so didn't have time to get a different filter, not to mention that wasting $80 on the wrong filter did not appeal to me. So I performed the same modification... I've now used that small end gasket three times! I wish I could find a source for the gasket alone because I'm not sure if it will survive another removal. The picture below was taken today as I was checking to make sure of the part number I used last time, as I wanted to make sure the flow direction is correct.
Don

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart – October 26, 2018, 03:27:57 pm

OK, my PM mailbox has room now. So, here are three photos of the air cleaner canister cover, one on the outside showing the fitting where the restriction gauge tubing attaches, one on the inside of the cover showing where the round foam gasket seats and one of the new filter with the foam gasket glued down and a random hole punched in with a Phillips screwdriver and a hammer. Took less than a second to make the hole.

The area inside the foam gasket is the same pressure now (with the engine running) as the inside (clean side) of the filter and allows the correct reading on the gauge. You can see how the gasket will be crushed with no possibility of failure/leaking.

Pierce

Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #10 – October 26, 2018, 08:48:18 pm

You could mount a filter minder on the dash, the length and diameter of tubing is irrelevant for a guage as there is little actual flow in the tube, might have a half second delay if you floored it but would still read the same after that half second when flow goes to zero.

Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #11 – October 26, 2018, 09:51:02 pm

Not sure why it would be worth the trouble to run tubing to the dash.

The air filter minder REMEMBERS the highest reading and holds it until you manually release it.

Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #12 – October 26, 2018, 11:26:58 pm

Quote from: wolfe10 – October 26, 2018, 09:51:02 pm

Not sure why it would be worth the trouble to run tubing to the dash.

The air filter minder REMEMBERS the highest reading and holds it until you manually release it.

Not something I will probably not do to my coach, just an idea that some may be interested in.

Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #13 – October 27, 2018, 12:38:22 am

Actually, it's so nifty looking, I thought I would buy a second one and put this on our coffee table. That idea got changed in a hurry.

If you have an engine monitor, the boost should go down if the air cleaner is restricted plus you are likely to see a little more black smoke out the pipe at full throttle.

What happened to the Dodgers tonight? Bummed.

Pierce

Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #14 – October 27, 2018, 08:30:39 pm

Please keep it on topic

Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #15 – October 28, 2018, 03:55:27 pm

My mushroom style intake cap is quite restrictive at the molded plastic bug catcher which leads to local high air velocities, which can carry dust and mists more easily. May open that up with a Dremel and use a wire screen cover.

Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #16 – October 28, 2018, 04:50:51 pm

Giving this a bump, as I am on the verge of buying another air filter... I really like the Donaldson Blue DBA5029, but having to punch a hole (easy pz and no real obstacle) and attach a small end gasket so that the service indicator port reads the vacuum properly (PITA as you first have to remove the small end gasket from the old filter and it won't withstand the removal process indefinitely... the one currently on our coach is from a Donaldson P148043 that is two filters ago). So either I need to find a source for the small end gasket (shouldn't be too hard, but so far no luck online) or as a perhaps more elegant solution, putting the service indicator port downstream so that the stock DBA5029 is useable as it comes. For the later solution, I would look at adding the vacuum port on the canister outlet away from the turbo and plug the port on the lid. I know there are some who use the DBA5029 as is and just do without the Filterminder... I would prefer to keep it and just make a note on my parts list as to the change. Thoughts, part number for a suitable small end gasket, or?
Don

Quote from: Don & Tys – October 26, 2018, 05:25:08 pm

I did the same thing awhile back when I discovered that the filter I had ordered did not have a gasket on the small end and no port for the Filterminder. At first I thought it was a defective product, so I researched and Found out about the varieties of very similar filters for different applications. At the time we were leaving for our first long trip and so didn't have time to get a different filter, not to mention that wasting $80 on the wrong filter did not appeal to me. So I performed the same modification... I've now used that small end gasket three times! I wish I could find a source for the gasket alone because I'm not sure if it will survive another removal. The picture below was taken today as I was checking to make sure of the part number I used last time, as I wanted to make sure the flow direction is correct.
Don

Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #17 – October 28, 2018, 06:12:17 pm

Don,

How about using a 1/2" or 3/8" thick closed cell foam pad like for shop floor and then using a #10 (6-3/16") tin can then cut with an X-acto knife, going around the edge until you have a circle cut out? Smaller can for the inside circle. Check pad out at: Amazon.com : BalanceFrom Puzzle Exercise Mat with EVA Foam Interlocking... . I think HD has them.

Good to check water drain at bottom of the canister to make sure it's still there.

Pierce

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Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #18 – October 28, 2018, 06:26:11 pm

Yup, the duckbill drain is still there and in good shape... Making one is certainly doable and I may resort to that. I think I have an old yoga mat that I could shorten and make a half dozen or so. Still, relocating the vacuum port seems easy enough. For now, I will just make one if I can't salvage the old one. Thanks for the suggestion
Don

Quote from: Pierce & Gaylie Stewart – October 28, 2018, 06:12:17 pm

Don,

How about using a 1/2" or 3/8" thick closed cell foam pad like for shop floor and then using a #10 (6-3/16") tin can then cut with an X-acto knife, going around the edge until you have a circle cut out? Smaller can for the inside circle. Check pad out at: Amazon.com : BalanceFrom Puzzle Exercise Mat with EVA Foam Interlocking... . I think HD has them.

Good to check water drain at bottom of the canister to make sure it's still there.

Pierce

As an Amazon Associate Foretravel Owners' Forum earns from qualifying purchases.

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Air Cleaner Quality

October 26, 2018, 01:36:43 pm

Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #1 – October 26, 2018, 01:51:03 pm

Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #2 – October 26, 2018, 02:10:21 pm

Re: Air Cleaner Quality

Reply #3 – October 26, 2018, 02:14:12 pm

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Reply #4 – October 26, 2018, 02:15:28 pm

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Reply #5 – October 26, 2018, 03:10:58 pm

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Reply #6 – October 26, 2018, 03:27:57 pm

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Reply #7 – October 26, 2018, 03:41:53 pm

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Reply #8 – October 26, 2018, 03:54:54 pm

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Reply #9 – October 26, 2018, 05:25:08 pm

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Reply #10 – October 26, 2018, 08:48:18 pm

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Reply #11 – October 26, 2018, 09:51:02 pm

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Reply #12 – October 26, 2018, 11:26:58 pm

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Reply #13 – October 27, 2018, 12:38:22 am

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Reply #14 – October 27, 2018, 08:30:39 pm

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Reply #15 – October 28, 2018, 03:55:27 pm

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Reply #16 – October 28, 2018, 04:50:51 pm

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Reply #17 – October 28, 2018, 06:12:17 pm

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Reply #18 – October 28, 2018, 06:26:11 pm

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