Read some threads on Air Filters here and I remembered a thread I put on xs650 Garage. I thought I'd post it here.
If anyone has ever gotten one of these 30+ year old bikes with the original air filters, you'll find them to be more fragile than the dead sea scrolls.
You just touch them and they will begin to disintegrate.
Originally I was inspired by Pamco Pete's $6.50 air filters http://xs650temp.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Fuel&action=display&thread=7303. After seeing the Briggs and Stratton Air Filter, I also figured I'd have to buy the sheet metal and RTV, so the price jumped a few bucks. So, I thought, wouldn't it be neat if I could just replace the foam. So wondering through the hardware store, I found this foam used for keeping dust out of your furnace, $1.99 a foot. So I bought some to try it out.
Obviously the last customer just ripped it off, I had the clerk cut me off a foot and he gave me a little extra because of the uneven edge.
Later I found you can buy actual air filter foam, but that's something you either have to order online or go to a specialized automotive/motorcycle store for.
So when I got home, I decided to test it. First Heat, I ripped off a piece and hit it with a heat gun. After a couple of minutes it began to melt. Then I hit my old filter and it immediately began to smoke. Well, not perfect, but that was a lot of heat and the old stuff fared really bad. Next, gasoline. I dipped the foam in gas and let it sit for about 20 minutes. And it was like nothing happened to it, so it stands up to Gas.
So, next I clean off the old foam with a wire brush and washed up the old filter.
Next I cut out a strip to go around the old filter.
Then glued the ends together with a craft hot glue gun.
Did the other filter and mounted them like the originals.
Works like a charm and I have enough foam left over to do 2 or 3 more sets of filters.
Later, after a few thread comments, I decided to do another layer of foam and spray it with some K&N Filter oil I had.
After two riding seasons they are holding up and working great!
If anyone has ever gotten one of these 30+ year old bikes with the original air filters, you'll find them to be more fragile than the dead sea scrolls.
You just touch them and they will begin to disintegrate.
Originally I was inspired by Pamco Pete's $6.50 air filters http://xs650temp.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=Fuel&action=display&thread=7303. After seeing the Briggs and Stratton Air Filter, I also figured I'd have to buy the sheet metal and RTV, so the price jumped a few bucks. So, I thought, wouldn't it be neat if I could just replace the foam. So wondering through the hardware store, I found this foam used for keeping dust out of your furnace, $1.99 a foot. So I bought some to try it out.
Obviously the last customer just ripped it off, I had the clerk cut me off a foot and he gave me a little extra because of the uneven edge.
Later I found you can buy actual air filter foam, but that's something you either have to order online or go to a specialized automotive/motorcycle store for.
So when I got home, I decided to test it. First Heat, I ripped off a piece and hit it with a heat gun. After a couple of minutes it began to melt. Then I hit my old filter and it immediately began to smoke. Well, not perfect, but that was a lot of heat and the old stuff fared really bad. Next, gasoline. I dipped the foam in gas and let it sit for about 20 minutes. And it was like nothing happened to it, so it stands up to Gas.
So, next I clean off the old foam with a wire brush and washed up the old filter.
Next I cut out a strip to go around the old filter.
Then glued the ends together with a craft hot glue gun.
Did the other filter and mounted them like the originals.
Works like a charm and I have enough foam left over to do 2 or 3 more sets of filters.
Later, after a few thread comments, I decided to do another layer of foam and spray it with some K&N Filter oil I had.
After two riding seasons they are holding up and working great!
