Echo air filter lets dirt in; improving air filters

[ericm979]

I got a new Echo CS-352 the other day for brush and limbing. Ran a tank through it cutting brush and taking some small stumps down to the ground so I can mow over them. While removing the carb to remove the limiters I found dust inside the filter and carb inlet. The filter is a large felt type. The joint between the filter and carb appears to be tight. It looks like the dust went through the filter material.

The work I was doing was dirtier than normal (and I should have used my old 025). But if it continues to be a problem is there a better filter available? How about oiling it? Or making prefilters of some sort?

 

[romad10]

Its a flocked filter?

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[Big_Wood]

alot of guys like the grease the filter holder to help seal it. other then that you will need to figure a pre filter or something. or just don't worry about it like everyone else lol

 

[scottr]

I got a new Echo CS-352 the other day for brush and limbing. Ran a tank through it cutting brush and taking some small stumps down to the ground so I can mow over them. While removing the carb to remove the limiters I found dust inside the filter and carb inlet. The filter is a large felt type. The joint between the filter and carb appears to be tight. It looks like the dust went through the filter material.

The work I was doing was dirtier than normal (and I should have used my old 025). But if it continues to be a problem is there a better filter available? How about oiling it? Or making prefilters of some sort?

eric , you could close the holes with finger nail polish or Seal-All . For a fine prefilter search thread started by member moddoo and subject prefilter .

 

[romad10]

Where would someone that comes to the AS get fingernail polish? I remember my parents using it on window screens as a kid.. Keep the Minnesooota state bird out of the house.. The mosquito.

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[scottr]

Where would someone that comes to the AS get fingernail polish? I remember my parents using it on window screens as a kid.. Keep the Minnesooota stste bird out of the house.. The mosquito.

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Wife, girl friend, neighbor . Maybe a tad of JB Weld .

 

[romad10]

[emoji106]

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[ericm979]

There's no visible holes in the filter. The saw is brand new, this was its first tank of gas. The filter is a felt type material, same as in my 025. I think that the filter material just doesn't filter fine dust. Also it may be that the Echo's fan design allows more dirt to come in to the intake.

I'll check for that prefilter thread, thanks.

 

[romad10]

If you had a 40/80 micron screen filter on it i could understand this But a flocked filter, this is a bit strange. Nothing should be getting in.

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[ericm979]

I'm not sure but I think it's a flocked filter. It's a very thin fibrous material like felt. It's not paper or oiled foam or thicker pleated K&N type fabric like on my Stihl MS-362.
It's noticeably thinner material than the similar filter on my 025.

 

[romad10]

Do they offer other filters for that saw? I have a friend here that has a 181se that had the "winter" 40/80 micron filter on it and was sucking alot of very fine trash in the carb. I gave him a flocked and told him to try it.. Keep the screen one for wintertine when ice builds uo on the flocked filter.

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[romad10]

Looks like oem only has one filter. PN: A226001420 and it looks like a thin flocked type on eripyouoffparts.com .. Looks like if its getting through that you are stuck with it. Unless its coming in a seam or something.

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[ericm979]

Now that I think about it the prefilter probably won't help much- they're for filtering out larger material. It's fine dust that's the problem. If it continues to be a problem I may buy some thin oilable foam air filter material and make an outer filter.

Another thing to think about would be to seal the engine side of the air box (and in case you're wondering the plug is not in the winter position). It looks like the airbox top does not seal against the case very well. It's just plastic edges that butt together, sort of, and there's a slot for the kill switch wire that's larger than it needs to be. I looked at it for a while and I'm not sure where the air to the airbox is supposed to be coming from.

 

[1Alpha1]

IMO......that's one of the "weak links" in a lot of saws, regardless of brand / model.

Ineffective air filters.

 

[scottr]

Now that I think about it the prefilter probably won't help much- they're for filtering out larger material. It's fine dust that's the problem. If it continues to be a problem I may buy some thin oilable foam air filter material and make an outer filter.

Another thing to think about would be to seal the engine side of the air box (and in case you're wondering the plug is not in the winter position). It looks like the airbox top does not seal against the case very well. It's just plastic edges that butt together, sort of, and there's a slot for the kill switch wire that's larger than it needs to be. I looked at it for a while and I'm not sure where the air to the airbox is supposed to be coming from.

I've said it before and I'll say it again in the chainsaw forum there is a thread about prefilter material started by member moddoo. It is very fine mesh nylon that is a excellant filter material .

 

[7sleeper]

alot of guys like the grease the filter holder to help seal it. other then that you will need to figure a pre filter or something. or just don't worry about it like everyone else lol

Best comment sofar.

Just to bring things back into perspective, these are chainsaws guys not any ultra hybridturbochargedmegacylinderhighspeed megamachine. They are designed to stand up to this.

7

 

[Big_Wood]

Best comment sofar.

Just to bring things back into perspective, these are chainsaws guys not any ultra hybridturbochargedmegacylinderhighspeed megamachine. They are designed to stand up to this.

7

if the original design lets some small stuff through like that i don't worry about it. if it's excessive i'll look into it and correct what i have to but other then that the original design is good enough. once a guy goes in saws he realizes really what it is. take a 660 for example, huge chunks of **** end up down the intake of a 660 throughout it's life, to the point where it will sometimes collect in the bottom end. even after 600 hours most all 660 pistons will still have machine marks even with a bottom end with oily chips floating around in there. now take the 390, really nice air filter but i swear you can idle the thing for 20 minutes brand new without cutting wood and the intake skirt will already show signs of the machine marks rubbing off on the lower part of intake skirt. cut wood for 200hrs and a 390 piston has nearly no machine marks left. any saw will survive just fine with it's original air filter. that said, any saw carelessly ran without an air filter or a damaged filter could suffer from premature intake skirt wear like we've seen countless times on these forums.