Is there a way to re-new an air filter? I have a Stihl 026. The filter body and choke flapper are usually fine by the time the flocking is dirty and clogged. It just seems like such a waste to throw the whole unit away because the element is dirty or split. I clean them up but after time, the flocking tears a bit. Sorry if this question has been covered before but I couldn't find anything in searching. Thanks!
Air Filter Rehabilitation?
- Thread starter buddie
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promac850
formerly promac610
hot glue a piece of pantyhose onto the filter frame. Leave the flocking that is still on the filter.
once the glue dries, cut the excess off.
Don't stretch the stuff, it will let more fine dust and crap through.
This is one of the more common cheapo but good fixes. I will be doing this for any filters that I have when I wear them out.
once the glue dries, cut the excess off.
Don't stretch the stuff, it will let more fine dust and crap through.
This is one of the more common cheapo but good fixes. I will be doing this for any filters that I have when I wear them out.
I wash flocked filters in hot water with dish soap, Simple Green or Purple Power. Let 'em dry and put 'em back on. They will get oiled by the saw dust/chips.
Foam filters on the other hand usually fall apart when they get old.
Foam filters on the other hand usually fall apart when they get old.
Split the filter body and cut a foam push mower filter to fit inside. Make sure to oil the foam and it will last you for a long time, a new foam filter cost $4-$5 at Lowes.
GASoline71
Mr. Nice Guy
Or just pony up the cash and buy a new filter. It may "seem" like it's a waste to throw away a "frame"... but you'll be ahead in the long run instead of making an old crappy one "work".
Gary
Gary
Thanks for the great answers, I am not adverse to buying a new filter but it's like throwing away $14.50 worth of a $15.00 unit. A replaceable element would be a good idea but I guess there's no money in it for the product manufacturer.
promac850
formerly promac610
I know what you mean there... small little tiny spots where the flocking is worn away, but about 70-90% remains, just need to filter air in those worn areas. That's where the cheap pantyhose fix comes in. Once the filter is excessively worn out (10% or so) I'd chuck it, even if it had the pantyhose trick applied when it was in good shape.
Yep. You'll also spare yourself the aggravation of trying to figure out why the saw won't rev right or turn the designed RPM's after you "fix" an old filter.
There was even a recent thread about the performance hit on an 026 rebuild from just using an aftermarket knock-off filter instead of OEM.
Shoving a bunch of foam into an 026 filter carcass may get the saw running filtered, but not correctly by any means. Another major problem with that solution is the fact that the choke is inside the filter housing.
Good luck with it.
Poge
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What search elements would you suggest for a link to that thread?
I didn't expect to get so many responses to this question and I appreciate the varying answers. I really like the sound of minds at work. Thanks to you all!
gmax
Addicted to ArboristSite
I tried that a while back on one of my old saws but it wouldn't run very well, the air flow was restricted too much, I might try the pantyhose idea.
I try to buy new filters but for 40 years old saws there's not many around.
I also bought one saw that had a piece of jogging pants material around the filter, I never ran it that way but I may have worked fine.
I just fixed an olympyk 950F filter (wire screen) with hot melt glue. There were a few spots where the filter screen had holes in it, and the glue gun plugged them up very well. Not fancy or OE, but in my opinion will function just fine. It is a heck of a lot better than it was, I don't know how it even ran with as much saw dust that was on it!
isuzurover
ArboristSite Member
Actually it is the other way around. The filter media is the $$$ part, the housing costs about 5c to manufacture.
If you really want to you could try and get hold of some filter media from a manufacturer like Hollingsworth and Vose, and replace the material. You could even up-spec the material quite a lot.
However you guys in the states seem to get away with mesh screens. They basically stop the rocks and wood chips that is it.
Thanks for all of the great ideas, I'll play around with them. Hey isuzurover, I've got a good friend in WA - Freemantle, from what he says, all an Ozzie needs to do is dangle a few corks from anything and it will keep the mozzies, flies and probably even sawdust away.
G'day!
G'day!
