[Randy]

After removing the air cleaner and washing it Suzuki wants it covered in oil then squeezed so there is no dripping. There are two things I don't like about this ,
1 - getting all that oil off is a mess
2 - motor oil is thick and heavy and seems to block the filter more then ecessary.
The question I am asking is what do you think about spraying the filter with a Pam non stick spray ?
It's still oil just thinner, and a lot easer to clean.
I just tried it today and will clean the filter in 1800 miles (unless most of you convince me I am wrong)

 

[ajwood]

Hey, if PAM works on hash browns, why not a $5,000 road machine!

Tell me next winter, how your intake will pull "air" through the gummy
foam.

I hope I wasn't too convincing.

 

[Kias]

I would, if I were you, take that filter out pronto, clean it good (Extra good now) oil it with motor oil, then squeeze it all out and reinstall it. The reason you don't want to use "Pam" on your filter is that it contains vegetable oil, which could be a mixture of soybean, corn, etc, type oils or just one, or any combination thereof. This is per FDA's regs on what "vegetable oil" is. This stuff is organic in nature, and will actually spoil. However, this in and of itself isn't all that bad, with the exception of it gumming up your filter as previously mentioned, which is just the opposite affect you were looking for. (This will happen in days, not seasons) The other half of the problem here is that PAM contains phosphatidylcholine, which is the major component of a phosphatide fraction. The phosphatidycholine is extracted from egg yolk, or soy beans, and with the price of pam, it's probably soy beans.

(In English)

Phosphatidycholine (More commonly known as Lecithin) is used as an emulsifier, and the FDA gave it a GRAS-status (Generally Regarded As Safe) it can be totally metabolised by human body. (Other types of emulsifiers can't, so the kidney has to do the work)

However, your motorcyle can't metabolise it, or filter it out. This stuff will, in addition to gumming up your air filter more than the oil itself, start to clog your fuel injectors... Never a good thing. ...and a rather expensive repair.

The engine oil may be thicker, but it's not hurting a thing, and the engineer/designers have done all the math to ensure proper air flow through the filter. The oil actually helps filter the air.

 

[ted clement]

Randy, I'm with you...I recently did the squeezing bit on a buddies bike, and didn't like it at all. What I intend to do is use foam filter oil spray that is used on many motorcycles, atv, off road, as well as the famous K & N air filters. You can get it at most any well stocked dealer. It still may need working in so some cheap painters plastic gloves work well, and that oil has some built in "tackyness" that keeps it from dripping.

If anyone wants more info, check out UNI filters, which are a large maker of foam filters, or the K&N site. They also sell the oil.

 

[Russ Schaeffer]

Guys,

Rinse it off and wrap it up in paper towels. Squeeze the whole thing and all the excess oil will be picked up by the towel. Clean as can be. Then oil it up and repeat with clean oil. No mess.

Thanx
Russ

 

[Kias]

Yeah, but Big Macs taste WAY better when you have greasy hands.

 

[philtag6000]

Anyone know the price of a new air filter? (burgman 400)
If they are not too expensive, just put a new one in.

 

[ajwood]

New Foam Filter from Ron Ayers:

13780-14F01 , Filter Comp, Air , $14.55

800-888-3084 eastern time zone.

With each order, $7.00 shipping applies.

---

I ordered a couple of CVT filters too. They wash well in the sink but it sure
is handy having an extra.

11388-15F10 , Filter, Belt COO , $16.79 from my local Suzuki dealer.

 

[Timothy Ma]

PAM oil?? Yes it is vegetable based and I agree you should remove it. I, being a chemist, don't think using vegetable based oils is not too, too bad but just to remind everyone that your synthetic oils are vegetable based as well.

The ester based synthetics are probably from rapeseed or cornoil or whatever source. Remember the days of castrol oil. This was a very effective racing oil because of its stability and lubricating abilities at very high temperatures. But the thing I would worry about would be the stability of type of oil in the PAM product beside having other additives not designed for combustion engine applications.

Eventually I think the oils in PAM would go rancid. Smelly air cleaner anyone. This means as a chemist the formation of organic acids (butytric, proprionic and other small chained fatty acids) that could be harmful to the injectors. These acids can be corrosive to the delicate parts of teh injectors.

Its not too messy cleaning the foam filter. Use a good set of butyl gloves for cleaning and then find yourselve an "oil" applicator (pump) that mists oils just like having a can of PAM. This devices are available in any kitchen supply store. The only problem I can see is it may not be able to mist 10-40W oil. I hope this helps.

 

[Randy]

Well I have been voted down, I will switch to a spray made for foam filters.
That does not mean I agree it just means,
why ask if your not going to listen to the answer
There is one point I would like cleared up , why does everyone think the Pam will be ingested onto the engine there is not enough air velocity to suck the Pam through the filter and if you break it down to it's smallest parts there still bigger then fine dust which the filter traps any way .

 

[Timothy Ma]

Randy,

Good question. Would the PAM oil mist from the foam filter into the engine? I think there maybe a very, very small amount that may mist into the engine but then again with all the gasoline flowing through the injectors I won't think this to be a problem. PAM oil (vergetable based) would be dissolved by the gasoline based upon the simple principle that "like dissolves like" and minimize any of the percieved harmful effects. If this were a reasonable tactic (i.e. using a spray type vegetable based oil for our foam filters) I think it would have been adopted. Its easy, clean and totally environmentally friendly because its renewable. What a marvellous idea eh!

But that got me thinking, maybe you can buy one of those manual type kitchen oil sprayers. They are pressurized with their very own little pump and can spray a light oil on a foam filter. I re-did my foam filter with some K&N foam filter oil and it appears to be no more viscose than a 5W oil. In fact, I thought it was kerosene? Maybe someone should try it.