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Servicing And Oil Bath Air Cleaner

Discussion in 'Early CJ5 and CJ6 Tech' started by kenb, May 23, 2019.

  1. kenb

    kenb Cleverly disguised as a responsible adult

    Hello,
    I'm servicing a Donaldson air cleaner for a F134. I have washed the entire unit in solvent. The unit I understand gets filled with engine oil. However, I have also seen some references to coating the wire mesh material with oil to help trap debris that get past the oil bath. What sort of oil I used for this and how is it applied?
    Thanks,
    Ken
    PS I see there is a typo in the title of this thread. Somehow using the mobile site for this forum will "correct" my thread titles after I hit post.
     
    kenb, May 23, 2019
    #1
  2. PeteL

    PeteL If it wasn't for physics, and law enforcement... 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    I think the mesh gets oiled by the passage of intake air through the oil in the bottom cup.
     
    PeteL, May 23, 2019
    #2
  3. Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    That's my feeling also, I haven't oiled mine. For the original question, yes engine oil is used in the cup.
     
    Glenn, May 23, 2019
    #3
  4. mickeykelley

    mickeykelley Well-Known Member

    And all this time I've been using new oil. :D
     
    mickeykelley, May 23, 2019
    #4
    Twin2 likes this.
  5. Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    :beer:
     
    Glenn, May 23, 2019
    #5
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  6. timgr

    timgr We stand on the shoulders of giants. 2022 Sponsor

    Actually, it was (is?) common to use a bit of the old engine oil for the air cleaner at oil change time. Most of the black stuff in old engine oil is carbon particles washed down from the cylinders at startup, when the mixture is rich. Should still be ok for use in the air cleaner. Even worn out, dirty oil should be fine, as long as you clean out whatever dirt goes along with the old air cleaner oil.

    When you wash the element, there's still an oily film on the mesh, so it's going to continue to pick up particles without specifically being oiled... I'd think. Isn't the oil supposed to wick up into the mesh and circulate back to the bottom cup, carrying the trapped dirt into the reservoir.
     
    timgr, May 23, 2019
    #6
  7. PeteL

    PeteL If it wasn't for physics, and law enforcement... 2024 Sponsor 2023 Sponsor 2022 Sponsor

    That is my belief.

    It is true however that there are different types of oil bath cleaners, as to how they are designed to function internally.
     
    PeteL, May 23, 2019
    #7
  8. Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    At work I learned how an oil separator in a refrigeration system works. The refrigerant flows through the separator and makes an abrupt 180 degree turn. Oil is flung off because it's heavier while the refrigerant flows on through and back into the system, and the oil remains in the oiling system. As I understand it the same thing happens with any particles in the incoming air.....they are flung off into the oil reservoir in the oil bath system because of the abrupt turn.
     
    Glenn, May 23, 2019
    #8
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  9. Chilly

    Chilly Active Member

    A fancy fellow might use K&N oil, but I'm agreeing that oil wicking will keep it oiled.
     
    Chilly, May 23, 2019
    #9
  10. Glenn

    Glenn Kinda grumpy old man Staff Member

    It would be an interesting experiment to add the K&N spray to a clean mesh and observe the results.
     
    Glenn, May 23, 2019
    #10
  11. Magiccoolbus

    Magiccoolbus New Member

    Inertial air separation. This is why oil bath are superior to paper filters. Same principle in helicopter engines and many turboprop airplanes. Air must make a 180 bend and dirt cant negotiate that obstacle!
    The air will agitate the oil in the pan of the Donaldson and mist or foam some oil into the filter media. I do use the K&N oil charge to 'prime' my oil baths. I have three vehicles that use them, my 57 willys, by 62 beetle and my 57 Chevy P/U.
     
    Magiccoolbus, May 24, 2019
    #11
    Bowbender and Glenn like this.