SA424 Air filter housing rubbing

MACflyer · May 29, 2025

My 424 is 4 years old with 600 hours on it. I recently noticed the air filter housing assembly is just loose enough that it has worn a fairly large gash in the top of the radiator. I’m surprised that the plastic housing is the winner in a plastic rubbing on metal situation. I stuffed a bit of rag under the backside of the housing to create a makeshift shim for the day, but I’ll need to devise a more permanent solution when I get back from work. Has anyone else encountered this issue?

aba4430 · May 29, 2025

Would you be able to post some pictures of your set-up. I have a SA425 and believe the filter set-up is similar to that in a SA424. Pictures may help point out issues readily and make it easy for folks to provide feedback.

MACflyer · May 30, 2025

aba4430 said:
Would you be able to post some pictures of your set-up. I have a SA425 and believe the filter set-up is similar to that in a SA424. Pictures may help point out issues readily and make it easy for folks to provide feedback.

I'm not home so I didn't think about a picture. Enlisted my wife to get one, you can see it's worn most below the circular part of the air cleaner where it has a sharp edge. There's additional wear below that, where the bulk of the filter housing sits although it's not as severe.

aba4430 · May 31, 2025

I will post some pictures of my set-up later today. I do inspect the air filter periodically and have not noted any atypical issues with securement of the assembly. More later.

aba4430 · Jun 2, 2025

After I finished mowing today, I took some pictures of the air filter setup on my SA425. It looks similar to your setup and I am sure eventually it will start gouging a crease into the radiator top. There is minimal gap (~1 mm) between the housing and radiator. What I am going to do is get a thin enough flat foam strip and stick it to the radiator top. This will act as a barrier and cushion, and hopefully I can avoid damage. You may wish to look into something similar.

Thanks for pointing this out. It helps owners in general. I have attached a couple of pictures.