Expensive NH Air Filters: Better Solution?

Osconda · Oct 13, 2005

There are no air filters available for my tractor other than buying the NH filters that are rather expensive. My tractor has a dual filter setup (innner and outer). The inner filter is about $37 & the outer $35. The outer one gets the dirtiest and is hard to "blow out" to keep clean, therefore I find myself changing it out more often than I'd like.

I see huge automotive air filters at Walmart for $5 that I feel I could take advantage of. I don't know what the negative affects of adding one of these would be, or in just having one of these take the place of the outer filter.

Thing is, these filters don't fit my tractor. So, I'm considering building something of a prefilter box that would house the cheap filter. I'm thinking 3/4" perforated plywood box with a PVC outlet port. Outlet port would connect with flexible hose to my tractor's existing air cleaner canister. This isn't much detail on the design, but on paper it appears as it would work.

Would this extra filter placed ahead of the other two filters, restrict my air flow too much? If so, what if I just didn't use the NH outer filter and let the larger, cheaper filter handle the primary filtering?

Three intake filters might raise fuel consumption, but I don't think it would come close to the $30 in the outer filter savings.

When I'm doing a lot of loader work, I see a lot of dust around the front of the tractor, which unfortunately is also where the air is getting sucked in at. The filter catches alot of dirt in only 10hrs.

Better Ideas?

strokerduster · Oct 13, 2005

what about adapting an old style oil bath as a prefilter. no more room required and no filter replacement cost.

hobbyfarm · Oct 13, 2005

Have you thought about customizing a blow gun to better blow out the filter.
We used to take a 90degree grease fitting use a punch to knock out the check valve and fit it to a blow gun extension. That can get into pretty tight spots.

Just an idea.

Soundguy · Oct 13, 2005

I'm kinda in your boat. My 7610s takes an outter an inner filter. fortunately, NAPA crosses the ouuter filter on mine... unfortunately.. it is still 2/3 the price of the NH. The inner filter is NH only. I find that if i keep my particle seperator clean.. the filter stays pretty clean. Is your air intake up high.. perhaps it is just a situation where you need to raise your air intake up on a stack. then put a particle sep cap on it if it does not have one. I must say.. the 6'+ 'tall' thru the top of the hood air intake on my 7610s keeps the air filter MUCH cleaner than the chest level 'low' intake that was under the hood on my 1920.

I'd be warry of adding more intake blockage than designed. Breathing is super important with a diesel. If it is turbocharged, it might not suffer much / any.. but naturally aspirated may, with extra filters. Only thing i might add, is that perhaps there is a 'sock' you could add to help a bit with the outter filter... that orr extend the pickup 'taller'.

I know it's a downer buying a couple fitlers a year.. but I'd hate to see the rebuild bill on that huge diesel power plant that we have under our hoods if something was modified incorrectly..

good luck

Soundguy

Osconda · Oct 13, 2005

Great advice Sound Guy. I wish it was ONLY a couple filters a year. I'd hate to cut a hole in the hood to add a stack but I might be able to at least redirect the intake to a less dirty position. BTW, the TC55 is turbo charged and the filter is around chest level.

Started looking into an oil bath air cleaner and it seems like its important to have the correct weight oil in the bath. Can't seem to find any kind of OEM oil bath filters out there. Still looking though.

strokerduster · Oct 13, 2005

K&N makes filter socks that go over as a prefilter in dusty conditions.

djradz · Oct 13, 2005

I'm pretty sure your suggestion would work, but it sounds as if you'll be replacing the cheap filters pretty regularly also. If you go this route, I think I'd continue to use both the NH filters, just to be safe. As long as they are relatively clean, I don't think you'll have to worry about any flow restriction.

On a related subject, I've been washing my filters for years. As long as you are gentle, use lot's of strong soapy water, and rinse clean, oh and did I say be GENTLE, you should be fine. Whatever you do, don't use air when wet.

What I usually do is, get a bucket, fill it with a couple of gallons of hot, hot water, and anywhere from 8 to 16 ozs of liquid laundry detergent (in other words - lots, it's cheap) and put the filter in and let it soak for several hours or even overnight. Following this, I swish the filter around in the water, or pour the water into a sink and add a little more hot water and then swish the filter around in the sink. Then rinse and rinse, but be careful, as I said earlier, to be gentle. On my old Ford 1720, I had two paper-type filters that I used for almost 8 years. I do the same thing with my Craftsman Shop Vac filters. Bought one spare years and years ago and now just keep swapping them out and cleaning the one I pull out and then putting back on the shelf for the next time. Personally, I think the filters on the boomers are even more washable and less susceptable to damage in the process. I have one spare of each and have washed the outer one several times, but the inner only once.

If you're in a really dirty environment, I think I might consider a sock also, that is assuming you don't go the route of your filter box. Lastly, I think you can still find an oil-filled/filter bath type of setup, but now you've got this messy item which requires routine cleaning, draining, etc, and sometimes leaks.

Charlie_in_TX · Oct 13, 2005

A couple of thoughts come to mind.
1st something like panty hose over the filter sprayed with oil. A pre filter for a pre filter. If you go to your local Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki (any motorbike dealer with off-road bikes) dealer they should have a 'foam filter oil'. It is like a mixture of oil and contact cement.

2nd is along your idea. Go to the local junk yard and get a filter box out of a car/truck. That way you have a good airtight box to start with. Make sure you record the doner information (make, model and year) so you can get more filters. Your turbo should make this approach work well.

Boomerang1 · Oct 13, 2005

( The inner filter is about $37 & the outer $35. ) The inner filter does not not need replacing until 1,000 hrs. How many hrs. do have on you tractor? It will cost 3.7 cents per hr. for the factory filter. 300 hrs. per year is only 92.5 cents per month. I only use use factory filters and lube in my tractor, no matter the costs. In my opinion, if a person can afford to buy a tractor, they should be able to afford the proper maintenance.

Soundguy · Oct 14, 2005

( Can't seem to find any kind of OEM oil bath filters out
there. Still looking though. )

Used / new oil bath canisters like use dont he 8n and NAA ford tractors are 55-85 $

All it would take is some hose to redirect over to it...

Soundguy