Source
r/DIY•
Marc013

Help! - small motor air intake mist protection.

help

I set up a honda motor on the back of a water truck to pump the water out into sprayers on the back. (gx390) Despite being under cover, the air filter has its own rain cover as well, the mist caused by the sprayers is being sucked into the filter.

Current solution is to wash filter out with petrol and oil up the outer filter with 2stroke fuel every day. The filter then dries out for the day and we run the alternate filter. Works well. Except that noone who drives the truck ever actually does this.
They have been told and told, but the driver changes constantly, and they all "just grab the truck to use it for 5 minutes".
Sick of having problems with it.

How can I idiot proof this air intake filter?

Posted Dec 8, 2016, 10:45 PM UTC

28
jojowasher•

Something like this might help, you will probably have to cut it to fit:

Filter wrap

3
maroonmonday•

Could you find a way to run a tube for the air intake higher on the truck outside of the mist zone?

2
Marc013OP•

This is seeming to be the likely scenario if I can't come up with anything else, I am starting to understand why a lot of trucks mount the pump in front of the tank now. (no room unfortunately on this one)
I'd be looking at approximately 7 metre run to get the filter out front of the tank, as long as the wind blows the right way this would definitely improve the situation.

2
sglville•

They make filter covers for ATV and dirt bikes, maybe that would help.

2
Marc013OP•

I'll check it out, thanks!

1
lickin_skidmarks•

Look at the air intake snorkel used on small trucks like Isuzu and similar. They are usually 3 or 4 feet long and have little cyclonic separator paths built into them. You might pick one up from a motor wreckers. Alternatively build a remote pickup pipe for the intake air out of cheap PVC storm-water pipe.

1
threejayg•

Little water in the intake will not hurt anything. It will increase efficiency of the motor and keep the combustion chamber clean. Been used on various applications for many years

1
Marc013OP•

You have to factor in operator stupidity on this job. Little water has translated to "we had to take the filter out because it wouldn't run with it in" . So, yeah it's getting a new motor.

Spotted the perfect sized filter assembly on a wacker dpu, not cheap but cheaper than new motors. Going to mount it up front of the tank and run a hose back to the motor.

The old motor will get a rebuild ready for when they inevitably destroy the new one.

1