Cleaning oil Bath air filter

What is the best way to clean out the inside of the oil bath air filter after you remove the lower pan and oil. Does the unit come a part any more?

 

Pretty much the same answer for a :v6:
(except for the firewall part)

 

In ridiculous detail (just in case it's helpful) ...

Go to the home center and buy a gallon can of paint thinner and a plastic dishpan. Kerosene is ok too, but stinks more. Don't use gasoline.
http://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-29...=UTF8&qid=1443622345&sr=8-2&keywords=dish+pan

(You won't need the whole gallon, but the gallon can is a lot cheaper than a quart by volume. Keep the thinner around for other projects.)

If you want to get fancy, buy a parts cleaning brush. Otherwise use whatever brush or other cleaning tools are available.
http://www.amazon.com/Lisle-14000-Parts-Cleaning-Brush/dp/B0009OMYDS

Remove the air cleaner and dump the old oil into your waste oil container, then wipe it out with a rag. Put some solvent in the pan and wash the whole thing. Set the air cleaner out in the sun to dry, put the dirty solvent in with your waste oil for recycling, and otherwise clean up. Put the air cleaner back, add oil, and you're done.

 

I would buy a quart of 20W50 and use the same oil in all weathers!

My point is you don't need to seek out 20W or 50W single grade oil for the air cleaner. Just buy an extra quart of multivis and use that when you change your oil. The old timers would put some of the old motor oil in the air cleaner ... although IMO that does not qualify as "clean" it's probably clean enough when all it has to do is wet the mesh.

 

Reviving an old thread because I need help and am still confused.

When I first tried to clean my oil bath, I accidentally stripped all the paint off. I guess I was confused as to what kind of "Solvent" to use to clean it. Due to the fact that the air cleaner doesn't have a removable mesh element, the whole unit has to be submerged in said solvent. I've tried differnent solvents on some test parts and they all seems to have an adverse effect on painted surfaces.

I just did the painstaking process of repainting the whole oil bath with 2 coats of POR-15 and 3 coats of Duplicolor wheel paint (for UV protection) and am ready to put it back on the vehicle but the question still lingers.... when it's time to clean again, What solvent should I be using that will actually clean the mesh but won't take off my paint job?!?!?!?

 

Water and detergent?

My philosophy is to not sweat it.

It was oily and dirty before, and it will be oily and dirty afterwards. I believe the stationary part is actually intended to be self cleaning, in that it is wetted from the reservoir/cup, and drains back to the cup, where the sediment settles out, after every drive.

 

Awesome! This is exactly what I was hoping to hear.
I imagine that there was 60 years of goop inside my filter last time and it was still functioning fine when I got it. Just dirty.
There were, however, about 1000 little seeds in there that I’m glad I was able to shake/vacuum/Blow/clean out. Who knows how long they’d been in there.

Not counting a critter getting in there and making a nest again… I hope changing the oil cup will be enough for “routine maintenance”.

Hopefully it will last another 60 years before I need to do anything drastic!

 

Wouldn't hurt to get a second opinion...

Also, be sure to secure the cup firmly. People have been known to lose them on the trail.

 

I always used kerosene or fuel oil. I think its in the manual somewhere. I never had a problem with it stipping paint and it works. Still lots of scrubbing. If its never been cleaned its a messy tedious job. Between scrubbings wash it with soap and water. Make sure you clean out the vent holes in the back and inside where they go through and down to the pan thats where the air comes in. Iv cleaned many of them I used to get them from the junk yards all the time to resell.

 

I had the parts "hot tanked" or "boiled out" at an auto machine shop. Clean as a whistle.