Engine Air Intake

I have been fighting to keep the dust out of the air intake system forever. A couple of years ago I bought a snow filter for a snowmobile and installed it behind the seat, all it did was stop larger debris. I see a lot of the newer UTVs using Particle Seperators, a bit pricy. So I had to come up withing something else.
I bought a K&N-1003RD-L washable air filter, and covered it with a pre filter wrap. Took a brief test run for breathability. It hit 45 MPH very quickly so until I take a trail ride in a couple of weeks I am cautiously declaring it a success. Here are a couple of pictures"
K&N-1003RD-L Air Filter

K&N-1003RD-L with Pre-filter wrap

K&N-1003RD-L seat clearane

 

My machine already has two filters, one is right at air intake and another inside the airbox in front of intake manifold. The outer collects most of the crud, the inner rarely gets dirty. All mfgrs should consider having dual air filters, with all the dirt and dust we put them in.

 

My Ranger came with just a 'Frogskin" screen on the OEM intake on the side of the machine which did next to nothing to stop dust from getting in to the engine air filter. Now I have the K&N-1003RD-L with a pre-filter wrap on it. On top of that the OEM location of the CVT air intake was on the opposite side midway up the frame right in the dust path from the front tire with no, none, nothing to filter dust or debris from entering the intake other than another piece of Frogskin. I disconnected the CVT intake from the frame location and put another piece of the course filter in the 2 inch opening to filter out debris. Both changes helped some but not enough in my mind.

This week I replaced the snow mobile box and filter with a K&N washable filter with the filter wrap. I needed to do something with the CVT intake so it was shortened to be right at the rubber flange that ducts the air to the clutch box. I put on a 2.5 inch pvc pipe with a goose neck and the Outerwear bag from the other filter for now. Both should receive less dust intake and the whole machine should run better.

 

Southern Arizona has been too wet to get a real dusty ride yet this year but I checked the primary engine air filter I put I at the last oil change about 4 or 5 rides on it now. The filter looked just like the day I put in in. I checked my K&N pre filter and it shows some dirt on the outer veins but nowhere near dirty enough to require washing. I think my change / modification has helped. Also the driver seat is much cooler since I relocated the clutch air intake too. All in all I think those mods were worth the effort and money.

 

Here are pictures of my filters after four ride one of which was pretty dusty. The small smudge on the OEM filter was from my gloves. I think my idea has worked. I washed out the K&N for the first time today and it was pretty dirty.

 

April 2, 2020, we had another good ride abut 40 miles with lots of dust. I pulled the primary filter when we got back and it was as good on April 3, 2020 as it was three weeks ago. My K&N prefilter idea is working as I had theorized and wanted. No debris or small bits of trash and very, very little dust.

 

Three of us went for a ride on Wednesday and it was indeed dusty. Today when I finally got to clean the Ranger I pulled the engine pre-fliter I installed in November. The screen cover had a little dirt on it, washed out very easily. The K&N filter was NASTY (see picture 1 & 2). Picture 3 is some of the debris that I knocked out onto the floorboard. And finally picture 4 is the OEM filter that has been in the buggy since November.

 

Seven Razor, Can Am, and one Ranger made a 30 mile night ride last night. Needless to say since we haven't had any rain is 6 months it was DUSTY. I road drag on purpose. Today I gave the Ranger a good blow off and pulled the primary air filter still as clean as it was the last time. My K&N pre-filter system is working like a champ and it wasn't even caked up today.