Air filter replacement R1150GS

[Sleepy]

It does make you ponder how much money is wasted replacing a good air filter with a new one? I've yet to replace an air filter and notice any difference in mpg, which would be the indicator of a clogged filter. Never had one with physical damage either.

I've often thought this myself... unless your commute sends you across the Sahara.. and it's sand storms..

 

[Steptoe]

It does make you ponder how much money is wasted replacing a good air filter with a new one? I've yet to replace an air filter and notice any difference in mpg, which would be the indicator of a clogged filter. Never had one with physical damage either.

Most GS air filters have plenty of life in them at 12k miles, when they're scheduled for a change.
I've seen plenty of standard airfilters with way more than 50k miles that are still ok. So £5 for 50K miles of use is good value compared to a K&N

The old round airhead filters needed changing because they used to get clogged up with oil from the breather system. They changed to the flat filter in 1981 and you could use those for years.

 

[davegs]

... because it's running! it's now done 55,000 mlies... doesn't use much oil... goes like a train... doesn't make any noises.. etc etc. etc..

Oh yeah.. I strip it down every lunch time to make sure..

Mine with paper filter has done 87,000 no probs and it has done things most havant 1.

 

[alanbmwgs]

K & N Filter

I've got an almost new K&N Filter Should anyone wish to purchase it for £20 including postage it's your, probably done less than 5k in my 1150gs.

 

[PhaedrusMC]

My K&N has been fine and it's saved me throwing away several paper filters and the only crap in the airbox I have found is that from the engine breather hose passing a bit of oil and the water let in by the stupid air intake when fording.

I reckon they're worth the money if you do the mileage.

Look at me dragging up an old thread!

Glad it's not just me with the water ingress when fording. I freely admit I was a bit over-zealous, but if the air intake was of a better design I might not have taken water into my engine on Saturday morning...

I did an oil change (just oil - I retained the oil & air filters as I had no spares with me) within 3km of finishing playing in the ford, and again within 100km. New oil ordered along with new oil & air filter - gonna change again in the next 100km.

1. Any tips or tricks to safely minimise water getting in the air intake when fording in the future?

2. The air filter that was in there when I got water in (barely wet/dirty - dried out, cleaned and re-used, but I want to replace it anyway) is a HiFloFiltro paper jobbie, which I'd be happy to fit again - any alternative brand of paper filter out there that's a significant "improvement"?


TIA.

 

[davegs]

When two of us completed a return run up the Dalton Highway in Alaska very dusty run, took the air filters (paper) out and found a good 6mm of dust covering them. A good knock on a fence post and low and behold as good as new and nothing had got through,a lot harsher use than multiple trips to Tescos.
So listen to Steppers as he knows what he's talking about.

 

[PhaedrusMC]

When two of us completed a return run up the Dalton Highway in Alaska very dusty run, took the air filters (paper) out and found a good 6mm of dust covering them. A good knock on a fence post and low and behold as good as new and nothing had got through,a lot harsher use than multiple trips to Tescos.
So listen to Steppers as he knows what he's talking about.

2. The air filter that was in there when I got water in (barely wet/dirty - dried out, cleaned and re-used, but I want to replace it anyway) is a HiFloFiltro paper jobbie, which I'd be happy to fit again - any alternative brand of paper filter out there that's a significant "improvement"?

Already sold on paper davegs - see above. What I'm asking is what brands of paper filters are out there? Are they all equal? Are any "better" than others? I imagine I'll just go with whatever brand my local guy does. Unless it's crap.

And I guess I'll ask if I'm wasting money buying a new filter, when the one I have only went in a couple of thousand miles ago, and it still looks clean after I dried it out?

 

[Rugged Path]

What about the foam air filters?

 

[bugga me]

Coming from a dusty part of the world, have always subscribed to the following, if you want flow then foam filter, if you want to keep the dust out then stick with a good paper filter! If you want better flow, get a quality paper filter with greater surface area and clean it occasionally - but remember paper elements with a bit of shite on them tend to clean the air better.

Some even go to the trouble of stretching part of the stocking leg over the element to keep larger fauna out.

Lots of country guys use a bit of vaseline to help seal their the inner face -good suggestion.

 

[Two wheels good]

Knecht or Mahle brand paper filters will be cheaper than OEM. Commonly fitted to beemers. Available from some local motor factors (though not usually in stock) or the usual independent parts suppliers.

 

[ahebron]

1. Any tips or tricks to safely minimise water getting in the air intake when fording in the future?

Length of vacuum hose or similar hooked up by the dash and the other end with the aid of a piece of cycle inner tube joined to the intake snorkel. Hook it on when fording and remove when not.

Adrian

 

[PhaedrusMC]

Length of vacuum hose or similar hooked up by the dash and the other end with the aid of a piece of cycle inner tube joined to the intake snorkel. Hook it on when fording and remove when not.

Adrian

Sounds good.

So, exposing my ignorance... What path does water take from ford to sump? Is it ford -> air duct -> air box/filter -> air intake valve -> combustion chamber? How does it get from combustion chamber to sump? Forced down past the piston rings?

 

[Tsiklonaut]

From my practice use K&N only if you put on a pre-filter (on top of the air-intake pipe - you can make your own). K&N alone will let in quite big abrasive dust particles as I observed with the amount of fine crap in the airbox, with pre-filter it was more or less okay (not as clean as with paper though). But cleaning and oiling two filters every time and quite often (I did it around every 5K miles since I ride mostly in dusty gravel road conditions) is not worth the fuss IMO.

Sticking with the OEM (Mahle or BMW) paper is still the safest and easiest bet and your engine probably lasts longer as well.

 

[Slipperyeel]

Sounds good.

So, exposing my ignorance... What path does water take from ford to sump? Is it ford -> air duct -> air box/filter -> air intake valve -> combustion chamber? How does it get from combustion chamber to sump? Forced down past the piston rings?

Does it not just head straight down the crank case breather tube from the air box?

 

[PhaedrusMC]

Does it not just head straight down the crank case breather tube from the air box?

Don't know... Both?

 

[solidstate100]

Don't know... Both?

Unless you have a serious piston ring/bore problem, you will certainly get to hydraulic lock well before there is any meaningful bypass of water via the induction system/rings - contamination of the engine oil is invairiably via whatever crankcase breather arrangement the manufacturer has fitted, mostly via the airbox these days....

 

[Timolgra]

If you're considering a lot of water crossings on an 1150 then also consider the final drive breather which can allow water in.
I made a breather pipe up for my bike which terminates under the seat or you simply wrap some tape around the breather cap or fit a rubber bung on it.

 

[PhaedrusMC]

Unless you have a serious piston ring/bore problem, you will certainly get to hydraulic lock well before there is any meaningful bypass of water via the induction system/rings - contamination of the engine oil is invairiably via whatever crankcase breather arrangement the manufacturer has fitted, mostly via the airbox these days....

Which you would presumably already be well aware of even without water ingress issues, no? In other words, my bike - displaying no signs of piston ring/bore wear - is OK, yes? Therefore more likely that in my case, water got in via crankcase breather? And if that does route/vent to the airbox, then hebron's snorkel idea is still valid?

If you're considering a lot of water crossings on an 1150 then also consider the final drive breather which can allow water in.
I made a breather pipe up for my bike which terminates under the seat or you simply wrap some tape around the breather cap or fit a rubber bung on it.

Thanks for that. No plans to deliberately cross lots of water, but if I want to, I'd like my bike to be able for it. I did fit a breather hose to the rear diff bleed nipple on my 1991 HiLux Surf, routing it up & out to beside the diesel filler - same idea, yes?

 

[dubster]

If you're considering a lot of water crossings on an 1150 then also consider the final drive breather which can allow water in.
I made a breather pipe up for my bike which terminates under the seat or you simply wrap some tape around the breather cap or fit a rubber bung on it.

Might give this a go as I wonder if it might be the root cause of all the final drive issues I've been having... Any pics of your setup?