Community Forums

Gotago2 · 06-05-2013, 07:47 PM

I have a 2011 Itasca Sunstar (F53) that has a 2” space in the front grill that lines up with the air filter intake. If caught in a heavy rain at highway speeds it sucks in rain water, enough where there is water in the bottom of the filter box and the filter is soaked.

2 questions:
1- Is the filter still good after it dries?
2- Has anyone modified their intake to prevent it from sucking in water?
Thanks for any help or suggestions you may have.

grtharris · 06-05-2013, 08:46 PM

I would get a new filter they seam to loose something when they get wet. Are the drains in the bottom of the air box working?

TeJay · 06-05-2013, 10:23 PM

WOW!!! We had the same problem with our 1999 F-53. You mean to tell me that Ford still hasn't figured out how to stop water from entering the air filter???? I thought locating it up where they did would stop that from happening but I guess I'm wrong. From your response it seems that their solution is to put in drains. If they get plugged up then it gets soaked.

Have others experienced this problem as well???

TeJay

96 Wideglide · 06-05-2013, 10:30 PM

Think I would be getting the intake opening away from that 2" gap.

PVC pipe, or dryer vent

.

Fiesta48 · 06-06-2013, 07:44 AM

I have a cold air intake that pulls air directly in from the open grill. No problems because I use a gauze air filter (K&N type). Oil in filter will not mix with water. I driven in many pouring rains. And have never had any problems in over a million miles using gauze filters.

SPICoaster · 06-06-2013, 07:48 AM

Banks has a solution to this issue with their replacement air intake snorkel/horn. Has a specific cutout that lets water blow through without going into the intake tube (since its heavier than air) while maintaining the correct air intake into the tube.

While this was part of our Banks Power System kit for our 1997 F53 chassis, it can be purchased separately.

Previous owner removed all the air intake system back to the air cleaner housing in an attempt to correct the wet filter issue. Not a good idea since it changed air intake flow and of course it didn't prevent a wet filter!!

BTW you can only get the air intake hose connector to air cleaner box from a salvage yard, and it's only sold as part of the entire air cleaner, connector, hose and snorkel assembly (and its not cheap!!). Go ahead, ask me how I know

Cheers!!

jamesrxx951 · 06-06-2013, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeJay

WOW!!! We had the same problem with our 1999 F-53. You mean to tell me that Ford still hasn't figured out how to stop water from entering the air filter???? I thought locating it up where they did would stop that from happening but I guess I'm wrong. From your response it seems that their solution is to put in drains. If they get plugged up then it gets soaked.

Have others experienced this problem as well???

TeJay

Im not sure it is really a Ford issue. Im sure they tell the body builders to plan ahead so to not allow water to get into the air filter. They just supply a chassis with an engine. The body is up to the body builder. All production cars and trucks have the air intake in a spot to prevent water from rain from entering (aka inner fender).

Gotago2 · 06-06-2013, 10:18 AM

I extended the intake hose about 30" to the corner behind the wall in front of the passenger side taking it away from the direct flow of water coming through the hood area. I am also thinking of replacing the filter with a K&N type filter to compensate for the loner intake hose. I don't know if it will work but it's worth a try.

TeJay · 06-06-2013, 01:36 PM

We took a trip to Utah years ago and as we were leaving AR and heading into OK we hit a bad storm. The 1999 F-53 sucked in the water and it started missing bad. We were close to our dealer in Claremore and went there. They installed a 4" flex hose well above the grill and away from the incoming rain. That solved the water problem but later when we encountered some hills we couldn't get the unit over 35 MPH. Since that was the last thing done it had to be the flex tubing that was restricting the air flow and reducing my HP and MPH. I stopped and took the tubing off and fixed the HP problem but we still had to fix the water ingestion problem. I don't think it rained the rest of the trip so I fixed it when we got home.
I still can't believe they are still having the water problem.

TeJay

ga traveler · 06-06-2013, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gotago2

I have a 2011 Itasca Sunstar (F53) that has a 2” space in the front grill that lines up with the air filter intake. If caught in a heavy rain at highway speeds it sucks in rain water, enough where there is water in the bottom of the filter box and the filter is soaked.

2 questions:
1- Is the filter still good after it dries?
2- Has anyone modified their intake to prevent it from sucking in water?
Thanks for any help or suggestions you may have.

ford changed the filter on your model. The early models 99 to 04
were bad to pick up water. There is a repair for the early models with a completely new intake pipe. On your model, the only ones I have seen get wet is the ones where the blue shipping plug was not removed from the filter box. As you face the filter, the air intake is on the left, On the right front bottom is the water drain. Make sure the blue shipping plug has been removed.

TeJay · 06-07-2013, 07:45 AM

Thanks for the blue plug info gaTraveler. As mentioned maybe it's the coach builder that is not taking the time to assure that the grill is actually directing water into the filter intake instead of deflecting it away from the intake? I guess I'll inspect and see if a small screen to break up the incoming water would be a solution. Maybe a simple metal fin to deflect the water away from directly entering the filter. Since I had that episode on our 1999 I did look at the air filter location and briefly looked at the design arrangement on the F-53 chassis when we were on the factory tour last month but I didn't examine it that carefully. We will take delivery the end of July.

TeJay

garykk · 06-07-2013, 01:24 PM

On ours the intake is facing towards the passenger side of the engine compartment and not straight on but the drain is facing a 2" gap in the cowling....go figure.

Lincolnboy2 · 05-11-2015, 01:41 PM

Just saw and re-opened this post.

When I took the coach in for maintenance last week, they told me the air filter was "wet".

We drove in rains all the way back from Louisiana on I-20, although soft rain, it was still wet and definitely with a west to east tilt on the rain, so I'm assuming from this thread that is how this happened with my 2003 Ford Chassis.....

I thought this was a great find so I re-vitalized it regarding a wet air filter....and the rain....

Lincolnboy2 · 05-11-2015, 01:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ga traveler

ford changed the filter on your model. The early models 99 to 04
were bad to pick up water. There is a repair for the early models with a completely new intake pipe. On your model, the only ones I have seen get wet is the ones where the blue shipping plug was not removed from the filter box. As you face the filter, the air intake is on the left, On the right front bottom is the water drain. Make sure the blue shipping plug has been removed.

The early models 99 to 04
were bad to pick up water. There is a repair for the early models with a completely new intake pipe.

Is this something expensive Ga Traveler? This repair??