Air Filter Replacement

[SAS30]

Hey guys, If want to know why they are recommending replacement of your air filter every year? Check out my post on the Spartan Chassis owners forum.
FYI, GrAndy

[Gary.Jones]

SAS30....

I need more clarification of the "message" in your other thread..... What are you trying to communicate?

Gary

[Motorhead-54]

Originally Posted by SAS30

Hey guys, If want to know why they are recommending replacement of your air filter every year? Check out my post on the Spartan Chassis owners forum.
FYI, GrAndy

Thanks....ordered my replacement just a few minutes ago!

[RubiconTrail]

Because all filters in the coach except the air filter are synthetic and will not degrade with time. The air filter is paper and will degrade with time, even if it is not used. Degredation is more pronounced in humid climates. Once this occurs, there is potential for it to come apart and get sucked into the turbo and intercooler, causing big damage.

There is lots of controversy on IRV2 over this, people are resistant to throw away a "perfectly good" air filter with only a few thousand miles on it just because of its age. I go ahead and change it annually. It doesn't seem like enough cost to take a chance on.

Cummins says there is actually a shelf life on the air filter in the box on the shelf at the parts house, a "sell by" date.

[Lundman]

Why not just use a K&N air filter which is cleanable and last for years?

[fqberful]

The last time I looked into a k&n for an engine air filter the solution wasn't so good.


You had to insert the filter into this plastic "can" and then seal it with duct tape.


This was for an ISL9 in a different coach.


I really wish k&n made a decent cleanable and reusable filter solution. They would sell a bunch of them for sure.

[Gary.Jones]

I looked at K&N recently and I saw nothing that suggested that a filter for a 450 or 605 was a poor design or held together with rubber bands and tape... The filter looked just like all their other filters. The filter for my 605 is a conical filter in a tubular outer shell. There was also a metal mesh that encircled the filter element (which is not paper). I have not gone that direction yet because it looks like the cleaning process is almost as much hassle as replacing the whole unit with a throw away filter and container (Disposable). And the filter for my coach runs about $350 which is right around 3 times more expensive than the throw away versions.

There are tons of cross referenced filters from name brands in the $125 to $175 price bracket.

Gary

[fqberful]

I just looked at the k&n site for their replacement for a Fleetguard part# AH8505 which covers a lot of current MH.


If you cross that to a WIX 46895 and go to ROCKAUTO it's $156 .. This is what I always did in the past.


You will also find there's only 1 or 2 OEM's that actually make this filter and everyone else just resells them.



The k&n is almost $500 and you have to seal the bottom of that canister with duct tape.


So for $156 I'll be less environmentally correct and do the disposable.

[gizmo123316]

I have been using the K&N air filter on my classic for 4 years. Cleaning is easy - just wash with a garden hose, not with high pressure, just use thumb over end for extra pressure. Let it dry well, then back in canister, tape canister so no air leaks, the re-install. No cleaning chemicals at all, just water. I have already paid for the filter by re-using it and it’s goog for years to come. Oh yes, I am in no way associated with K&N.

[Lundman]

I put a K&N filter in my 2014 dutchstar and it worked very well. I will most likely put one in my 2019 Anthem when it comes time to replace the current filter. I wish I would’ve taken the one out of my dutchstar before I sold it. I have used K&N filters in other vehicles and have always had very good success with them.

[Matt D]

The Air Filter change interval in a conservative approach to avoid the core issue of filter media adhesive failure over time.

Essentially the glue holding the paper element fails.

When this happens, filtration media can be ingested into the turbo and engine, with catastrophic results.

Fleetguard recommended every 24 months. I believe Spartan is simply erring on the side of caution in an annual change schedule.

There is some basis for this conservatism.

I have periodically run across a filter that was several months old, sometimes approaching a year old. Taking that time into account, and adding another year of service use, you quickly approach the 24 month Fleetguard interval.

Seeing as Cummins considers any debris found in the intake track to be “sabotage” and reason to deny all engine warranty claims, being conservative on this issue might be prudent.

Best Regards,

-Matt

[Gary.Jones]

Welcome back Matt..........

Gary

[Matt D]

Thanks Gary, Merry Christmas

[Motorhead-54]

After seeing the photos of the OP’s filter coming apart I became a little nervous about the filter that has been in my coach for right at 2 years so I decided it was time to replace it with a new one to play it safe.

The filter I removed today was a Donaldson #P537447 manufactured on 9/19/16 in the USA. You can see in the images below the filter material was glued in place and although it was slightly dirty, nothing was coming apart.

My replacement filter is also a Donaldson #P537447, also manufactured in the USA but has a much newer birthdate of 8/28/19. The material in the new filter is wrapped in wire mesh both outside and on the inside.

A couple of comments...

Changing this filter requires you to be a bit of a contortion artist to reach the hose clamps.

Aleve will be my afternoon snack.

$145 delivered to my door from Amazon