Goldenstar38
Senior Member
Has anyone changed their Perkins Turbo inlet wire mesh screen to a filter such as the Walker/Airsep type filters? Not looking for performance, just cleaner air entering the engine.
Perkins Turbo air filter
- Thread starter Goldenstar38
- Start date
The friendliest place on the web for anyone who enjoys boating.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.
Just how dirty is the air in your bilge ??? I can see no reason for fancy air filters on a marine engine in a bilge where the air is somewhat very clean unlike a truck engine which is out in the elements. How dirty dose your present element get ??
Goldenstar38
Senior Member
The bilge is clean and I agree with the premise that the air in a marine environment is clean. I guess my question arises from the fact that where the boat is docked (Marina del Rey, CA) it tends to get a little dusty in the salon and I have to dust at least once a week. I have pulled and cleaned the screens, which were not really dirty at all. My concern was the dust, that if entering the salon, may also be getting into the engine compartment.
The dust you describe is only house hold dust it isn't "ROAD" dust that may contain abrasive particles. Have faith in the OEM filter .
Brooksie
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2007
- Messages
- 1,325
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Island Seeker
- Vessel Make
- Willard 36 Sedan
I put an air filter on my Perkins 6 turbo years ago. Found a PVC elbow that clamped over the turbo inlet and the a large shop-vac filter that pushed over that. I get a surprising amount of stuff out of it each fall when I blow it out. I'm glad I have it.
artfulltune
Senior Member
Perkins Air Filter
Hey Brooksie, You have inspired me to add another project to my list. Wonder if you have a photo handy of your "MacGyvered" air filters?
Hey Brooksie, You have inspired me to add another project to my list. Wonder if you have a photo handy of your "MacGyvered" air filters?
sunchaser
Guru
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2008
- Messages
- 10,296
- Location
- usa
- Vessel Name
- sunchaser V
- Vessel Make
- DeFever 48 (sold)
Goldenstar, my Perkins Sabres (Cat clones) have a foam filter held by stainless mesh. Every 500 or so hours when I pull them off, the rinse water is reasonably clean. Seems a good filter for this application and cheap too!
A long while back I took to replacing the stock foam filters on various engines with high flow K & N filters. They come in many sizes and shapes so it may take a bit of looking to figure which one is best for your application. They are easily cleaned every so often and I have used the same pair for 10+ years by servicing them when needed - about every other season for us. For those who do not have kids, family and friends tracking sand and dirt above your engines that is great. I know what comes out of the vacuum when we clean the floor above the engines and do not want any of that going in the turbo, aftercooler, valves or cylinders.
sunchaser
Guru
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2008
- Messages
- 10,296
- Location
- usa
- Vessel Name
- sunchaser V
- Vessel Make
- DeFever 48 (sold)
Smithy, no harm in going with KNs. But, I question the need for a light use recreational boater. I pulled my salon carpeting and pad up a few days ago, it had been in place for 3 years. No dirt or debris. I popped the hatches, lips were clean.
No dogs, beaches or kids. I am quite sure that my engines will eventually die from catharsis or old age long before the debatable effects of foam filter inadequacy arises.
No dogs, beaches or kids. I am quite sure that my engines will eventually die from catharsis or old age long before the debatable effects of foam filter inadequacy arises.
Brooksie
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2007
- Messages
- 1,325
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Island Seeker
- Vessel Make
- Willard 36 Sedan
Mine is a horizontal engine with several modifications so may not be the same as yours. Two 45 degree PVC elbows with a short straight piece between (painted black). My Airsep canister feeds into the aft end the filter. Make sure the filter you choose has a good strong screen or mesh inside. The K&N stuff is worth looking at they have many sizes; although not as good a filter as pleated paper, good enough for conditions in a boat.
Enlarge and you may be able to see what I did...
Attachments
A couple of proposed 'experiments' for those who are curious...
- You go on a week trip with your boat, You parked your new car in the lot next to the boat slip for that week. When you come back from your trip go up to your new car with that new finish and consider heavily dry wiping the paint with a rag. You will likely decide that is not a good idea as you see the 'grit' laying on your new finish.
- Vaccum your boats areas over and around the engine bays with a vac that has a new good paper dust filter. We often use them for our wet vacs when cleaning up spackle dust or similar small particles. When done carefully open up the new bag and see what comes out of those areas and if you would be willing to 'chuck' that stuff into a running engine.
"I question the need for a light use recreational boater.No dogs, beaches or kids"
I respectively submit that your situation is great but does not fit a typical recreational boater. It only takes one heavy windy day with you operating the engine to suck up whatever is floating around.
Are the diesels we have not worth the effort to make sure they get clean air, clean oil and clean coolant? These are the real basic needs of any diesel engine.
- You go on a week trip with your boat, You parked your new car in the lot next to the boat slip for that week. When you come back from your trip go up to your new car with that new finish and consider heavily dry wiping the paint with a rag. You will likely decide that is not a good idea as you see the 'grit' laying on your new finish.
- Vaccum your boats areas over and around the engine bays with a vac that has a new good paper dust filter. We often use them for our wet vacs when cleaning up spackle dust or similar small particles. When done carefully open up the new bag and see what comes out of those areas and if you would be willing to 'chuck' that stuff into a running engine.
"I question the need for a light use recreational boater.No dogs, beaches or kids"
I respectively submit that your situation is great but does not fit a typical recreational boater. It only takes one heavy windy day with you operating the engine to suck up whatever is floating around.
Are the diesels we have not worth the effort to make sure they get clean air, clean oil and clean coolant? These are the real basic needs of any diesel engine.
artfulltune
Senior Member
Brooksie, Yeah, I see what you did...my Perkins upright naturals are a little different as you stated but the K&N product lineup might just be the way to go...thanks
Goldenstar38
Senior Member
I have not hosed down the starboard side of my boat in 2 weeks, to be able to get a good idea of what is blowing around outside. I have tried to attach a picture of what I found under the shorepower cord when pulled away from the cabin siding. Not pretty. Yes, there is some is small dog hair (he spends a good deal of time at the bow soaking up the sun). The rest is dirt or something gritty. Pic is upside down, sorry.
Attachments
"Smitty
You are assuming my OEM foam filters are useless. Humm"
I really did not mean to imply that. Not all foam filters are poor or removing dirt and grit but many are. Most all of the vac cleaner types are very poor. Not all pleated air filters are poor either - but some are pretty bad for this application.
I learned the hard way many years back when running FI engines in some very fast cars that air filtration is not all that everyone thinks it is. The FI gas engines are near the capacity of the volumes of air required in diesels so you read about them and learn. So maybe your foam filters have a good filtration and are reasonably heat resistant and are a good fit. for those who do not know what type of foam or pleated filter they have perhaps it would be good to find out if it suits this purpose
- brand names mean very little. I have just volunteered that K&N's will work very well in these applications.
K&N filter - bottom center
You are assuming my OEM foam filters are useless. Humm"
I really did not mean to imply that. Not all foam filters are poor or removing dirt and grit but many are. Most all of the vac cleaner types are very poor. Not all pleated air filters are poor either - but some are pretty bad for this application.
I learned the hard way many years back when running FI engines in some very fast cars that air filtration is not all that everyone thinks it is. The FI gas engines are near the capacity of the volumes of air required in diesels so you read about them and learn. So maybe your foam filters have a good filtration and are reasonably heat resistant and are a good fit. for those who do not know what type of foam or pleated filter they have perhaps it would be good to find out if it suits this purpose
- brand names mean very little. I have just volunteered that K&N's will work very well in these applications.
K&N filter - bottom center
Irish Rambler
Guru
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2014
- Messages
- 1,817
- Location
- FRANCE
- Vessel Name
- 'Snow Mouse.'
- Vessel Make
- BROOM FLYBRIDGE 42.
Actually the air borne dust particles DO wear engines over time.
Sunchaser I'm afraid to inform you that in actual fact the Cats are cloned from the Perkins whose original design went right back to the P6.
I fitted a (Perkins) forklift truck air filter to my 4236 and it's simply amazing what dirt it catches from a so called clean environment, quite apart from cutting down the intake engine noise by 30%.
All an engine asks for is clean air, oil and fuel in the right quantities at the right time and most diesel engines are indestructible.
Sunchaser I'm afraid to inform you that in actual fact the Cats are cloned from the Perkins whose original design went right back to the P6.
I fitted a (Perkins) forklift truck air filter to my 4236 and it's simply amazing what dirt it catches from a so called clean environment, quite apart from cutting down the intake engine noise by 30%.
All an engine asks for is clean air, oil and fuel in the right quantities at the right time and most diesel engines are indestructible.
FOG
Guru
Just sold my Perkins T6.354 and don't remember the part number or the diameter of the turbo. But once you know the O.D. of the turbo you can look up the I.D. of the filter neck on the K&N website. I would also check what length and diameter you need for clearance.
They make great filters. I also use them on my off-road sand car.
BinkleyBoat
Senior Member
I too have 4.236's without any air filtration.
Walker makes a "system" that is expensive but i am sure some enterprising owner out there has figured out how to adapt components to meet the need.
I PM'ed you as well but if anyone else out there has attempted this, your input would be appreciated.
BB
Brooksie
Guru
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2007
- Messages
- 1,325
- Location
- USA
- Vessel Name
- Island Seeker
- Vessel Make
- Willard 36 Sedan
Do you want us to come and install it for you too? LOL
Any filter that would fit directly over the turbo inlet would likely be too small capacity for a 354ci turbo diesel. You need a collar over the aluminum to get it up to 2-3/4-3" (PVC) so a large size filter can go on. If you then look at Walmart, or some other place that will let you look through their Fram shelve
you will find 6-8 cylinder style filters that will fit and have good flow capacity.
jleonard
Guru
- Joined
- Jun 25, 2008
- Messages
- 5,176
Just a note here....I put a K&N on my Cummins (that I repowered with) and the neck was not strong enough to support the filter. It broke after only a couple of engine hours.
Then I switched to a S&B filter (recommended by Tony Athens of boatdiesel). They have much thicker/stronger neck that lasted. The S&B is a K&N clone and is cleaned the same way.
Just pointing out that you may need a support to keep the neck of the K&N intact.
