Air Filter oil -- Tacky stuff vs Old school motor oil

Okay, so here's the scenario...Last week I installed my completely rebuilt 82 WR 250 motor back in it's 83 WR frame. It was slow going, but deliberate and methodical. So I rewire the wire harness mess that the previous owner left me. Install a new voltage regulator, new silencer, rebuilt carb, and installed a fairly well oiled UNI airfilter that had been stored and marinating in Belray Tacky Juice in a zip lock bag for probably 6 months (I have 5 airfilters for 3 huskies -- all use the same size/shape filter). So, I put in a fresh plug, pour in a little fresh gas, and the bike lights up -- but it starts blubbering like TO did when he played for Dallas.

Okay, the bike's puffing out white smoke everywhere -- just like it did before I discovered that the crank seals were gone...I'm thinking there's no way this can be happening with a freshly rebuilt motor...I took the carb off, oh let's see uh, hmmm, about "fitty eleven" times, checked and tested the floats about 83 times , double checked the float valve needle about 72 times, rejetted about 8 times...checked the exhaust pipe for a blockage, installed new Boyesen reeds, yadda, yadda, yadda...So, I'm talkin' to an old ex pro friend of mine and he asked me "Are you sure that the filter doesn't have to much oil on it?" And, I said "nah man, it's good to go." Well, I never really checked the texture of the airfilter b/c afterall it was clean and "very well oiled" with that tacky blue Belray stuff -- Right?...He told me that he doesn't even use that tacky stuff and that he only uses light motor oil on his filter...Mind you he has been riding and racing his factory bike since 1976!!! -- No bottom end failures ever on his bike! As a matter of fact he has never even split the cases -- just top end jobs only!

SOOOO, this weekend, I go through the same thing...yaddda, yadda, badda boom, badda bing...Okay, I finally decide to check the air filter...Felt like a chicks hairdo with a bunch of Aquanet hairspay...that'll stop anything -- you know what I mean? Forgive my political incorrectness here, but you get the picture, right?...Alright, so I decide to rinse the filter out in gasoline, and towel dry it -- reinstall it with very light motor oil on it, and viola the SOB starts first kick, and idling and revving clean like a champ -- no crying, no blubbering!...I take a it down the road through the neighborhood --needs to be broken in of course, but it felt good...

So my fellow husqvarnites what is the lesson today? What has Skoalman learned? Never trust a big b--- and a smile? Uh no, I'm going back to motor oil on my air filter!...That's right, you heard here it first...Skoalman is keeping his Vintage bike real with vintage motor oil on his airfilter -- Why not?...So what if the oil pools in the airbox and ends up on the garage floor...That's what old cardboard boxes are used for -- I put them under all of my bikes -- new or old. No, I won't be disuaded -- No Toil? -- uh, No Way. Belray, oh you say they have ECO Friendly stuff -- Uh, no. I'm stickin' with what I brought to the dance many moons ago when I was wee lad, riding a honda XR 75 and graduating to my '68 Maico 360 and the tender age of 13....Back then when I knew nothing, I did know one thing...make sure you clean the filter and paper towel dry it to get the residual oil out or it'll be a long walk back from the trail.

I've been using the tacky stuff for the past several years, and NOW I realize why even my new bikes were always puffing smoke all the time...that tacky stuff is just too bloody tacky -- these oil tacked filters have been choking the mess out of my bikes -- It was like having high cholesterol and now I've just removed the bacon grease from my cheerios...For Pete's sake I was setting these bikes up for bypass surgery...Hell, I might even try olive oil next...They say that's stuff is really good for your heart!

Okay enough, what do use guys use?...And have any of you had the same experience with the tacky stuff chokin' your bike out?...Alright, I'll stop now...Outta here...Skoalman

I think you pegged it when you said that you marinated it.
what happened was you overly saturated (marinated) your filter before baging it and the solvent evaporated and left you with an aqua net behive that flowed about as much as a dehiedrated low fiber diet old man in a death valley rest home.

Clean your filter with mineral spirits and let it dry for 24 hours or more (since you have a team of filters on hand) and use a good quality tacky yes tacty oil filter oil and wick up the excess oil by rolling it in a viva paper towel and rescue our landfills from oil laden cardboard and keep your top end happy.

Something to chew on besides skoal.

Twin air filter oil is how i maintain personal tackiness.

Of course just my 2 cents worth, not a pro just proficient.

Highdez1981430cr -- that was classic!!...Good stuff!...I'm still laughing!...

Thanks man,

Still working on all of the beer left from the family thanksgiving party from last night.

Hope everyone had a great holiday!

It`s cooling off so let`s all go burn some gas.

Cheers mates

Darrell

Same here Darrell...I've been stuck in my garage for the past 4 weekends working on bikes (Maicos and Huskies) and was just letting off a little literary steam with this thread...Had a great TGD, but haven't ridden since Oct 3-5...I'm riding next weekend that's for sure!

Always good to hear from the Skoalman. That was one darn funny post there. Been there, checked that... uh... it was the filter all along.

I gave up on the tacky stuff mainly because I no longer have a reasonably easy way to get rid of the dirty old solvent that I've cleaned the filters with, whether it's gas or ??? I switched to No-Toil and not never going back. Wash 'em in the sink now.

But I HAVE over-oiled filters and had the same problem. I guess the fact that motor oil drips out is a good thing? Oil the heck out of the filter, install, let the bike sit overnight, there's a nice puddle of oil on the floor... and the filter's just right.

Thanks Pickilito...I've been using the same ol' gasoline filled bucket in the backyard for 3 years to clean the filters...I don't know where to dispose of it either, so every once in awhile I just loosen the lid a little and let it slowly evaporate out then refill it with old gasoline...I wear gloves and don a biological my MOPP gear (you old vets know that I'm talking about!) and try to get 'er done...Man, that blue stuff sure is messy...

+1...............

But at one time, if you're old enough to remember, you trusted motor oil on your filter --- I'm not trying to stir the pot -- I know that the air filter material they use today is different than what we used back then -- and I also know that I've been probably putting it on there a little too thick, BUT I do know that my vintage bikes like to breathe and these modern oiled filter tend to "coke" my engines' up a tad...I'm just sayin'...

I've noticed on occasion after install of a freshly oiled filter that I'd have to put in at least a good 15 minutes of WOT hits to ensure free flow and excess filter oil burn off.

I don't doubt your or anybody elses Husky wisdom -- or else I wouldn't own, ride and race vintage Husqvarnas nor would I be using the best damper ever made (Motosportz) on my KTM. Your words have a struck a chord...Badda Bing -- Ding ding ding -- I submit the following:

SO, I think I just may have found a solution to my peronsal air filter oil war. I just got off the phone, conferring with my old head friend/compadre, AHRMA national cross country, road dawg of the vintage persuasion about this topic, and he said I should take a look at the UNIfilter aersol oil...Goes on like PAM...Light spray, great protection, no muss, no fuss -- Sounds like a hair commercial, don't it?...Man, I wish I had some hair right now -- it gets cold out there during this time of the year.

Okay, so Skoalman has changed his mind and will probably give it a try. I've used aerosol sprays before but they spewed a stream of fluid like the new and so called improved WD 40 with that stupid built in red swizzle stick thing on a swivel -- which subsquentaly caused me to end up marinating my foam too much as well. So for now my mighty mighty Husqvarna brothers and sisters, I think I'm gonna make a change. That's right, go ahead Skoalman make that change...BUT if that sucka, excuse me, if my Husky starts coughin' again like he's been smokin' Unfiltered Lucky Strikes for the past 30 years, I'm done with all this modern air filter oil and going back to my 40 --weight oil that is!!!:rant:

I used to do the same as Kelly but made a few changes this year... Still use the PJ1 oil and have PJ1 cleaner for cleaning if I am not at home.

At home I have a 2 gallon bucket with a lid from twinair, it came with twinair cleaner that worked fine for a while and eventually evaporated off and got washed down the drain. Now it is filled with kerosene.



First I soak the filter in the kerosene for a few seconds then squeeze it out (not wring it out) Second I back flush it in my garage sink with hot water and squeeze it out a couple times. Third I apply some dollar store dish washing soap. l coat the filter good and work it in followed by another rinse with hot water. The dish washing soap really brings the filter back to a like new condition.

I have a couple friends that leave their bikes at my house as well as my brother. So I end up doing filters for them while I do my own bikes... That is the biggest reason I switched to kerosene over the PJ1, it cost too much and doesn't last as long. The second reason is it's a bit faster using the kerosene.

Later,

My method is similar to "jmetteer".. But I use two of the smaller twinair buckets (used for oiling).. First a quick dip or two and squeeze
into kerosene that has previously washed some air filters.. This is round one (this kerosene when really dirty will then be used to clean
chains).. Then a quick dip or two and squeeze into clean (or cleaner) kerosene.. This is round two (this kerosene when somewhat dirty
will then be used for round one).. Then two or three washes in Tide detergent.. Then rinse over and over in white sink until there is no
dirt and sand on bottom of the sink (if bottom of sink still has dirt keep rinsing).. Then air dry overnihght and oil with Bel-Ray Filter Oil..

P.S. Kerosene is relatively cheap and I never throw away.. Constantly re-cycled to dirtier jobs.. After cleaning air filters.. Then chains..
Then dirty kerosene is used for cleaning the bike (don't need clean kerosene for this it does not care).. And always wear nitrile gloves..

You mean you don't lay a liquid trail of dirty gasoline to the trash heap in your back yard, then light it all up like the 4th of July???? Kidding.....maybe.....