Building a small engine air filter housing.

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Hey gang,

Anyone here ever adapt a common auto air filter to a small engine?

Reason I ask is that I own a military generator, about 1.5kW that seems to use a proprietary and unique panel filter. It's about 1 inch thick, 3.5 inches wide, and 4 inches long. Spent hours combing through the Wix/Donalson/Baldwin filter catalogs and they make nothing that's similar.

While I can still buy new old-stock filters, eventually the day will come when I can't buy the military filters anymore. These engines are longer used by the US Military, so I'm looking forward and thinking about how I could adapt a common small engine or automotive filter to this unit.

The carb on it has a hose that is about 1 inch inside diameter. It seems that some sort of homemade adapter could be fashioned that would clamp onto the carb inlet.

But I'm at a loss at how to house the filter.

One thought that occurred to me is to use a standard Honda oval filter and simply drill three holes into the current housing that holds the panel filter. The three holes would be inline - the center one would be small, about 1/8", and have a threaded rod that would hold on the filter like on the Honda GX200 engines. The other two holes would be for airflow. I'd make a gasket the shape of the base of the filter. Only problem is that this contraption now sticks out a good bit and it's not protected from the weather...

thanks,
ben
 
could you take a piece of one inch hose and use hose clamps to hold it on to any type of air filter housing? i was sort of picturing a old chev or ford air filter that was mounted on a carb, and just closing off the hole the carb was in with sheet metal and using a step boring bit to drill a hole for a barbed hose fitting and using the hose to connect each end. of course i have no idea what it really looks like and how you would run the hose, smiles

when you get it figured out post a picture please
 
Hhhmmnnn! That's a neat idea. I could take a small auto filter housing that takes a flat, round filter, plug the original carb hole with an epoxied-on piece of metal, and bore for a barbed fitting. Maybe from an older, small, Japanese 4-cylinder engine. They used some small filter housings.

I do have some hose that fits that carb inlet so if I can find a mating hose barb that's for 1" hose, I think you've got a heck of an idea here!!! I know I could find some straight thread hose barbs, I've bought them before...

thanks!
ben
 
Theres probably thousands sitting on shelfs,You just need to find them.Anything the goverment owned had plenty of parts also sold as surplus.
 
now when i drive thru your part of the country next Febuary you can buy me a cup of coffee smile!

Seriously though, thats the beauty of coming here all these wonderful folks with a different look at the same issue can yield some interesting ideas, i am just glad that once in a while i can give a little something back
 
Originally Posted By: QuOk
Theres probably thousands sitting on shelfs,You just need to find them.Anything the goverment owned had plenty of parts also sold as surplus.

You're absolutely right - they are available now and not all that expensive. I guess I'm thinking down the road when nobody has them anymore...

thanks,
ben
 
Originally Posted By: duaneb9729
now when i drive thru your part of the country next Febuary you can buy me a cup of coffee smile!

Seriously though, thats the beauty of coming here all these wonderful folks with a different look at the same issue can yield some interesting ideas, i am just glad that once in a while i can give a little something back

Sure! Give me a holler when you're coming through. I was going to say that the coffee here was lousy, but they've opened at least four Starbucks in town so it's gotten better.
wink.gif


The different folks with different experiences and different ways of looking at things keep me coming back. It's a great place here...

thanks!
ben
 
Ben i sure enjoy comming here and learning from others being able to throw my two cents worth in, its fun and a very respectful enviroment
 
Check Air compressor filters and filter housings available most places air compressors are sold.

Or, figure out how often you expect to change multiplied by how many years (be optimistic here!) you expect to live. Don't worry about laying in a supply for the kids, or widows husband,,,,they can fend for themselves! Buy up some extras.

Bob
 
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