Problem with OEM air cleaner box and filter

[Schurkey]

This is my second W-body to have squatters in the air cleaner.  Found essentially the same thing on my '98 Monte Carlo a couple years ago.  This time it's a '92 Lumina Euro 3.4

I'm pleased that the metal mesh on the filter kept 'em out of the throttle body.

A replacement air filter is now nearly twenty dollars.  Thank you SO MUCH, Senile Joe.  Your economic policies are working wonderfully.

[rich_e777]

Those are some crafty little bastards, I caught one in a glue trap inside a locked Firebird. No idea how it got in there. I wonder if you could scavenge that mesh off the eaten filter to put around the end of the intake to keep them from getting to the next one?

I went with a drop in reusable KN filter years ago in my `94 Cutlass and am still working my way through the cleaning kit. I didnt think it would have held up as good as it has after at least 10 years. 

 

[White93z34]

I can't say I've ever experienced that one.

I think I have a stack of air filters I got on closeout from rockauto years ago, with how little I drive my z34 now should be a lifetime supply.

You could get a piece of expanded metal, chicken wire or some sort of metal mesh and put it over the opening. Or hell even liberate the metal screen from your destroyed air filter and cut it to fit over the opening on the airbox

[Schurkey]

5 hours ago, rich_e777 said:

I went with a drop in reusable KN filter years ago in my `94 Cutlass and am still working my way through the cleaning kit. I didnt think it would have held up as good as it has after at least 10 years.

Keep in mind that the WORST thing you can do to an oiled-gauze filter is wash it before it truly needs cleaning.

The "old" K&N advice was that if you didn't have 1/8" of dirt build-up, leave it alone.  With 1/8" of build-up, you'd pretty-much not be able to see the pleats of gauze any more.  They said that as the dirt accumulation became fairly thick, a few drops of clean filter oil applied to the clean side of the filter was recommended.  The accumulating dirt wicks oil from the gauze, leaving the gauze kinda "dry".

The newer advice from K&N is to use an air filter restriction indicator, and do not clean the filter until the restriction indicator shows "in the red" zone for restriction.  They say that 50,000 miles or more is typical between cleanings for street-driven vehicles, Diesels and dusty conditions may need more frequent care.

I've had a K&N filter in two motorcycles, my 'Camino, and an '88 K1500.  I've never cleaned a K&N filter.  I have had the rubbery material around the edges go hard and wouldn't conform to the air cleaner housing, so the filter got warrantied after ~25 years.  Overall, I have no plans to buy another.

Oiled-gauze filters are more effective as the dirt accumulates.  Oiled gauze by itself is not as "efficient" at trapping dirt as oiled gauze plus oiled dirt at trapping more dirt.

https://www.knfilters.com/filterminder.htm

"The air filter should not be cleaned until the yellow position indicator reaches the red zone.

K&N Air filters become more efficient at stopping dirt as they build a dust film. It is recommended that the air filter be cleaned only when the air filter service indicator reaches the red zone."

 

Edited October 16, 2023 by Schurkey

[Schurkey]

THIRD W-body with squatters. 

Lifted the air filter out of my '93 Lumina 3.4L.  About the same story, minus the chewed-up air filter.  Lots crap in the filter housing--literally.  No photos--you know what it looks like.

The '93 has a popped 4T60E.  Just like the '92, it'd run if it had fuel pressure, but the '93 won't move under it's own power.  I guess I'll deal with the fuel pressure on these two next.  Trans for the '93, later.

Edited October 20, 2023 by Schurkey

[rich_e777]

At least thats the extent of their curiosity, Ive got a critter around here that likes gasoline. Something chewed up the plastic tank on my push mower and knawed through the plastic fuel filter on a riding mower. 

A pair of bad fuel pumps?

[Schurkey]

The '92 fuel pump draws about 6 amperes when tested at the fuel pump relay connections in the engine compartment.  No fuel pressure and I don't hear it run  (but then, I've never heard it run.)  The gas gauge shows nearly full but I'm tempted to dump a few gallons in the tank just in case it's empty and the gauge is wrong.

The '93 fuel pump has no amperage draw.  Maybe the rodents chewed-up the power or ground wire to the pump.

I yanked both fuel filters out today.  The gasoline in them is ancient, but still burns.  Little or no rust/dirt/debris came out of either filter when I blew through it from the outlet end, towards the inlet end (hoping to dislodge stuff caught in the paper element.)  So the '92 is not disabled due to a plugged filter.

The '93 pump was replaced by a professional, out-of-town shop in 2006 at enormous expense; the '92 got replaced in '12 by me.  But not a huge amount of miles on either one--I suppose 60K, tops for the '93, and about 40K for the '92.