anybody running a "secondary air filter" on their BX?

[DustyRusty]

Pardon Our Interruption...

 

[Oil pan 4]

Well, I have been told I have a dirty mind. Does that count?

You are one with the dirt.

 

[TheMurf]

I just installed the secondary filter on my BX1880..it is a Factory filter from Messicks..There is a video on their web page showing the filter and installation which took no time at all. Blew out my primary filter per the service instructions, could not believe the dust that came out of it after two mows..

 

[Downeaster]

i also saw that video, and have already ordered the safety air filter. Good maintenance is a lot
cheaper that repair maintenance.

 

[GeoHorn]

Amazon is not promoted by AnyOne as being “cheapest”. They represent/offer a marketplace for many different retailers…each of whom develop their own prices. I’ve seen the identical part from different sellers in the same article listings at Amazon with wide-ranging prices. (Also, the “Amazon Choice” isn’t necessarily the best one either.)

 

[ejb11235]

i also saw that video, and have already ordered the safety air filter. Good maintenance is a lot
cheaper that repair maintenance.

I have one on hold at my dealership and will be picking it up this week. Of course, I've already done the dusty work this summer, and now it's raining, but at least it will be installed by the time next summer rolls around.

[EDIT]I picked up the secondary air filter today, and a couple of primaries while I was there ... it gets dusty in the summer so I might as well have a couple in my inventory.

 

[SGT13]

Running my BX in the desert and pick up loads of "dust" every day. First time I bumped the filter clean I noticed no secondary. First thought was "No factory secondary?" It's on my list to add now.

 

[TheMurf]

SGT13, I could not believe the amount of crap that came out of the filter after a cut of the lawn. Now every time I use the machine I clean the air filters. The secondary filter is cheap insurance to keep the engine running clean.

 

[ejb11235]

I got mine at the local dealership but haven't installed it yet. The parts guy suggested changing it every other change of the primary, but I think that's overkill. My plan is to leave it in place and basically never touch it. If the primary isn't damaged, the secondary is just a backup to prevent anything that might be dislodged when changing the primary. Unlike an oil filter with a bypass valve, it seems to me that a clogged air filter doesn't start leaking, it just doesn't flow, so the secondary should stay almost pristine.

I'm open to a contrary opinion.

 

[TheMurf]

I remove both filters and use an air nozzle to blow them out .

 

[SGT13]

I remove both filters and use an air nozzle to blow them out .

Since my operating days in the Marines I have never blown out filters. Always just bump them to knock off loose debris.

 

[TheMurf]

I do that before I use the air nozzle.

 

[ejb11235]

This summer I started to clean the air filter but I came to the conclusion that if the filter was so clogged that it was affecting flow, I should just probably just replace it. I didn't have the secondary filter, so any dirt that would get inside the filter during that process would go right into the engine. With a secondary filter in place, I can see myself possibly knocking the dust off, but my bias is to just replace the filter.

 

[hagrid]

I'd rather have a washable sock over the primary filter.

 

[Henro]

I'd rather have a washable sock over the primary filter.

Hey! A third option!

Washable sock (wershable in my local SW PA dialect, Hagrid are you an import?), primary filter, and secondary filter.

I am all for it!

Guess after almost 20 years of trouble free operation with just the primary filter I better hurry though...I am getting old...at a faster rate than my BX...

 

[TheMurf]

I have a washable filter over the stock filter on my d Gravely 12g Rider..

 

[ejb11235]

My interest in getting the secondary filter is to prevent dirt from entering the engine while maintaining the primary filter. So, if you're replacing the primary filter, and some dirt or dust gets dislodged and lands on inside of where the primary filter is, the secondary will prevent it from being sucked into the engine.

Also, Does the washable sock filter to the same size as the secondary filter? 10 microns seems to be pretty common.

I found an interesting paper https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7475895/
I don't have time to read it carefully, but maybe someone else does

Traditional cellulose filter media used for air filtration in vehicle engines are characterized by 99.9% filtration efficiency and accuracy above 2–5 µm. The highest engine component wear is caused by dust grains above 1 µm. Filter media with nanofiber additions provide greater filtration efficiency of dust grains below 5 µm.