What is your maintenance schedule for UNI Dual Pods?

[Pat Conlon]

He cleans them with soap and water?

Joe

Yes Joe, that's all you use on the foam. Soap and warm water. Simple Green or 409 works for me.

Never use a solvent, you will destroy the foam.

The key is to be sure the foam is completely dry before you apply the foam spray. If the foam is damp when you put the spray on, you can get uneven coverage on the spray, leading to dry spots and poor filtering.

I let my Uni's dry for a day. Never use compressed air or the boss lady's hair dryer.

[ribbert]

Never use a solvent, you will destroy the foam.

What about petrol or kero?

[Troyskie]

I'm not sure what UNI pods are made from.

I assume they are made from polyester.
If so, polyester is resistant to solvents such as petrochemicals (ooh, petrol. I know not of this gas thing you speak of in those wild wests). Cheap versions of turps are made from oil, not from turpentine trees, so they are different. In the US/Canada I believe it is some mystery substance called white spirit that has only a superficial resemblance to turps. Anyhoo, polyester is resistant to both of these solvents.

btw- here's the web def of solvent:
Having assets in excess of liabilities; able to pay one's debts.
Able to dissolve other substances

Why is petrol not a sensible solvent to clean your UNI pods? In the right fuel air mix petrol has more power than TNT (trust me it hurts). Manufacturers are a tad concerned about us excavating our sheds during routine maintenance. (I use petrol as I need a bigger shed  )

[Pat Conlon]

...Never use a solvent, you will destroy the foam.

What about petrol or kero?

http://unifilter.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/UNI-FILTER-CLEANING-AND-OILING-INSTRUCTIONS.pdf

[racerrad8]

What about petrol or kero?

My fear would be all the components of the filter being damaged by anything other than soap. It is not just the foam media, but the rubber flange & the glue used to hold it all together.

Kerosene is oil based so it will not fully clean the filter and will leave oil. This will require washing in a detergent and water to eliminate the water.

Petrol, I guess that would work, but you must be really rich is you are cleaning with that. There is still the fact the filters could be damaged but the petroleum based solvents.

With gas currently at $3.50 (5.20AUD) a gallon, that appears to be a very expensive option. If you used a quart of fuel to clean the filters you have spend $.90. Now you have to use a least two quarts to clean them properly. Once for the major dirt and then again for the final clean. So, $1.80 to clean them in petrol and the possibility of damaging the filter components in the process.

I buy a 52 oz (1.62qt)(1.53L) bottle of dish washing liquid soap at the "Dollar Store" for $1.00. I even if I use an ounce of soap per filter cleaning section that means I can clean 52 sets of filters at a cost of .0052 or less than a half a US penny.

Plus, I don't have to worry about petrol or kero attacking the components of the filter and damaging them. This damage might not be immediate and might only show up the next time you service the filters. If it shows up during this time when they are in service, engine damage could occur.

I have proved you two reasons why I will not use "petrol, Kero or any cleaning solvent on the UNI air filter product line. Cost and possible damage to the filter.

And finally how about a third and fourth reason...?

3) Dirty petrol must be disposed of. The old days of pouring it on the ground are long gone. You cannot put it in with your waste oil as they check it before you dispose it at the auto parts stores. If contaminated it must be disposed with the County hazardous waste facility. Unless you have thoughts of straining it and running it in your FJ, there is a disposal issue.

4) Personal safety using petroleum based chemical and skin contact. This issue is still in it's infancy. But the more years that go by, the more we are learning how hazardous the chemicals can be when absorbed through the skin. I know I don't wash anything in my solvent tank without wearing full arm length chemical resistance gloves even though I spend the first 35+ years of my life not giving it a thought. I make my you sons wear them so they are not expose to these chemicals that are harmful.

So, there are four reasons I have explained for you on why it is better to use soap:
1) Damage
2) Cost
3) Disposal
4) Safety

Hell, here is one more reason I use Palmolive dish soap:  https://youtu.be/dzmTtusvjR4

Let me know if there is any other questions I can answer for you.

Randy - RPM

[ZOA NOM]

He cleans them with soap and water?

Joe

Yep, and far more aggressive squeezing than you would think.

[Troyskie]

A PO included a K&N cleaning and oiling kit with the bike and other bits.

The cleaner is soapy and contains sodium metasilicate pentahydrate.
Here's the web def:
Sodium metasilicate is used in fireproofing mixtures; in laundry, dairy, metal, and floor cleaning; in deinking paper; in washing carbonated drink bottles; in insecticides, fungicides, and antimicrobial compounds; as a chemical intermediate for silica gel catalysts; as an additive in soaps and synthetic detergents; as an ingredient in adhesives; as a bleaching aid; and as a boiler compound.

Although unsafe, I use petrol as it is fast and easy and doesn't pong like kero. Petrol evaporates pretty quick and once you've oiled the foam again fire is not a real concern.

These fuel system components (if manufactured by automotive professionals, not cheap knock-off clowns) are specifically designed for the environment they are intended, i.e. the fuel system of a bike or car etc. They will resist the chemicals they are expected to come in contact with, and are 'fit for purpose'. Most importantly, they made to a relevant standard (hopefully) authored by people who've forgotten more about the subject than most of us will ever know.

To summarise the rest of the thread, to do it right, follow the instructions posted by Pat/Randy et-al. If you want to use petrol or kero make sure it has fully evaporated before oiling. With either method, don't forget to clean the rest of the pod components before re-assembly and fitting.
As to the schedule, I clean mine roughly every 1.5-2K of riding as it gets pretty dusty here. Dirt roads in dry environments and so on would make me check every couple of tanks, but that is just me.

[Pat Conlon]

A PO included a K&N cleaning and oiling kit with the bike and other bits.

K&N filter oil is fine for cotton K&N filters, for the foam Uni filters, not so much.....

Apples to oranges.

[Troyskie]

Thanks Pat!

Just when I think I can contribute 

[Pat Conlon]

Troy, your contributions are always appreciated!

[Troyskie]

Thanks again Pat, you are a gentleman.