Air filter insert

[richardabeattie]

The foam insert to the air filter on my Yanmar 2GM20 has disappeared - presumably it gradually deteriorated and was sucked into the engine - so I went to buy a new one. £44 plus VAT for a thin sheet of foam shaped into a truncated cone. Surely there must be a cheaper solution?

 

[pvb]

I'm not convinced that leisure boat diesels need an air filter as such, although the filter (or filter housing) works to reduce intake noise.

 

[Moodysailor]

You could buy a generic K&M filter and put it on the 'trumpet' for the air filter intake. Can be had for about £10 cheaper than the Yanmar one and are cleanable, so a lifetime filter.

 

[BobnLesley]

I suspect if you look more widely you'll get one for a lump less than £44: YANMAR AIR FILTER, REPLACES 128270-12540 - 2GM 2GMF 2GM20 3GM 3GM30 2YM 3YM | eBay I found that one in <30 seconds.
That said, our 3GM seemed quite happy from The Caribbean to NZ with that inner metal core wrapped with a piece of soft foam that had originally been part of the new AIS unit's packaging.

 

[richardabeattie]

Thanks! £15 and free postage does seem a little cheaper than the £44 + VAT quoted by my local Yanmar specialist!

 

[Momac]

It's worth shopping for alternative filters regardless of the engine maker
I have Mann air filters for my VP engines which cost about 25% of the price asked by VP.

 

[BobnLesley]

It's worth shopping for alternative filters regardless of the engine maker
I have Mann air filters for my VP engines which cost about 25% of the price asked by VP.

About 25% sounds right: Twenty years ago having just bought our first boat and eager to do the right thing by it I wandered into the local Volvo Agent and asked for an oil filter and the chap dropped a Mann M77 filter on the counter then asked me for £17 or £18 for it. When I stressed that it was a 'genuine Volvo' filter that I wanted, he directed my attention to the white sticky label on the box which said 'Volvo' and showed a Volvo part number whilst explaining this was 'genuine Volvo'. I thought 'FFS at £18 they could at least have the decency to pretend that it's a bit special' and left empty handed; the following day my local Autoparts store sold me 3 Mann M77s at '£10 for cash'
As for the Yanmar, soon after I'd bought the boat someone sent me an internet link which listed all of the compatible oil and diesel filters for the GM engine - there were dozens from around the world and most of them <25% of the 'genuine Yanmar' price and even those, if obtained from an agricultural engineers rather than a marine chandlery/engineer is less the half the price that they want for the 'marine' version.

 

[Momac]

As suggested there seems to be no such thing as a marine oil filter for leisure boat engines . The part numbers for my VP oil filter and air filter are identical to the parts for a Volvo 240 car.
I am thinking of stocking up on filters . I found years ago when running old cars that cheaply available service parts eventually became scarce and no longer cheap.

 

[Stemar]

The filter on my VP2003 disintegrated, so I used the base and added a plastic bowl with suitable holes drilled into it, which I filled with green scrubbies. Worked fine and cost next to nothing (The bowl was an old one that had been kicking around for years, and Milady didn't miss the scrubbies)