Air Filter

[mcheary]

I have recently bought a boat fitted with a Perkins Prima M50 engine. I note it has no air filter, just an open end on the inlet manifold. Is this usual or do I need to fit one?
Any suggestion would be gratefully received.
Mike

 

[nigelmercier]

My Volvo MD22 has no fine air filter, but it has a mushroom shaped device with a coarse mesh connected to the breather. It was very clogged up when I bought the boat.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

I have a Perkins 4236 and it has a mushroom style air inlet with a gauze like baffle. However, the engines can be supplied with a few styles of air filter depending on the environment and maybe even not one at all: paper element, centrifugal / water coalescing, oil bath. It could be that the installer decided that the engine room air supply was sufficiently dust free and that an air filter was not required.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

My Volvo MD22 does have the mushroom (without mesh) thingy but I have wondered if fitting a car style filter would dampen the air intake noise?

 

[rob2]

I guess it's been OK up to now, but there are advantages to having a filter - longevity of the engine and noise reduction. If you measure the diameter of the intake you can scour the scrap yards to find a car type to fit, but make sure you can still get elements for it. Another possibility is to find a K&N filter to fit the stub. They are coated with a sticky substance after fitting and can be washed out and recoated. If going this route, use the stub diameter and hp of the engine to select a suitable filter, but make sure there is enough space for it to fit!

Rob.

 

[prv]

The intake filter on mine is just a sheet-metal box with some foam in it. Compared to machines on building sites etc, the air in a yacht's engine bay is pretty clean, so it doesn't need anything too sophisticated. You could probably build one yourself.

Pete

 

[nigelmercier]

My Volvo MD22 does have the mushroom (without mesh) thingy but I have wondered if fitting a car style filter would dampen the air intake noise?

Are you sure it doesn't have mesh? I didn't realise mine did, it was so clogged it looked like a solid tube.

 

[Poignard]

I have one similar to this on my BUKH engine

http://www.asap-supplies.com/search/air+filter/air-filter-chrm-52mmlongstb133x30mm

 

[nigelmercier]

I have one similar to this on my BUKH engine

http://www.asap-supplies.com/search/air+filter/air-filter-chrm-52mmlongstb133x30mm

That's like the one I fitted on my 1969 Mini Cooper.

 

[gordmac]

I have paper filters on my engines and am surprised how dirty they get, I don't think I would run without them. To quieten the intake noise down I think toy would need a filter in a reasonably sized air box.

 

[TQA]

YOU should definitely have a filter of some sort but the simplest wire mesh job will do IMHO.

You are guarding against the ingestion of a stray screw nut washer etc.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Are you sure it doesn't have mesh? I didn't realise mine did, it was so clogged it looked like a solid tube.

Hi Nigel,

Where should this mesh be? Can you only see it if you take the silencer off?

 

[nigelmercier]

Where should this mesh be? Can you only see it if you take the silencer off?

From memory there is a tube of mesh forming the stalk of the mushroom. It should just pull off, at least mine does.

 

[FlyingDutchman]

Thanks Nigel, I will have a look next weekend.

 

[ghostlymoron]

I would have thought that fitting an air filter would effect the air/fuel mixture and hence running of through unit. I can't see that there is much dust in a marine environment but a coarse filter would be a wise precaution without affecting the running.