Stainless steel mesh air filter

Skolmate · Aug 12, 2015

I've got a company that im thinking paying to bespoke make in high grade stainless steel an air filter for my 110 Defender 200tdi so instead of buying new paper ones I can just pressure wash it out. Just as long as I don't play rugby with it or use it as a mallet it's supposed to never wear. I'm gonna try it out but wanted to know if there was anything else on the market like this? I think I'll be looking at around £70 but I've calculated that at around 3.5 years of paper filters without getting them wet. Any thoughts?

Kwakerman · Aug 12, 2015

Unless it has a very fine mesh I cant see it filtering as fine a particle as a paper one, on the other hand if it is that fine then it could be fairly restrictive due to the ratio of wire thickness to filter hole size (if you get my drift). Not sure what the micron size and flow rate of a standard paper filter is (not sure if that info would be available from the manufacturer but worth a try) but if you can get it then see if the other company can give the same specs for the SS one and try to compare.

300bhp/ton · Aug 12, 2015

Skolmate said:
Any thoughts?

Yes.

Have you actually thought about it. Lets examine a few facts, it's called an air filter.

It's primary purpose is to, yes you've guessed it "filter".

A mesh filter won't filter anything other than twigs or leafs and then only badly.

If you drive only on a race track or somewhere that isn't dusty and only on road, maybe you could delude yourself to thinking it would be ok. But for normal road and potential off roading.

Well all it does is show a complete lack of understanding.

vilguy · Aug 12, 2015

You can have a stainless steel air filter.

I have designed them and have recently installed some, however they are "FOOK ME" expensive. For a stainless steel HEPA to remove particulates down to 0.3 µm its about £20,000.

I have done some laser cut ones before but that was only to take out sand and grit.

Paper air filters (pattern) are only about a fiver and the likelyhood is that your defender will be nicked by the time your fancy stainless one would have paid for itself anyway

if you want a fancy air filter stick a k&n oiled air filter in it, but theres a big interweb debate about the effectiveness to arrest particulates of these too.
I just stick to paper ones. They are very efficient.

brian47 · Aug 12, 2015

I remember a wire mesh air filter which was used on my father's old Morris Minor (Series MM) so it's hardly a new idea.

It was soaked in engine oil before use to make it "sticky" and when installed the bottom portion of the filter was kept dipped in an oil bath. Altogether a totally messy way of filtering the air and not particularly efficient.

Replaceable paper filters are a much better design IMHO.

bankz5152 · Aug 12, 2015

Paper one is £5 it works and works well. K&N 'performance' ones can let more **** in the engine, its a Land Rover not a Skyline. Stick with Paper.

300bhp/ton · Aug 12, 2015

vilguy said:
You can have a stainless steel air filter.

I have designed them and have recently installed some, however they are "FOOK ME" expensive. For a stainless steel HEPA to remove particulates down to 0.3 µm its about £20,000.

I have done some laser cut ones before but that was only to take out sand and grit.

Interesting. However I'm assuming the op is referring to something more akin to this:

Which is hardly more than a sieve. Would work fine with an inner paper filter though

vilguy · Aug 12, 2015

There are already k&n style ones available though arent there? (never looked to be honest)

300bhp/ton · Aug 12, 2015

Honestly don't know. Looked at some in Halfords once as a mate was wanting to buy on. It was just a mesh weave, wouldn't have filtered much at all. Maybe there are some better ones these days. But can't see the problem with using paper or aftermarket such as cotton or foam. Although best is probably a Donaldson synthetic weave, which are typically used by heavy plant machinery and aircraft. Comparable filtering ability to paper but with increased flow rate.

vilguy · Aug 12, 2015

300bhp/ton said:
Honestly don't know. Looked at some in Halfords once as a mate was wanting to buy on. It was just a mesh weave, wouldn't have filtered much at all. Maybe there are some better ones these days. But can't see the problem with using paper or aftermarket such as cotton or foam. Although best is probably a Donaldson synthetic weave, which are typically used by heavy plant machinery and aircraft. Comparable filtering ability to paper but with increased flow rate.

ive a donaldson airbox and filter in the workshop waiting for me to figure out how to mount it in the engine bay without it looking crap!

DiscoPol · Aug 12, 2015

vilguy said:
ive a donaldson airbox and filter in the workshop waiting for me to figure out how to mount it in the engine bay without it looking crap!

you will break it

Stainless steel mesh air filter

Skolmate

Active Member

Kwakerman

Well-Known Member

300bhp/ton

Well-Known Member

vilguy

Do'er of stuff and the like

brian47

Well-Known Member

bankz5152

Well-Known Member

300bhp/ton

Well-Known Member

vilguy

Do'er of stuff and the like

300bhp/ton

Well-Known Member

vilguy

Do'er of stuff and the like

DiscoPol

Well-Known Member

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