Dirty Air Cleaners

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23009, 9 April 1938, Page 12 (Supplement)

Dirty Air Cleaners

EFFECT ON ENGINE EFFICIENCY

Practically every make of car is now fitted with an air cleaner, which has proved to be a valuable device in reducing the rate of wear and tear in the cylinder bores, pistons and piston rings. After a big mileage, however, the general efficiency of an engine may be impaired by a dirty air cleaner. In the majority of cleaners, the filtering element consists of woven mesh or steel wool, which gradually becomes filled with the dust, and grit which is taken from the air entering the carburetter. Should too much foreign matter accumulate in the filter, the air supply passing through it and into the carburetter may become seriously restricted. The result is a mixture of incorrect strength with a consequent loss in performance. For this reason the filter should be cleaned periodically, every 2000 or 3000 nyles. It is a simple job. By loosening one round-headed screw, the filter may be removed from the carburetter and its louvred end dipped into a shallow pan containing petrol. Allow it to drv, -and'then treat the wire mesh with engine oil, allowing the surplus to drain off before refitting the carburetter. A number of motorists are inclined to think that choking o! the cleaner is a remote possibility. That is far from the case, and attention of the aort outlined w essential.