EaA and dust in intake

Tinman · **Joined:** Mon Apr 10, 2006 10:45 am **Posts:** 308

I have been running a EaA in the Libby and the 06 Cummins for a little while. I had the intake apart in the truck the other day and I found residue in there. Here's the link to the TDR thread:

http://www.turbodieselregister.com/foru ... -tube.html

So I checked the Libby's intake, clean. But, I found some definite dust on the intake side of the filter itself. Just a little but not doubt of what it was. I have run this filter in the KJ for one 7K oil change interval and the UOA showed high normal silicon, I forget the number, but it wasn't mentioned in the summary from Blackstone Labs.

I don't think this is a filter problem, but maybe a seal problem. :roll:

I am not saying the filter is bad. But I am concerned now about the EaA, so it's on the shelf and I put a paper element back in.

kdlewis1975 · **Posted:** Tue Aug 05, 2008 10:29 pm

I wonder if the higher silicon could be from the silicone seal. A lot of those silicone rubbers are crosslinked and then filled with something like silica to add strength and toughness. There is often a certain amount of silicone fluid added to plasticize the rubber to give it some pliability. The higher silicon could be from the "off gassing" of those silicone fluids and them being combusted...would end up turning into silica which would be captured in the oil like the soot.

Threeweight · **Joined:** Mon May 14, 2007 5:57 pm **Posts:** 679

kdlewis1975 wrote:

I wonder if the higher silicon could be from the silicone seal. A lot of those silicone rubbers are crosslinked and then filled with something like silica to add strength and toughness. There is often a certain amount of silicone fluid added to plasticize the rubber to give it some pliability. The higher silicon could be from the "off gassing" of those silicone fluids and them being combusted...would end up turning into silica which would be captured in the oil like the soot.

But how would that explain the dust on the "clean" side of his intake?

kdlewis1975 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 06, 2008 6:22 pm

If it's not a leak, I'd suspect it could be stuff come out of the filter media itself. Based on the pictures I saw on the Amsoil website, it looks like a nonwoven material. They may or may not be a binder holding this together. The don't say what the composition of the nanofibers are, so it's hard to know how cohesive they should be. Maybe their tests are done using "dry air" and they're not accounting for the "wet air" of real world conditions and this causes some of the media to come loose and collect inside. There's also the possibility that these things actually don't filter as well as they advertise and it's letting particles through which agglomerate on the "clean side." Unless there is an obvious leak, it's hard to say where's it coming from...which I guess was part of the question in the first place.

I previously had a K&N air filter in mine. Upon inspecting it during an oil change, I found a pine needle protruding through it...actually made it half-way through. Much of the oil in the filter had also gathered to one side that part appeared very greasy/dirty. After seeing this, I tossed it and just use the Frams...which aren't necessarily considered the best, but I've never found a pine needle stuck in one yet. I may look into getting NAPA or something along those lines in the future myself.

Zonie · **Posted:** Wed Aug 06, 2008 9:35 pm

I've had the EaA filter in for 18K miles and have done an oil analysis every 6K. My silicon levels dropped from 14 (Wix) to 8 (EaA)and has been holding at 9 for the last 2 oil changes. I blow it out with each oil change. It's been on highways, in serious rain storms and on dirt roads all summer. I have no complaints!

Pablo · **Joined:** Thu Feb 02, 2006 10:06 pm **Posts:** 1201

If you do get high silicon levels, I would first check your CCV tube to the intake (it could have fallen off). Also check the intake tubes on the top of the filter box and check to make sure the filter box closes properly. I have seen a couple boxes that did not close right and a couple where the plastic tube did not fit right going into the airbox and it left a small gap.

Cowpie1 · **Posted:** Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:31 am

Zonie wrote:

I've had the EaA filter in for 18K miles and have done an oil analysis every 6K. My silicon levels dropped from 14 (Wix) to 8 (EaA)and has been holding at 9 for the last 2 oil changes. I blow it out with each oil change. It's been on highways, in serious rain storms and on dirt roads all summer. I have no complaints!

Ditto. I have had good silicon levels in my UOA's since putting in the EaA filter about 20K ago.

JJsTJ · **Posted:** Thu Aug 07, 2008 10:40 am

I have them on 3 different Jeeps (two drop-ins and one cone) all used in dusty conditions and None of them shows any sign of dust in the intake.

Tinman · **Joined:** Mon Apr 10, 2006 10:45 am **Posts:** 308

Good to hear some positvie results with UOA to back it up. Like I said, I haven't given up on the filter yet. I'll probably give them a try again later. I could find no obvious area on the seal of a leak (on either filter). I think I'll get a UOA with the paper filter then go back to the EaA.

EaA and dust in intake

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