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RV-4 airfilter

D

Doyle231

Member
Hi all,

So i am now the proud owner of a RV4. Currently carrying out annual and i am not happy with air filter condition/mod. engine is a vans supplied o-320d1a and cs hartzell prop. What i have found is the k&n air filter (oval shape) has had a section cut out and sealant put in to mold around bottom of the throttle pump. can any help with new item? will the round one from vans work better? ill post picture once i work out how too.

James
australia
 
Filter mod

James,

The filter has been modified to fit the Van's FAB (fiberglass air box) and seal around the accelerator pump on the carb--this is specified in the builder's instructions. The filter is notched, and silicone is used to affect the seal in the notched area. If done correctly, the silicone is molded to the filter and permanent, allowing the filter to be removed easily for cleaning (as opposed to reapplying silicone during each removal/reinstallation). it is possible to use long AN bolts and fabricate a lower, metal oval plate to hold the filter in place, in which case the notch may not be required. This installation method has the advantage of preventing the filter from shrinking over time and maintains a tight seal. It is, however, a bit more time consuming to remove and reinstall filters during maintenance. Warming the filter in the hot sun or a warm oven for a bit makes it much more pliable for installation. K&N makes a cleaning kit, and typically those filters, when properly maintained, last many years.

The "round" filters sold by Van's are simply squeezed a bit to take on an oval shape. My O-320 uses a 3260 element, and I have 2, so instead of having to clean the filter every fifty hours or so, I just swap the clean filter in and clean the dirty one as time permits and then oil it and seal it in a plastic bag until it's time to repeat the process.

Cheers,

Vac
 
Last edited:
Doyle231 said:
Hi all,

So i am now the proud owner of a RV4. Currently carrying out annual and i am not happy with air filter condition/mod. engine is a vans supplied o-320d1a and cs hartzell prop. What i have found is the k&n air filter (oval shape) has had a section cut out and sealant put in to mold around bottom of the throttle pump. can any help with new item? will the round one from vans work better? ill post picture once i work out how too.

James
australia
Click to expand...

James, I also had the same problem with the notch cutout. I made a spacer to clear the pump and put in longer bolts to attach the filter. I'm told the Vans filters do shrink over time but the cutout portion of my old one was a disaster so it needed to be pitched for a new one. Send me your Email by PM and I will forward a photo of what I built for mine.
Regards .... George
 
Thanks guys! after reading through all the paper work with aircraft i have found a document on the air filter install. I think ill purchase a new k&n 3260 filter and re notch.
 
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