What happens when...

[89katana750]

What happens if you were to drop your stock paper filter in the water for a couple seconds and then just let it to dry for a few days? What effect does it take on the paper?

[SweetLou]

The paper goes from wet, to dry.

[UFO8MyCow]

The paper goes from wet, to dry.

But before it goes from wet to dry it goes from dry to wet.

[SweetLou]

The paper goes from wet, to dry.

But before it goes from wet to dry it goes from dry to wet.

True, I forgot about that step.

[Dan Dubeau]

You two never cease to amaze me

If it was just a normal plain paper filter, i think the water would break it down, and it would probably just fall apart.

[89katana750]

I shall rephrase . Would the water damage my air filter?

[The CyberPoet]

Depends on how much it soaked up and how it dried.

The OEM air filter is composed of layers:

Paper
cotton fiber weave
paper
steel mesh

If the paper gets wet, it swells and then as it dries, it should shrink most of the way again, but will never get down to the same size as before because previously it was created under a hot roller (being pressed with pressure and heat as it went from pulp to dry). This may make a little less air flow, richening up the mix some amount. Obviously how wet it got plays into it, because it dictates how much it got to swell. Whether it takes a stock bike from very lean to perfect, or from perfect to slightly rich, or from lean to very rich depends strictly on how much the pulp reformed, expanded and dried. I can't tell you that without looking at it, and even then it would just be a best guess.

The cotton fibers can be the real problem -- if they got wet, they might have sogged and moved to whatever end was lowest in the filter at the time. You should be able to check this to see if they bunched up by shining a flashlight through the filter in the dark and seeing if the material between the paper layers is still uniform. If it isn't uniform, get a new one and cut the old one open as an educational experience (you'll be surprised just how long the filter pleating actually is -- I measured it at over 6 feet).

Good Luck!
=-= The CyberPoet

[BISQ]

Why not just get a new one and not have to worry about it?

I tend to do that, as I end up thinking I screwed something up otherwise...

[89katana750]

I am a 19 year old University student studying photography who is trying to budget a motorcycle again.

think of the insurance in Toronto, Ontario also. eeek!

[WildKat]

Why not just get a new one and not have to worry about it?

I tend to do that, as I end up thinking I screwed something up otherwise...

+1 .. better to be safe than sorry. Im the same way.

[rotary13b]

Get a new one