Air Filter Maintenance

5 Using a faucet or garden hose (hot water works best), rinse out the heavy dirt and oil. Make sure you only rinse from the inside out; rinsing the other way can lodge grit farther into your filter. Rinse until clear water comes out of the filter.

6 Fill up a bucket with hot soapy water; we suggest using either a laundry detergent or dishwashing soap. Submerge your filter in the bucket and let it sit for about 10-15 minutes.

7 For K&N or gauze filters: Dunk the filter in the bucket a dozen times to help clean out the grit and oil. If needed, use the soft-bristled brush again to flick out the really stubborn dirt. For foam filters: Wash out the filter by hand and be sure not to tear it as you're working it over.

8 Using the same method as before, rinse your filter again. Be sure to flush out all the soap from your filter.

9 Take a minute to look over your filter. If there's old oil or traces of dirt left in the filter, you'll need to repeat the washing process. It's very important that you get out as much of the oil as possible. If you let it go, the old oil will become even harder to wash out in the future and will start to restrict the airflow of your filter. K&N filters should be light gray (no pink) and foam filters should be back to their original color.

10 Dry your filter. Foam filters should be compressed to remove excess water. Don't wring out a foam filter, you'll risk tearing it. Both types of filters should be set in a clean, well-ventilated area to dry for at least 24 hours. The drying process is very important because any moisture left in the filter will keep the new oil from correctly absorbing into the filter.

11 Oil your filter. K&N or gauze filter: These types of filters should be oiled with K&N (or comparable) aerosol oil. Lightly coat the filter up and down each pleat, holding the can about six inches away. After one pass, go back and touch up any spots you may have missed. Let the filter sit for about one hour then apply a second coat of oil. After the second coat, your filter should be solid red, if there are any light spots, reapply oil as needed. Make sure to wipe any excess oil and overspray.

Foam filter: Put your filter in a gallon-size Ziploc bag and pour in a generous amount of oil. We suggest using Maxima FFT (Foam Filter Treatment). Seal up the bag and start massaging the oil into the filter. Gently work the filter until you have an even shade; dark spots mean you've got too much oil on that area, light spots mean not enough. When you have an even coat, remove the filter from the bag, wipe off any excess and let it sit overnight before reinstalling. Leftover oil can be poured back into the bottle to reuse.

12 Clean out your airbox. Any dirt left in the airbox will just be sucked up in your filter the minute you start your ATV. Wiping it out with a damp rag should do the trick; just make sure the intake is covered to keep any dirt from falling in. If it's really dirty, it may be easier to take the airbox off the machine and wash it out with soap and water.

13 Reinstall your filter. Clamp-on filter: Make sure both the mounting flange on your filter and ATV are clean before installation. Don't apply grease to clamp-on style filters. Also, don't overtighten the clamp, especially if your ATV has a plastic flange on the airbox. Overtightening can warp or break the flange, causing a catastrophic air leak. Press-on filters: Make sure the seals on the filter and the airbox are clean and apply a moderate coat of waterproof grease. This is very important and helps to keep dirt from seeping through the seal.

Tip Always double-check your filter installation. Make sure your filter is on straight and clamped down securely.

14 Put your extra filters in Ziploc bags so they stay clean and are easily accessible. To protect your filters from damage, we suggest keeping the bagged filters in large coffee cans or a plastic storage container.