Air filters, salt in motors and will a sock be enough?

[Jonny Hotnuts]

I found that I had a surprising amount of salt in my intercooler. It was enough salt that it made a small pile when dumped out.

I had noticed that salt was in my up pipe after a qualifying run so I know salt was getting into the motor before I spun.
The odd thing is that on my back up run the car ran like it was on 2 cylinders...popping and snorting...until I hit the 2 mile marker and it was like a switch was hit and went into warp speed.

I am wondering if the salt that was ingested on the license and qualifying runs caused the plugs to salt foul and somehow work themselves out after running a bit...I am still not sure what caused the motor to be running bad and then just wake up.

I am perplexed on how the salt got in the intake track....it was clear the engine was running when the salt got in the motor.....you could almost see a pattern on the inside of the intercooler from directional flow. We are very careful to put balls in the scoop when towing and in impound. It just doesnt make sense as the front wheels are 100% covered and the intake is located middle aft and high.

I am curious to know if something like a pre filter sock or nylons could be used to filter the largish salt particles without resort to using a conventional air filter.

any thoughts???

~JH

[salt27]

Nylons are very restrictive.
Been there done that.

Don

[Buickguy3]

   JH,
  Here's some food for thought. We run the Salt Cat through the stock Jaguar Air path, which brings the air through the grille, and up over the radiator support and then to the turbo. It is probably 30 inches off of the salt at the intake. We do, however, run a full frontal air dam that is about 2 inches off of the salt. We didn't run any type of screen or filter system. When we got everything apart this Winter, we found that the turbo compressor wheel had lots of little dings and nicks in it. Our theory is that the front air dam created a vacuum between the dam and the front support and lifted little pieces of very abrasive salt up into the air stream and the engine ate it[Burp!!!]. This year we are running a screen of about 5 times the surface of the turbo inlet [Bud Engineering at it's best]. We'll post results from the Great White Dyno.
Doug

[Peter Jack]

If you have the room run a large air cleaner for your relatively small engine. It definitely results in cost savings.

Pete

[wobblywalrus]

Scratches from abrasive particles were seen on the pistons, and to a lesser extent, the nikasil cylinders, during the last tear down.  I run open velocity stacks on the Triumph when it is on the salt.  I thought that salt was too soft to cause these scratches.  Am I wrong on this?  If so, I have plenty of time to fit a filter and I will put one on. 

[Stan Back]

I remember reading here of a motorcycle guy who found 1/2" of salt on his piston tops when he disassembled his motor . . .

Stan

[Peter Jack]

An air filter is always better if it causes minimal to no restriction and it can be fitted without causing serious problems in other areas. In many cases the air filter will quiet the air and the inlet to the carb or injector can be made way more efficient than an inlet hanging out in the breeze where other aerodynamic forces can get involved. Salt can be very abrasive.

Pete

[Glen]

I remember reading here of a motorcycle guy who found 1/2" of salt on his piston tops when he disassembled his motor . . .

Stan

Yeah he's the same guy that tried to make a slinky go down the up escalator.

[Rcktscientist]

Spectre Industries (home of the Speed by Spectre AA/BGS) in Ontario, CA makes low restriction air filters (shameless plug). They had 2 on the car during the record runs last year. No salt bulld up in the Caddy! They have all the components to make it work for most applications. You can get a bunch of bends and tubes, cut, fit and mark them up and they will weld it up for you. Looking forward to Speedweek....

[55chevr]

1/2" on top of pistons ... now we know why the salt crust is so thin ... we were all blaming the mining operations and it was the racers carrying it away in their engines the whole time.

[landsendlynda]

I remember reading here of a motorcycle guy who found 1/2" of salt on his piston tops when he disassembled his motor . . .

Stan

Yeah he's the same guy that tried to make a slinky go down the up escalator.

Saw that one coming!!      

Lynda

[saltwheels262]

went to start bike motor a week after bub '09;
wouldn't start .

 drain plug comes off mikuni 48 hsr float bowl --
dark yellow hi-test flows out w/ a lot of whitish fine sediment
in the drain plug. twice more it's drained. same thing.

a week later bowl is 'filled' to check again. nothing comes out,
bowl won't fill. but gas flows from line going to bowl.(not yellowed).

nothing was in pingel filter. (brass insert)

i think salt chunks that got on k&n filter dissolved and got in
carb throat. making it to bowl?- don't know. maybe thru bowl vent?

bike no longer leans to left when on block. 
bike fired sunday w/ new 48 and wiring harness after 3 yrs.

can't wait !!

franey