I have a 2005 300ex and I'm still learning things about it as i go but I have a couple questions about the oil and air filter. 1) When I got this thing the air filter had never been changed and there was dried up mud and junk in the box and filter was crap. I had a K&N air filter (never been used) for a cold air intake for a car laying around so I thru it on my 300ex. I was wondering how do I properly oil it? 2) I ordered an oil filter element off ebay and I was curious if that's the whole oil filter or is this element one of 2 pieces?

 

K&N makes an aerosol air filter oil, and filter cleaner. Basically clean the filter with the cleaner and water, and once it has dried hit it with the spray. Get an even pink on the filter, but don't over oil it. Don't use hot water as it will shrink the gauze, and don't use compressed air as it could blow holes in it.

Personally, I'm not a big fan of K&N and other gauze type filters on ATV's, and if it were mine I'd get an aftermarket foam type.

As far as the oil filter, it is an element, as opposed to a spin on filter. On many Hondas if you put the filter in the wrong way it will block all oil flow, so pay attention when you put it in. If it is a Honda filter, it will be stamped on each end as to which end faces the engine and which end faces the cover.

 

Thanks for all the info, much appreciated. Is there a noticeable performance difference with using a foam type air filter? Are they better than the gauze type filters?

 

Get a UNI air filter.

 

UNI's are a nice quality filter.

Gauze types can let dust pass into the engine. I don't think you will see any performance difference at all between the two.

For foam filters I really like Pro-Honda's bio oil stuff. It comes in a pack with filter oil, a special cleaner, and a tube of sealing grease. The oil is super-tacky and holds a ton of dirt, and it resists water and fuel very well. To clean it, you use the included powder in warm water, and it washes right out (no kerosene or diesel stink).

The kit also comes with a sticker to put on your airbox lid- in case someone else services it. The stuff won't come out with the solvents used in typical petroleum oils, and if you try you get a slimy mess.

 

Thanks for the input guys. I'm gonna order a UNI air filter off ebay over the next week and do I need anything else besides some sealing grease to put it straight on? I'm a little confused with the oil and cleaner you guys are talking about.

 

You will need some sort of foam filter oil to oil the filter. The traditional stuff can be cleaned with diesel or kerosene.

Like I said, I like the pro-honda stuff that I bought from the dealer. It came as a pack with oil, cleaner, and sealing grease. The difference is that the powdered cleaner and warm water wash out the oil, so you don't have to mess with the smell of a petroleum based solvent.

UNI also has a foam filter oil of their own brand.

 

Around how much does the pro honda kit run? Having trouble finding it on ebay before I head out to the shops around here to check cause they love to charge you out the rear end.

Also I read you just spray the oil on the filter and squeeze to drain out what is left over, then slap some sealing grease on and it's good to go? Sorry for all the questions, just trying to make sure I'm doing this right.

 

I bought the stuff at the Honda dealer. It wasn't too expensive. I didn't see it on line either.

With the Honda stuff for foam filters, you put the filter into a freezer storage zip lock, squish it around, and let it dry for a while. A little grease around the sealing flange would keep dust out if the seal happens to be imperfect.

 

I did a bit more research on trying to find a foam filter kit online and found this no-toil stuff which is the same as the stuff from pro-honda (correct me if I'm wrong?) but in the description it specifically says not to use with a Uni brand filter so it'd work with any other foam filter? Why is this?

Here's a link to what I found and that description I was talking about.
No Toil Air Filter Maintenance Kit Foam Oil Grease : eBay Motors (item 290459016519 end time Nov-26-10 08:02:47 PST)