I was told by NoToil that their red oil (contains alcohol) should not be used with filters that have a neoprene style base because the alcohol can break down the glue used to seal the base to the filter.. I am glad I asked because i was about to oil up my brand new moose filter using their red oil.. they now make a green oil that does not have alcohol and that is recommended.

 

Most of these aftermarket filter oils are overrated and overpriced anyway. A good foam filter works excellently with just about any 30wt chain/bar oil that you use for chainsaws and such. Heresy you say?...the things that make your best rated foam filter oils are the proper weight and the tacky components introduced into the mix. What about water shedding? Not surprisingly, it's the tacky components that double as the water shedding element.

These modern blends that claim a super easy cleaning regimen do so at the expense of some filtration quality. Nothing beats a tacky oil in the 30wt range, but the added effort it takes to really clean the filter puts a lot of people off. Filter oil manufacturers can claim whatever song and dance they want, but tacky oils require a two-step cleanup of a solvent first and then a soapy water wash after the solvent has dried.

Contrary to Al Gore and Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, I use gasoline to get rid of the filter oil. After air drying completely, I wash the filter in laundry detergent followed by a good rinse. I use a fairly thick pair of nitrile rubber gloves. As far as the glue holding the filter elements together...I had three filter setups for my KLX when I started out...two 2-piece Uni filters and one Twin-Air. I have over 30K miles on the bike and still have all three filters. Frankly, I thought I would have at least worn out all three at this point, but no. The OEM filter didn't last too long for whatever reason.

Filter maintenance is a PITA, but if you want good filtration and getting the filter really clean after the fact, it requires some effort.

 

I've been using PJ1 spray oil for awhile now.. can is running low. I have a gallon of bar-and-chain oil on the shelf so I think I will give it a try next time I clean my filters.

 

Abram, I haven't seen one of those bar/chain oils yet that wasn't tacky, but test it by dabbing some on two fingers and patting them together. You should some evidence of "stranding" between your fingers confirming the tacky element.

 

i have some itasca bar oil but it doesn't say 30wt anywhere on it.. i looked at husky, stihl, oregon, polaun oils and none of them are marked either.. maybe they are all just 30wt. i did read on a chainaw forum that stihl and husky tend to be on the lighter side.. this itasca i have is pretty thick and gooey

 

I don't know...it would seem unusual for bar oil to be somewhat thin. Pretty sure it would sling off fairly easily even with tacky additives. I think most bar oils are at 30wt or even higher. Anyone here use the original formula Twin Air foam filter oil? It's extremely good stuff and seems thick as gear oil, and very tacky. It's just kind of expensive for filter oil, however.

 

So this is what I have been using for the last clean up
Here is why
I believe that I am in need of a valve job after shimming a couple times in the past few years from very tight intake valves. No clearance at all on the feelers. Poor starting etc
Over the years I have thought that the No Toil regiment was good enough(wash, oil, grease), but after speaking with a very experienced bike mechanic, this product is total garbage, and is why crap has been getting through and thus my problems.
I have always been diligent on the air filter routine but if using the wrong products....
Hard lesson to learn
He showed me how tacky this stuff is between the fingers, and I believe this grease is way better than anything else.
Time to break down the head, fix it up, and keep investing in the good stuff.

So does anyone have any experience on a valve job? Oem or after market valves?
Cant find much on the forum

Thanks

 

i went to the the local shop and one of the product reps was there he said in the 20 years of selling the notoil product he has never heard of an issue. i am still not going to use it after reading some of these response and some others on different sites..

 

Great advice and explanation; chain saw oil is exactly what I use as well.