To change the air filter on this engine, first unclip the cover then remove the filter. Wash it in soapy water, and dry thoroughly before replacing it. Check the wire mesh for disintegration and throw away if damaged.
This air filter is of the paper element, disposable kind and cannot be washed out and reused. To replace it, simply unscrew the filter housing. The filter can be checked by shining a bright light through from the inside. Any clogged areas will show up immediately.
Engines need even more air than they do fuel, so if the intake is restricted, the engine will run badly, stopping without apparent reason or producing black smoke.
The challenge is to keep sea water out of the engine compartment while allowing enough air in to feed the combustion process – conflicting requirements in rough weather. The compromise is generally to have large diameter pipes running from ducts set high in the cockpit area and covered by louvres.
An inlet cleaner – either a simple gauze strainer in a housing or a paper element similar to a car air cleaner – is normally fitted to trap debris being drawn into the engine. Strainer-type filters need to be cleaned once per season, paper elements changed according to the manufacturer’s recommendations or at the same time as the fine fuel filters.
