donaldson air cleaner and economy

tomnseals Commited Dubber

54 posts · joined Jul 2005 · 25 May 2006, 9:29 pm

#492716

hi all,

have just had a chat with a VW factory trained mechanic who claims that by installing a Donaldson air cleaner our kombi would breathe better and thereby deliver better performance and (crucially for me) better economy.

Does anyone have any experience with this?

Cheers,
Tom

bus914 Custom Title Time!

1,230 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 25 May 2006, 9:51 pm

#492724

yeah, i had one (gave it away not long ago), didn't notice any difference but that was with a 009.

[img]https://i4.ytimg.com/vi/KOKlJpsfCyk/default.jpg[/img] Click the thumbnail for video👍

tomnseals Commited Dubber

54 posts · joined Jul 2005 · 25 May 2006, 10:07 pm

#492736

bus914 wrote:yeah, i had one (gave it away not long ago), didn't notice any difference but that was with a 009.

what kind of economy do you get out of your bus as it is? (or what kind of economy did u get?)

T

bus914 Custom Title Time!

1,230 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 25 May 2006, 10:14 pm

#492740

last time i checked it was around 11L/100km at 110kph on the open road, and 15L/100km in city traffic. (its injected now) i got pretty much the same consumption before with dual stock carbs and the donaldson, just less power.

[img]https://i4.ytimg.com/vi/KOKlJpsfCyk/default.jpg[/img] Click the thumbnail for video👍

tomnseals Commited Dubber

54 posts · joined Jul 2005 · 25 May 2006, 10:20 pm

#492745

ok, that's interesting.

I have a rebuilt 2L engine which is delivering almost identical figures to yours.

I always thought that fitting the efi would help with economy! Shame that it doesn't seem to. Same with the air filter.

How much did it cost you to fit the efi?

Cheers,
Tom

bus914 Custom Title Time!

1,230 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 25 May 2006, 10:34 pm

#492753

too much.
if it (microtech) was tuned for economy and nothing else it could surely do better.

[img]https://i4.ytimg.com/vi/KOKlJpsfCyk/default.jpg[/img] Click the thumbnail for video👍

toplessbug Fahrvergnugen

879 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 26 May 2006, 8:06 am

#492831

go megasquirt ,so much cheaper than any other and plenty of tech support,too easy on a bus with most of the stuff you need already there:beer

Don't argue with an idiot; people watching may not be able to tell the difference.

68AutoBug Beetle Restorer - Experience over 138\% - YIKES --

11,654 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 26 May 2006, 10:26 am

#492856

Is that a donaldson air cleaner or the pre cleaner which works wonders in very dusty conditions...

The Donaldson paper air cleaners have a large breathing area and last a long time.... probably many years and can then be blown clean with low pressure air....
If You don't go off road or on gravel dusty roads it would last You forever....
I can't see it making any difference to Your VW engine..

I have seen the Donaldson precleaners on Kombis in the country... they usually have a black metal top then about 75mm of clear plastic and then the cast metal base...
They are on Most tractors dozers graders irrigation pump engines etc... The dust collects in the clear plastic piece so You can see it....
But the precleaners do not stop all dust...
You still need a proper air cleaner between it and Your engine....
This info is for people who don't know what a Donaldson Precleaner is....

Lee

- Helping keep Air Cooled VWs on the road - location: SCONE in the Upper Hunter Valley - Northern NSW 320 kms NNW of SYDNEY---

Desert Bug Wolfsburg Wizard

687 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 26 May 2006, 4:59 pm

#492985

Don't make the mistake of thinking "Bigger is better" as this may not be the case as Donaldson aircleaners need a fairly quick flowthrough of air to work effectively. On a VW a 1.5" (38mm) would probably be adequate.
A lot of 4 wheel drives use air cleaners that use the same principal and may be cheaper and easier to get filters for.
Cheers.

Excentric (wife says) VW nut, having owned 250+ VWs in 40 years.

shaihulud Custom Title Time!

1,448 posts · joined Nov 2005 · 27 May 2006, 1:10 am

#493160

I had a Donaldson on my buggy. It gave me better economy than the cheap little non-standard filter that was there originally. I had an oiled foam filter and an outer foam filter in it (I can't remember its name, they are well known and good). I used to check it every 6 months in city driving and it was never in need of cleaning and re-oiling.

I used to get about 10 l/100km around town.

geodon Wolfsburg Wizard

478 posts · joined Aug 2002 · 27 May 2006, 11:31 am

#493243

I had one on a '72 camper 1600. Very cunningly stuffed up the LH wall leading up to the cool air louvres (and a remote oil cooler up the other side- prev owner was a serious guy!!)
Absol no diff in economy!!