08 TE450. I just cleaned my air filter tonight for the first time. Whats the deal with the removable rubber edged screen? Do you leave it or keep it? Tonight i decided to keep it. I took it off, lubed the back side with rim greese, and the front side that meets the air filter. Nice large area to work with but..... i didn't feel like the filter and screen seated together very well. Plus i can get my finger between the filter and the box pretty easily with the bolt tight. Am i just being too picky?? Do i just trust this thing to seal??

Sorry these pic's are horrible but maybe you can see what i mean, the wavy rubber edge.

Leave the screen out . It is not needed.

The screen is supposed to stop a flame out through the carby, ie big back fire etc. The risk is a back fire can melt your air filter without the guard. That said many riders (me included) just put it aside. I have had no issues for 3 years.

ghte said:

I'm another one of the many that took it out, and have not had issue on my Husky or any other bike I've remove screen on over the last 30+yrs.......but that's not saying it couldn't happen.

I have left my flame arrestor in and have no trouble with it sealing. Some times I have to "work" the filter around the plastic filter frame so the sealing surface is flat before installing it. If I don't the outside edge of the filter does not lay flat against the seal (like in your pictures), however the filter is still sealing where the plastic filter frame contacts the filter.

I will tell you that if you are not getting a good seal against the flame arrestor, taking it out will not make the seal any better.

The moose filters that I got from Motosportz are easier to install and seem to seal easier than the factory Twinair filter.

Ken

I have to disagree with Ken,s comments above, removing the flame shield will allow the filter to sit a tad deeper in the fitting and allow the filter to bed in better. A lot of old stagers also run a smidge of grease arounf the metal rim to improve the seal as well.

Mine went over the shoulder, nice liberal bead of water proof grease around the filter and bang, she's sealed tight! I almost don't have to put a screw in!

Thanks for the responses. I think im going to remove the screen and see how it fits and then make a decision. I do use a waterproof grease where it seals, this system just seems a bit odd. I think id feel better knowing i don't have that extra surface that needs to be sealed, if and how well its seated each time.

Well i pulled off the filter tonight and removed the screen. With the screen in, it seemed a little sloppy, almost like it can slightly rock back and forth. With out the screen it seems real solid. The wingnut still clamped it down tightly and i put extra grease on the fasteners imprint on the airbox side.

Sucky thing is i looked into the airbox throat and saw small dried droplets of muddy water. So this thing did leak. I will now pull the filter every ride to check how clean the throat tube is to make sure this new way doesn't leak.

Hope it didn't do any damage.........

does removing the screen aid in starting or do anything for perf?

crf250r_motorhead said:

Only place you might see a difference on a bike would be when you're really sucking air like during WOT charges thru the gears and at/near top end. Past bikes, I had, like a old Honda XR350 and a Suzuki DR350, getting rid of the backfire screens made a very noticeable improvement. (as does getting rid of any snorkel in an airbox)

On my Husky the screen wasn't as restrictive, so didn't notice any big change.........but then I only had the screen in there until the second air filter cleaning, and honestly, w/over 60% more power in the 510, I don't typically push this bike as hard as I did the others mentioned.