How Often to Fully Flush the Oil Bath Air Cleaner?

[Hippie]

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Hi. How much difference do you find between testing environments and real life environments? Unlike oil filters, which let you know if you did not correctly install them, I would think that uncomfortable or inaccessible air filter locations, coupled with goobered clips etc, would have a severe effect on engine life. An oil bath air cleaner seems to be more likely to have to be assembled correctly.
Colin

Used oil analysis silicon levels indicate that the housings and gaskets themselves are indeed doing the job out there.
I suppose one could mess it up, but they will not latch down properly if the panel is in there crooked. You'd have to force it. I sure have seem my share of busted ones.
I suppose if OBs were on every other car now--I would also see my share of empty-of-oil, clogged or neglected ones. They are hard to snap though.

Wasn't oil bath discontinued merely because of the shop-time needed to properly service them?

Good question.
But with what's out on the market now, I wouldn't go back.
Don't get me wrong, I love my OB cleaner. It's cool. I love servicing it.
I will never replace it with an aftermarket.
But I felt it that there are a few quality intake set-ups out there that, for dusty environments, will extend engine service.
If I lived in the desert I would prolly go with an AFE Pro Guard 7 or a Donaldson intake retrofit. These are cleanable-oiled filters like the K&N, but actually much, much more efficient.