Need to clean my Blackwing
Thread Starter
Burning Brakes
Joined: May 2004
Posts: 929
Likes: 45
From: Wayne NJ
Need to clean my Blackwing
I was looking at my Blackwing filter and it looks like it could use a cleaning.I would say it has about 25000 miles on it.What type of cleaning agent should i use to clean it? What is the procedure?
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 10,554
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From: Not on either liberal coast.
SIMPLE GREEN is just fine if you don't have the re-charge kit. The kit is about $15.95 and is supplied now through S&B FILTERS (CA)...
http://www.sbfilters.com/products/fi...aintenance.php
IMO, 25,000 is to long before cleaning. I do my oil gauze filters with every other oil change. It's cheap insurance. But, it's your car...
http://www.sbfilters.com/products/fi...aintenance.php
IMO, 25,000 is to long before cleaning. I do my oil gauze filters with every other oil change. It's cheap insurance. But, it's your car...
Last edited by hotwheels57; Jul 31, 2009 at 08:19 PM.
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I used the Blackwing kit when I did mine, but I agree, Simple Green will do it also. Then you need the oil to reapply to the filter.
Team Owner
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From: Oklahoma City OK
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Get Simple Green, a bucket of water and a soft brush. Drip the filter in the water and brush until the dirt is off. Then rinse from the inside out useing the hose. Let it dry completely. Recharge with a mixture of mineral oil and alcohol in a small spray bottle, the alcohol is to spray the oil on the filter, then it will evaporate leaving the oil.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jul 2007
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From: Kansas City area
Get Simple Green, a bucket of water and a soft brush. Drip the filter in the water and brush until the dirt is off. Then rinse from the inside out useing the hose. Let it dry completely. Recharge with a mixture of mineral oil and alcohol in a small spray bottle, the alcohol is to spray the oil on the filter, then it will evaporate leaving the oil.
What is the recommended mix ratio of alcohol to mineral oil?
Thanks,
Jeff
Race Director
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From: Whippany NJ
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Get the blackwing cleaner kit... several forum vendors sell them. The instructions state to use only blackwing cleaner when servicing it.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 2,996
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From: Fort Wayne IN
I used just soap and water to clean... let dry overnight and then a good coating of the same oil I use on my motorcycle fabric pod filters. Don't overload it just a couple of coats should do it. this'll be cheaper than the kit by a longshot. 
Safety Car
Joined: Jan 2007
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From: The Great Truth: "There ain't no free lunch"
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SIMPLE GREEN is just fine if you don't have the re-charge kit. The kit is about $15.95 and is supplied now through S&B FILTERS (CA)...
http://www.sbfilters.com/products/fi...aintenance.php
IMO, 25,000 is to long before cleaning. I do my oil gauze filters with every other oil change. It's cheap insurance. But, it's your car...
http://www.sbfilters.com/products/fi...aintenance.php
IMO, 25,000 is to long before cleaning. I do my oil gauze filters with every other oil change. It's cheap insurance. But, it's your car...
NOT even counting the fact that the computer has detune because of a dirty filter........
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From: Belleville Il
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2007
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From: Belleville Il
!!I rinsed and repeated since so much came out the first time!! I let mine sit on a heat vent over night,,then oiled her up!!
Tech Contributor
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From: Should this thoughtful, valuable contribution meet with no acknowledgement or 'thanks' this post----
if the mileage is that high prepare yourself for some free horsepower boost after you reinstall it!
Race Director
Joined: Jan 2006
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From: Not on either liberal coast.
The K&N oil is red. The Blackwing is blue. It'll probably turn your Blackwing an odd shade of purple.
As I mentioned, S&B FILTERS (CA) now supplies the filter kits for the BLACKWING. That's what you get when you order the cleaning kit directly from SLP or any Corvette parts supplier.
For the $15.95 price of a kit it's a no brainer to me...
Race Director
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From: San Diego CA
Here''s how I clean my Halltech, but cleaning the Blackwing is essentially the same with the possible exception of which oil you use.
http://www.conceptualpolymer.com/Cle...0filter%20.pdf
http://www.conceptualpolymer.com/Cle...0filter%20.pdf
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From: Lenoir City Tennessee
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I bought a used Donalson Blackwing from a member on the forum and received it this evening. So I thought I would do a search and see if I could learn about cleaning the filter. I guess tomorrow I will spray the filter down with my bottle of Simple Green and let it soak a little before washing it out. May do a little more research locally and see what I can come up with for an oil at this point. I may also have to try the mineral oil trick.
I do drive my car every day and put about 60 miles a day on it. Is there a recommended maintenance interval on the Blackwing?
I do drive my car every day and put about 60 miles a day on it. Is there a recommended maintenance interval on the Blackwing?
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2004
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From: Oklahoma City OK
C6 of Year Finalist (appearance mods) 2019
I bought a used Donalson Blackwing from a member on the forum and received it this evening. So I thought I would do a search and see if I could learn about cleaning the filter. I guess tomorrow I will spray the filter down with my bottle of Simple Green and let it soak a little before washing it out. May do a little more research locally and see what I can come up with for an oil at this point. I may also have to try the mineral oil trick.
I do drive my car every day and put about 60 miles a day on it. Is there a recommended maintenance interval on the Blackwing?
I do drive my car every day and put about 60 miles a day on it. Is there a recommended maintenance interval on the Blackwing?
Safety Car
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 3,640
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From: . New York
And we get a little nutz about this stuff (I know, we cant help it) but . . .The restriction from the oem filter is probably an order of magnitude higher than the dirtiest Blackwing.
Everyones driving area is different, a lot of those in use could be dirty but in general its a very unrestrictive filter with a ton of throughput.
Cant hurt to clean it though
Everyones driving area is different, a lot of those in use could be dirty but in general its a very unrestrictive filter with a ton of throughput.
Cant hurt to clean it though
Race Director
Joined: Feb 1999
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From: Lenoir City Tennessee
Ci 6, 8 & 10 Veteran
St. Jude Donor '05-'06-'07-'08-'09-'10-'11-'12-'13-'14-'15
Got it in a bucket of Simple Green right now. It was very dirty on the outside. We will see how well it cleans up this evening. I plan on soaking it on each half for about 30 minutes or so. Does this sound okay?
Safety Car
Joined: Aug 2007
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From: This is not a Song, It's an Outburst: Or, The Establishment Blues; Sixto Diaz Rodriguez
^^ I usually just clean mine all at once, let it dry completely, (if it's Summer, I'll put it in the sun), oil it, and let it dry for another day before re-installing. I know some guys will probably think this is crazy, but my last cleaning (Winter), between water drying, and oil drying, took me 3 days. 