D8Dude wrote:

This might seem a silly question, but did you remove the screens from the pot? They aren't too difficult to clean and mostly easily accessible once fully disassembled.
 

The screens were the easy part. I cleaned each individuall. The had a lot of cellulose fiber stuck in them. Last job this machine had was pushing shreded pallets.

With the screens removed both the inner and outer pots were almost full with oily mud.

D8Dude wrote:

My question was for TOP, it sounded like cleaning was a lot more difficult than it should be. In my experience once removed and disassembled cleaning doesn't take all that long, a hit with a pressure washer makes short work of it if you have one. I don't for a second disagree with the advantages of a dry type air cleaner.
 

Perhaps the secret is to service the air cleaner according to CAT's book and not let it get so full of dirt. The previous user must have thought topping the oil was all that was necessary. I suppose I could have hit it with a pressure washer after manual cleaning.

I am curious? Where can a dry aircleaner be purchased for a U series D4 and a rough idea of price?

Is there a difference in the noise level with a dry cleaner?

I have seen one on a 7U but didnt notice any brand name. Thanks, Grant.

neil wrote:

TOP, a longtime Cat mechanic said to not pressure wash the screens in an oil bath cleaner because it will ball up the oily dirt and make it almost impossible to remove. What he suggested was to sit the cleaner in a small tank of diesel or kerosine and bubble air up underneath it to wash the oily dirt out. Says that's what they used to do in the shop and it was very effective
 

Neil, thanks.
The screens aren't the problem, it is the bottom bowl when I gets full of caked in dirt. Very hard to see or access the outer bowl because the rim blocks viewing and tools.

As for screens that isn't an issue for me. I will throw them in the ultrasonic cleaner for 15 minutes in hot soapy water. However, this time it was just diesel and a stiff brush for the screens. The ultrasonic cleaner just unfouled a pony engine breather that had never been cleaned in our lifetime. Bven that was unable to clean the filter at the bottom of the intake elbow. That is supposed to be serviced on a schedule too if I recall.

TOP wrote:

Ray54 wrote:

I believe it was Cat but could been from elsewhere, but a service bulletin about making a tub with circulating cleaning fluid (kerosine I think) thru the screens. I believe it is in the old threads here. (but I have been wrong before)
 
The screens aren't the problem. The pot under the screens was packed with oily mud from years of not being cleaned. It is really hard to get in there and clean or even see. Rinsing won't remove that kind of stuff.

Did you take the tray out of the cup?
Bob

neil wrote:

That's good to know TOP because that seems like an easier route than setting up a specialized tank. That bowl must be a different design than the one we have on my buddy's HT4 because that one was straightforward to clean. Would a wand bent to just the right angle be able to get into the otherwise inaccessible parts?
 

I had the same thoughts. My pressure washer has a quick connector for nozzles. If I made a bent tube that fit the quick connect and added another quick connect female on the end of that it might fit nicely under the "baffle". I would have to be careful to design it so it wouldn't inadvertently spray the operator directly. That would be dangerous.

bluox wrote:

TOP wrote:

Ray54 wrote:

I believe it was Cat but could been from elsewhere, but a service bulletin about making a tub with circulating cleaning fluid (kerosine I think) thru the screens. I believe it is in the old threads here. (but I have been wrong before)
 
The screens aren't the problem. The pot under the screens was packed with oily mud from years of not being cleaned. It is really hard to get in there and clean or even see. Rinsing won't remove that kind of stuff.

Did you take the tray out of the cup?
Bob
 

The baffle is spot welded to the bottom of the pot/cup. Can't be removed. That would have been my first thought.

I'm wondering if something has been welded where it shouldn't be, from my recollection, the baffle comes out allowing more than enough room to get ones hand around between the inner cup and main bowl.

I need to take my one off and clean it and refresh my memory, perhaps my one isn't as it should be.