Red or Yellow Foam - Doctoring As Well

Wacomike04

Member
A guy at the track told me to use yellow foam filters instead of the red because they're less porous. Won't that restrict the air flow needed?

Also there is a 20ish year old 3 time champ guy next to my spot I go over and say hello to before I get ready and he has like 15 RED foam air filter covers, and his hands are dripping something. He is pouring it on the filters one by one....then rolling it all over them and rubbing it in.....like soaking it, then he goes onto the next one. I didn't think to ask at that time and I don't know his name. I am sure it is something that still allows the air through, but also causes the dirt to stick to the filter. Any idea what he was drenching the red foam filters with?

Thanks,
Michael Frizzelle
 
Ive been told, too that the yellow and blue foamies are better than red. Not able to answer that one, but I wouldnt be oiling my foamies or filters at the track. I do my stuff at least 3 days prior to race day.
 
He was doing it in the open, no tent up, on the back of his kart that was on the cart stand. So it isn't some illegal stuff or else a tech could come up and inspect it. Plain view of everyone, and he is 3 time champ, too much at stake. Just wondering what it was. Not going back that far up north again this year to race, so I figured one of you would know. He was lathering them as juicy and "extra" as a missus used to put that coconut oil on back in the day.
 
I am pretty sure a guy didn't win 3 championships because of the filter oil he used. There are so many things involved that are not engine related.
You know Mike, I had a friend make a rear floor pan for his Nemesis. Back in probably 05(Nemi was a 2001). He put a wicker bill on it as a joke (1/10 mile dirt track). The hole reason he put it on was for a tool try. One of the guys that won just about as much as my friend said. You did that for more grip didn't you? He told him no its just for a tool tray. This guy swore up and down it gave him some advantage.... Some times if you put something out in the open for people to look at. It's just as good as actually going outside of the box...

I was always told the blue foams are what you wanted to run. As long as you oil the filter and pre filter properly you should be fine.
 
Hmmmm The great debate: Foam filter color.

Here's what I can tell ya, the yellow and blue that we have had through our shop are definitely more porous than the red or gray.
Now, that means that they flow more air because of less restriction, but it also means that they filter less material (dirt.)

For the foam filter to collect and trap any dirt, it must be oiled. There are oils made specifically for foam filter (different from fabric filter oil,) or you can use transmission fluid. Be sure to use it sparingly and really wring the foam filter to spread it around thoroughly.
I would prefer to do this a few days in advance to race day. I clean and oil all of our fabric filters a whole week in advance.


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🏁Thanks and God bless,
Brian Carlson
Carlson Racing Engines
Vector Cutz
www.CarlsonMotorsports.com
Carlson Motorsports on Facebook
33 years of service to the karting industry ~ 1Cor 9:24
Linden, IN
765-339-4407
bcarlson@CarlsonMotorsports.com
 
Thanks Brian, on the color debate.. Me personally, I too prep my Filters and Foamies at Least 3 days prior. I lightly spray my filters, midst spray stuff. Then I spray my foamies kinda decent but not Soaked, and put them in a Walmart bag and then kinda rub'em all together.. Leave em in the bag til one day before race day then hang the foamies thru a bungie in my trailer. I dont like'em Wet, on race day..
 
He was doing it in the open, no tent up, on the back of his kart that was on the cart stand. So it isn't some illegal stuff or else a tech could come up and inspect it. Plain view of everyone, and he is 3 time champ, too much at stake. Just wondering what it was. Not going back that far up north again this year to race, so I figured one of you would know. He was lathering them as juicy and "extra" as a missus used to put that coconut oil on back in the day.
2 stroke guys often oil their foam filters.
 
The yellow ones we run are a different foam than the red ones, much tighter woven. I buy them from Slack Karts, on the website it lists for K&N filters. The red ones always seamed to fall apart mid season, these ones are 4 plus years old.
I don't oil the foam, just the K&N filter, never had an issue and my engine builders never found an issue inside the motors.
We run some tracks where you can't even see the karts its that dusty......
 
I've never seen an experienced racer oil his foam filter at the track.
I have seen racers store their filter in a sealed coffee can until they put it on. Then cover it with a baggie until they start up on the grid. I pointed it out to one of the track officials and he just shrugged. I told him the only one reason to cover it with a baggie was to prevent something from evaporating. He just shrugged again.
 
For what its worth too, I dont sit my kart(s) down to race without Fresh Filters, and Foamie or Outerwear, every race. My Stock Appearing engines, I usually run Walker Filters. Then my Lo 206 engines I run the 3x5, Filters, with oiled foamies for Dirt. When I run my Ashpalt kart, LO 206 engine also, I run the Spec filter with an Outerwear. on that one.
 
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