cabin air filter

[bravekozak]

Has anyone installed a cabin air filter?
The air comes in from the plenum through a diamond shaped screen that is approximately a 4" X 5-1/2" oval.
There is nothing stopping all of the dust, dirt, smells and allergens from entering the cabin when the damper is open.

I believe that mounting a cabin air filter after the damper and before the A/C condenser would be the best option. That would be a 6" square with rounded corners. It would be nice to have a combo paper/charcoal filter so that the cabin air remains relatively clean.

I will check into what is available in this dimension.

[TominMO]

Good idea! Thanks.

[Movin]

Charcoal helps allergy victims, most filters come cheap for dust or a little more
for pollen retention. Hope you find a solution!

[bravekozak]

Right size, but metal frame. Maybe a trim with a liquid plastic dip/roll at the corners? What do you want for a couple of bucks each?

[bravekozak]

O.K., I just got back from the parts store and the smallest Fram Fresh Breeze paper cabin filter is 8" X 8" (made in China).

[bravekozak]

Just a brief update. After opening the boxes of almost all the cabin filters on the shelf, The closest radius to the the air control box is made quite simply with 5/8" thick foam bent around square corners.
I am going to return this 7-1/8" wide, expensive cabin filter and buy just some 4-3/4" width cabin filter + a roll of 5/8 X 3/4" foam weatherstrip. Remember, the plenum door only allows for a 3/4" filter thickness, with the pleats running horizontal to the thermostatic expansion valve in the A/C evaporator assembly. Otherwise, the filter would be pushed into the path of the plenum door.

The dark charcoal side of the filter is supposed to face the inside, while the white paper side faces the plenum.

[bravekozak]

Round 2.
I exchanged the filter and bought the proper size.
Fram FreshBreeze CF8921A for the Ford Freestar and Windstar.
Do not peel off the thin foam on the filter like I did.
When you cut it at 5-1/4", you get two pieces out of it.
Just wrap 7/16" X 3/4" self adhesive foam tape around the outside, starting in the middle of the bottom (where the plastic fin is). Make sure you orient the pleats horizontally for the A/C valve. As I said before, you cannot push the filter too far in, because the damper must clear the filter. It just clears. The cost per filter should be about $13.

Any cabin filter is better than nothing at all.

I hope everyone is clicking on the blue hyperlinks.

[Safety Guy]

Good work!

Karl

[bravekozak]

Make that cut at 5-1/8" (another half a pleat), otherwise its too tight and will buckle. I just did the second one. It only takes about two minutes to make one. This should prevent the A/C evaporators from getting all plugged up with debris and losing efficiency. It took me a long time to clean out my evaporator fins and I want to keep it that way.

[bravekozak]

Last pic. Cabin air filter installed prior to being bolted in.

[jawbraeka]

Awesome work.. I had seen on yahoo japanfestiva air filters.. Turns out they were either air box filters or for the festiva mini wagon cabin air filter.

[Chobobulous]

I have used this filter and I love it.

[bravekozak]

I just went on Google Australia and checked on Denso cabin air filters. I never knew there were flanged ones.

[moz]

Im now waiting for my air filter to arrive.
While I was at it, I removed my ac evap box and my heater core trying to figure out where the "wet dog" smell was coming from, and boy am I glad I did!!!

Turns out I was a bit heavy handed while trying to get the heater hoses off, and I cracked the soldered joints.

Before


After


I know it looks as if the joint is still cracked on the left. But its just the ridge in the copper.

Pressure tested and passed.

Wet dog smell was an accumulation of filthy evaporator, old seals that are falling apart, and sulphate on the heater core.

I'm running without ac so evaporator was removed, made new seals out of weather strip, and dipped core in a weak citric acid solution. Worked a treat.

[jawbraeka]

Did the new filter arrive?

sent from the depths of hell.