Welcome unknown person! (Please feel free to give us a first name, anyway.)
There are two types of air filter, the fiber kind and the foam kind.
I will never again have the fiber kind. In particular, I would NEVER wash
the fiber kind. After washing the fiber kind and reinstalling it, fibers
came loose and clogged air passages in my Stromberg carb causing excessive
leanness during a flight. Fortunately, I was close to my destination
airport and made it there using carb heat and the richness that comes from
full throttle.
I don't know if I got damage from that incident, though. It was about 15
flying hours later when we found an engine problem, broken ring(s), I think,
and I grounded the plane till my major overhaul (which could be said to be
due on my 1900 hour engine, anyway).
Afterward, I switched to the foam type ("Brackett?") and I think I always
put in new ones rather than washing them.
Sorry I can't give any hints about how to take them out. My mechanic did
that during annuals when needed.
Ed Burkhead
