Cabin Air Filter retrofit for 3rd gen rangers, any ideas?

[bhgl]

Hey folks,

Here's the short version, has anyone installed a cabin air filter of some kind on their rangers before? Or has any recommendations where to start?

Since getting my truck, I've put tons of miles on it across highways, dirt roads, city streets and snowy highways. At first I just assumed the truck was dirty from its previous life on the farm, once I finally detailed the interior, I noticed it dirty super quickly, and not just the usual grey/white dust, but DIRTY.

I sealed up the doors tighter, cleaned out the air vents and went to order a new cabin air filter and well, turns out it doesn't have one. Now I know the first instinct is going to be: "so what who cares?" and fair enough, but as someone with chronic breathing troubles, and a recovering smoker I'd really like to be breathing a little less particulate. It's especially noticeable on dry dirt roads, or when driving through big cities.

The moment that solidified my desire for a decent cabin air filter in the truck was when driving through forest fire smoke this summer on my way across Canada, the year before we'd had several fires near where I lived, and the difference in air quality inside, outside of my car was noticeable enough to stick out in my mind.

 

[Brain75]

Cabin air filter retrofit kit?

I have a 1996 Ranger XL. There are no standard cabin air filters. Recent forrest fires have inspired me to get one. I have not found anything that works. Has anyone had luck in this? Please let me know if you have a suggested fix. Thank you in advance.

www.therangerstation.com

 

[Brain75]

I think of all those suggestions, the only one that makes any reasonable cost sense would be to get a "portable" hepa filter. (you can find coffee cup sized USB power via a cigarette lighter jack units on aliexpress fwiw)

Amazon.com

 

[Bill]

I think of all those suggestions, the only one that makes any reasonable cost sense would be to get a "portable" hepa filter. (you can find coffee cup sized USB power via a cigarette lighter jack units on aliexpress fwiw)

I think the goal is to keep stuff from getting into the cab. That hepa filter isn't going to do a thing for your allergies if stuff has to be filters after it gets in the cab.

 

[JoshT]

To fit a cabin air filter the duct work pretty much has to be designed for it from the onset. None of the 83-11 Rangers (nor the Explorer, BII, and Mazda counterparts) were ever designed with provisions for a filter. Maybe a later explorers but the firewalls and dashes changed a lot before then and the parts wouldn't be likely to swap over.

There is no solution that will be effective and allow for access to replace the filter. There is no real way to retrofit anything into the system, you'd be looking at removing the dash and designing your own duct system from scratch. If you did that you would end up with a system where you basically had to pull the dash to replace the filter.

The Ranger ac system intakes outside air from the cowl vent area. The aftermarket has devised a solution for the early Super Duty trucks. They created a filter that attaches over or takes the place of the cowl cover. Those trucks are a completely different design. They actually used removable cowl covers, the Rangers never had that.

If you really need a cabin air filter your best/only option my be to sell this truck and buy something with a filter. Otherwise you might be wearing a face mask when you get into dusty areas.

 

[Brain75]

I understand the goal, but as that other thread points out there just isn't enough room or access to change the HVAC portion under the hood and by pulling the entire dash out and redesigning the HVAC system inside the dash it could be done, but chances are it would cost a ton (see the post "buy a new car") and not be practical (serviceable) or useful (work very well)...
It's not like they changed the HVAC system just a tiny bit by going from explorer to escape and added a filter wedged in behind the glove box, they changed the whole inside the dash everything drastically.
I think by the time you invested a mint of money you will find it doesn't work much better than the $20 solution from amazon (which half the reviews say doesn't work very well).

A guy could try scoping out a junkyard to find a suitable modern donor that can be refitted, but you better be prepared to do a lot of fab, and might as well look at all makes and models cause Ford's evolution didn't add a filter to anything very similar.
I know BMW and the high high end cars had cabin filters all the way back to the '90's, but I don't know just exactly what years of what "regular Joe" cars did.

The 2008-2012 escape's have a box for it, but no filter installed from factory, you can look up the filter online and buy it and put it in. Might be cheaper in the long run to find a used escape if you want the explorer/escape style SUV.

Cabin Air Filter - Not included?

I've seen via the search function that some folks do change their cabin air filter that is located under the cowl area on the passanger side of the 2008-2012 Escapes. I opened mine up to look at it and there was no filter at all. I would have thought that this would have been installed...

www.escape-city.com

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

I know BMW and the high high end cars had cabin filters all the way back to the '90's, but I don't know just exactly what years of what "regular Joe" cars did.

Same in Fordland. The first gen Lincoln Navigator had a filter, 97-03 F-150/Expy had the same airbox. Ford offered a kit for awhile to cut a hole in the airbox to retrofit an cabin air filter into the 150/expy.

Explorer had no Lincoln counterpart to drive such a need though.

 

[bhgl]

Thanks for all the replies folks, I'll definitely have to do some hands on digging to figure out how this can actually be accomplished reasonably.

I figured this was the case based on what I was able to find in my initial search.

MAB3L has quickly become my forever car, I'm not averse to tearing apart the dash/cutting holes e.t.c in the dash e.t.c to make a replaceable filter easier. Considering what I've done/will be doing to the truck it's not something I'm entirely averse to.

I think making the cowl removeable, or at least partially removable might be the only solution "easily" attainable, but that's going to have to come alongside other body work.

 

[Brain75]

In that escape city link I posted about 4 or 5 down there is a youtube video on how to install or change the filter, the escape does it with a removable plastic cowl... Check out that video first to start the fabricating wheels turning. might investigate how hard it would be to downsize escape cowl to a ranger/explorer and if there is even enough room under the cowl around the firewall there to do it (i'm sure there is not without some serious from scratch fab based around the smallest filter you could find). I actually would be interested in seeing what you come up with... as is, i was thinking of the Hepa filter in a cup holder for myself, not thrilled with that idea, but it isn't horrific amount of work

 

[JoshT]

Does MAB3L have AC? It won't completely solve the problem, but there are a few things you could do that may help when hitting dirt roads and dusty areas.

First is obviously to roll up the windows, but I would assume that you already do that. Then switch your AC system over to MAX AC. If it is working properly the fresh air vent door (pulling outside air from the cowl) will close and the air inside the cab will be recirculated. It's not going to eliminate dust and smoke, but it will stop sucking in outside air filled with it.

I may sound stupid to point that out, but what's obvious to one may not be to another. I try not to assume anyone's experience, knowledge, or skills.

 

[SenorNoob]

I wonder how feasible it would be to 3d print something to hold a home filter or filter material over the cowl?

 

[bhgl]

Does MAB3L have AC? It won't completely solve the problem, but there are a few things you could do that may help when hitting dirt roads and dusty areas.

First is obviously to roll up the windows, but I would assume that you already do that. Then switch your AC system over to MAX AC. If it is working properly the fresh air vent door (pulling outside air from the cowl) will close and the air inside the cab will be recirculated. It's not going to eliminate dust and smoke, but it will stop sucking in outside air filled with it.

I may sound stupid to point that out, but what's obvious to one may not be to another. I try not to assume anyone's experience, knowledge, or skills.

MAB3L does indeed have working AC, admittedly the system isn't the healthiest.

It actually did take me a minute after getting the vehicle to figure what was happening on each of the vent settings, since they're not super clear compared to other cars. Seems like most settings kick on the AC compressor which I typically try to avoid for fuel economy.

While most any time I'm using the AC in my car I'm using the MAX AC setting I did not know it was effectively the recirculate function so thanks! I learned something new!

 

[bhgl]

I wonder how feasible it would be to 3d print something to hold a home filter or filter material over the cowl?

That's what I was thinking, it'll definitely impact the volume of air flowing, but if I can figure out a reasonable way to make at least part of the cowl openable I could pretty easily get a 3d print made to hold a filter of some kind.

To do it while minimizing destruction I'll have to take one or both of the fenders off which I won't be doing until at least winter is over up here.

 

[Brain75]

do you guys actually get PLA to stand up to the heat? We get hot enough here, and a closed unventilated car shoots up 20 degrees hotter than that , PLA just softens and starts to deform almost to the point of puddling. Were you planning on using Nylon or ABS?

 

[bhgl]

do you guys actually get PLA to stand up to the heat? We get hot enough here, and a closed unventilated car shoots up 20 degrees hotter than that , PLA just softens and starts to deform almost to the point of puddling. Were you planning on using Nylon or ABS?

Frankly, I'm more concerned about cracking/breaking in the cold. Inside the car/dash is one thing, but I can't imagine under the dash getting particularly hot when driving.

I'm no 3d printing expert, but I do know they have heat resistant filaments these days that should be able to hold up. How well it'll hold up with heat fluctuations have absolutely no idea.