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

[JoshT]

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?

3D printing with ABS and Nylon is not uncommon now, just have to make sure to provide adequate ventilation.

They've also developed other materials for printing that can handle the heat pretty well. PETG is a pretty common one.

Problem I see with making a filter over the cowl I take is rain. The filter getting soaked, and moisture in the cowl area not drying out, leading to rust problems.

 

[bhgl]

3D printing with ABS and Nylon is not uncommon now, just have to make sure to provide adequate ventilation.

They've also developed other materials for printing that can handle the heat pretty well. PETG is a pretty common one.

Problem I see with making a filter over the cowl I take is rain. The filter getting soaked, and moisture in the cowl area not drying out, leading to rust problems.

There is drainage in the cowl that exits below the vehicle (either through or behind the firewall im not actually 100% sure. But that drainage I believe is in the, for lack of a better word, cowl-hole. Either a new means of draining it, or a bypass for standing water would be necessary.

As for the filter itself my biggest worry would be it getting wet, and then freezing effectively sealing off the intake, no bueno for various reasons, an air box might be the better solution vs. just a means to hold an exposed filter.

 

[sgtsandman]

There is drainage in the cowl that exits below the vehicle (either through or behind the firewall im not actually 100% sure. But that drainage I believe is in the, for lack of a better word, cowl-hole. Either a new means of draining it, or a bypass for standing water would be necessary.

As for the filter itself my biggest worry would be it getting wet, and then freezing effectively sealing off the intake, no bueno for various reasons, an air box might be the better solution vs. just a means to hold an exposed filter.

From what I've seen, the Ranger cowl drains into the fender, just forward of the door on both sides. You can access that by removing the outer fender.

 

[Bill]

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

Depending on the amount of filtration you want, it might be possible to filter the air at the blower. I removed mine to clean leaves out of the plenum. I think there is a port that sucks air into the blower. Maybe a filter can be installed there. I think on of the issues with adding a filter worth anything is the blower motor probably isn't designed to overcome the resistance of the filter.

You can take the blower out and have a look. It is very easy to remove.

 

[JoshT]

There is drainage in the cowl that exits below the vehicle (either through or behind the firewall im not actually 100% sure. But that drainage I believe is in the, for lack of a better word, cowl-hole. Either a new means of draining it, or a bypass for standing water would be necessary.

As for the filter itself my biggest worry would be it getting wet, and then freezing effectively sealing off the intake, no bueno for various reasons, an air box might be the better solution vs. just a means to hold an exposed filter.

It does, but you also have the action of the sun heating the surfaces and the free airflow through the vents helping to dry it out. Fill a bucket with water and pour it out, the inside of the bucket is still wet right. Now if you let that bucket sit out in the sun and air uncovered it'll promptly dry out. But if you draped a wet towel over that bucket, the insides aren't going to dry out. I mean they will once the towel is dry, but that takes much longer. That isn't an easy area to clean so dirt and grim that collects on the metal in the cowl will also help to trap that moisture in place and hold it there on not very well protected metal.

Short term, no problem. Repeated over long term, potentially a problem. Not only from rust forming, but from staying damp in there and mold growing. That is where the fresh air intake is located.

 

[bhgl]

It does, but you also have the action of the sun heating the surfaces and the free airflow through the vents helping to dry it out. Fill a bucket with water and pour it out, the inside of the bucket is still wet right. Now if you let that bucket sit out in the sun and air uncovered it'll promptly dry out. But if you draped a wet towel over that bucket, the insides aren't going to dry out. I mean they will once the towel is dry, but that takes much longer. That isn't an easy area to clean so dirt and grim that collects on the metal in the cowl will also help to trap that moisture in place and hold it there on not very well protected metal.

Short term, no problem. Repeated over long term, potentially a problem. Not only from rust forming, but from staying damp in there and mold growing. That is where the fresh air intake is located.

All good points, I think that's why building an airbox might be the better choice. With relatively open access to the under-cowl I could address any problem spots before installation, and install some water/rust proofing to reduce the chance.

But it's all speculation until I crack open the cowl and take a look.

 

[i1470s]

I know this thread kinda went quiet I made an account just to reply, I have been looking into this myself, it seems their is a big enough void between 17 (mode door) and 16 (heater core), while this is a tricky spot it is possibly a space where you could make a filter work, I’ll try it out next time I’m at the junkyard.

alternatively, the more sketchy way would be to put it where the air recirculation door is behind your glove box and use some zap straps or likewise to secure it to the plastic webbing behind said door.