OEM Air Filter Replacement Anomaly

MFP

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 9, 2018
Messages
1,410
Location
NYC, NY
Yesterday with some help from a friend I finally got around to replacing the air filter on my '13 S10. I bought the bike used in '18
with a smidge under 7K miles on the clock. It now has 16K+. I am pretty sure the P/O never replaced the air filter. I ordered the OEM air filter from my
go-to source, Motosport. While viewing the intake parts page it showed two rubber gaskets, an upper and a lower (#13, #14 in the exploded view)
that apparently attach to the OEM air filter:
S10 intake.png
I went ahead and ordered the two rubber gaskets and the OEM air filter.
Yesterday, being that this was the first time I ever lifted the tank and opened up the air box when I took out
the old air filter (which looked pretty good) I noticed that there was not the two rubber gasket. The old air
filter was an OEM type I believe.
I then referred to my Yammy '12/'13 S10 service manual and there is a mention of these two rubber gaskets
with "New" callouts:
S10 sm.jpg
Since these two rubber gaskets were not present I opted not to include them because I
had visions of something wacky happening with the air filter and/or the air box and then codes being thrown
or general Charlie Foxtrot types of scenarios.
What gives?
Anyone of you esteemed Gents have any thoughts?
 

MFP

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 9, 2018
Messages
1,410
Location
NYC, NY
Some photos might be nice. It looks like those gaskets sit in the flanges of the upper and lower halves of the airbox. Is it possible that you didn't notice because they were still fitted to the box?
I did not take pics.
There was nothing in the flanges of the upper and the lowers.
The OEM air filter has a raised ridge on the top and bottom that fits into the upper and lower halves flanges
which allows it to sit fit flush in the air box.
 

bimota

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 10, 2017
Messages
6,524
Location
bridgend, Wales, UK
I did not take pics.
There was nothing in the flanges of the upper and the lowers.
The OEM air filter has a raised ridge on the top and bottom that fits into the upper and lower halves flanges
which allows it to sit fit flush in the air box.
makes sence, i have a k&n in mine and a old oem filter in the garage and yep it has those raised edges all around for sitting in those 2 recesses

rob
 
  • Like
Reactions: MFP

MFP

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 9, 2018
Messages
1,410
Location
NYC, NY
makes sence, i have a k&n in mine and a old oem filter in the garage and yep it has those raised edges all around for sitting in those 2 recesses

rob
Thanks for that clarification, I was just now questioning my memory a bit.... o_O
 
Last edited:

The Mountain

Active Member
Joined
Sep 28, 2017
Messages
230
Location
MassiveTwoS#hits
The "New" callout suggests to me that the overlapping flanges weren't enough to seal the box properly by themselves, and that at some point they started adding the gasket to the wells that the flanges fit into. Could be that you just have a bike from early in the model year before the gaskets started showing up on the production line.

If it were me, I'd probably try to see if I could fit those gaskets into the box anyway. More seal is always better.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MFP

MFP

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 9, 2018
Messages
1,410
Location
NYC, NY
The "New" callout suggests to me that the overlapping flanges weren't enough to seal the box properly by themselves, and that at some point they started adding the gasket to the wells that the flanges fit into. Could be that you just have a bike from early in the model year before the gaskets started showing up on the production line.

If it were me, I'd probably try to see if I could fit those gaskets into the box anyway. More seal is always better.
That is exactly what I thought and it was my bad that I did not test fit the rubber gaskets to see how they affected
the way the OEM air filter sits in the air box.
I just thought that by adding them it would prevent a flush fit and possibly allow crap to sneak past the air filter.
 

WJBertrand

Ventura Highway
Joined
Jun 20, 2015
Messages
4,516
Location
Ventura, CA
Look really close at the grooves around the perimeter of the air box lid (the upper one does not contact the air filter element, it seals the air box lid) and under the air filter element. I think the rubber seals are down in there and may just appear to be the bottom of the groove. Maybe poke something blunt in there to see if there’s something compressible in there?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
 

Sussexmariner

Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2020
Messages
41
Location
Sussex England but born and bred Grimsby
Just did a air filter change on my Gen2 2015 S10, no rubber gaskets we’re fitted on the old filter, just a straight swap with a K&N (no gaskets provided)
All the videos on YouTube showing how to replace filter I’ve never seen any that had rubber gaskets!

P.S what a difference a K&N filter makes by the way! Admittedly the old filter was a bit dirty and clocked up but with the new one fitted you can literally hear a change in the engine note, it’s now a lovely deeper, crisper sound!
 
  • Like
Reactions: MFP

thughes317

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 27, 2018
Messages
1,055
Location
The Bluegrass, KY
P.S what a difference a K&N filter makes by the way! Admittedly the old filter was a bit dirty and clocked up but with the new one fitted you can literally hear a change in the engine note, it’s now a lovely deeper, crisper sound!
Likely because the K&N is known to provide marginal filtering capability at best and folks in the know strongly recommend against it.
 

EricV

Riding, farkling, riding...
2011 Site Supporter
2012 Site Supporter
2013 Site Supporter
2014 Site Supporter
Joined
May 22, 2011
Messages
8,227
Location
Tupelo, MS
The gaskets (seal #13 & 14) are seated in the lid and lower airbox. I never replaced them, so I don't have a clue if they are glued in there, but they never fell out during air filter changes either.

It might be easy to pick them out with a dental tool or awl, or might be a serious pain in the butt to get them out, clean the bottom of the groove and install the new ones w/o getting them twisted or damaged. Yamaha usually likes these to just be a press fit, so it's probably not that bad to remove them and only a little fussy to install the new ones. Likely getting the final seat when you screw the 13 screws back in to secure the air box lid.

(I wonder why something they would like is to check so often is so over secured? My old Ducati just had spring clips like cars used to have. The new Chevy in the garage only uses 4 screws.)
 

MFP

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 9, 2018
Messages
1,410
Location
NYC, NY
this guy says there is a gasket there
Looks like the reason rubber tubing/seal is being used is because the air filter is a custom piece
that is attached to a metal backing plate and on that metal backing plate there are no
ribs to allow it to "sit" securely in the grooves of the upper and lower halves of the air box.
 
Top