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Engine intake air filter and rain

GOFT

Active Member
Was caught in a downpour some days ago.
Throttled back, pulled the prop coarse and turned for home to prevent too much damage to prop or risk a leak into the tip-up canopy.

K+N E-3450 filter.
I couldn't tell of any engine performance trouble (it ran smooth and accelerated well, when out of the rain).
Neither any obvious swelling/deformity/damage to the air filter.

Question to the group, please.
Any reason to replace the filter, leave as or clean and recharge?

Good news: no water leak into the cockpit. RV-14.
Prop leading edges took a beating, some pitting in the paint.

I was surprized at the volume of water that was trapped in front of the flaps, behind the rear spar.
Letting the flaps down from reflex (cruise) to no flap (0 degrees) caused a gush of water to run aft over the flap.
How much of this water seeped into the flap, I don't know.
Maybe some drain holes forward of the trailing edges are in order. Bottom side of course.
 
I have flown in the rain numerous times. No damage to my air filter and engine had no issue pulling air through the filter. The filter is made of cotton and it is soaked in oil. This prevents the cotton from absorbing the water. Even if it did, it's no different than putting your t shirt in the washing machine.
 
Pull on your alternate air for the intake and that should eliminate any damage to the air filter or restriction in air flow to the engine.
 
Rain

Thanks for all the responses.
Sounds like not any harm done to filter or engine.
Shall dress out the prop leading edges a bit to make it airworthy. Sorry, I meant pretty.:)
 
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