From:
The Donaldson BlackWing filter is a specialized high performance air filter for the Corvette. It contains a Donaldson proprietary filter medium, advanced air filtration technology, and a uniquely formulated oil for high performance.
The average purchaser of the Donaldson filter probably will never need to clean it within his or her lifetime. Unless of course the race it in a 2000 mile Baja race or something similar to that.
Typically, Corvettes are driven in rather clean environments and the Donaldson filter will sustain enough air flow to support 600 HP with 300 grams of dust loaded on it. That's 2/3 of a pound of dirt!! You would have a hard time pouring that much dirt over the filter and getting it to stay on the face of it without falling off.
But, Just in case . . .
Pre-Cleaning:
After removing the filter from the vehicle, carefully remove any large debris (i.e. leaves, etc.). Caution: hitting or tapping the filter to dislodge dirt or other debris may cause damage to the housing or the filter media. Caution: use of any other cleaner (i.e. K&N) will decrease the efficiency of the filter media and potentially cause harm to your engine. ***NEVER USE SOLVENTS OR GASOLINE***
Application of Cleaner
Place the filter in a suitable container or on newspaper to contain any cleaner run-off. Position the filter housing to minimize the amount of dirt and cleaner solution that may pass through the filter media into the inside of the housing. Apply the special cleaner to the dirty side of the filter. Make sure you use enough cleaner to saturate the entire filter media. The dirt and oil will immediately begin to breakdown. Allow the cleaner to soak for at least 10 minutes.
Rinse Procedure
After the filter media has been allowed to soak, begin rinsing the filter with luke-warm water from the inside of the housing. Continue rinsing until the water passing through the filter is clear. This may take several minutes. *** It is imperative that a thorough cleaning is performed ***. A touch up wash is recommended after the initial wash has been performed. Never use compressed air or hot air guns to dry the filter. This can damage the filter media.
Inspection and Drying
Gently shake any excess water form the filter and inspect the filter media for signs of damage such as tears, or cracks in the housing. If there is any damage to the media or the filter housing, the filter will not perform as designed and serious engine damage could occur. It is imperative that the filter media be completely dry before re-oiling. If the filter media is not completely dry, the oil that prevents engine-damaging particles from entering the engine cannot be applied correctly and damage to the engine could result.
Re-Oiling
After the filter media is
completely dry, apply the filter oil evenly over the entire filter media
surface. Wipe any excess oil from the filter housing and re-install the
filter assembly into the vehicle. ***Caution: Never use any other type
of filter oil. The filter oil is specifically formulated for synthetic
filter media. Other oils (i.e. K&N) will not provide the same level
of performance as the supplied oil and damage to the engine could result.