Acclaim Ultra Air filter

[Butch]

The Challenger air filter element inside diameter is about .100 less than the "lips" on the filter housing and elbow. It will not install despite using the correct grease and heating the moulding ends. I've been in contact with Mooney and Challenger.

Has anyone else had this problem?

[LANCECASPER]

14 hours ago, Butch said:

The Challenger air filter element inside diameter is about .100 less than the "lips" on the filter housing and elbow. It will not install despite using the correct grease and heating the moulding ends. I've been in contact with Mooney and Challenger.
Has anyone else had this problem?

Are you putting a new filter in or did it just come out for service and you're putting it back in?


Here are the instructions for re-charging the filter from the POH of the Acclaim Type-S:

[dkkim73]

Have not changed one myself yet, but I know it gets pretreated with oil. Perhaps that causes expansion or softening? 

Maybe @Brandtor @kortopatesknow? 

[Brandt]

Sorry. I am man enough to admit I’ve never changed it myself so I don’t know. 

[MikeOH]

@Butch

I, too, have never changed mine myself.

But, step 2 looks like a potential pitfall: "DO NOT REMOVE the filter element from inside its frame".   Your description of how "it will not install" is what raises my concern that may be the issue.

[Butch]

Sorry guys, I didn't expect anybody to go to the trouble of looking up installation instructions, etc. I should have been more detailed in my first post.

The owner told me that he had trouble with the install and had to heat the ends to get it on, and still wasn't sure that it was on correctly. I tried it and it definitely will not go over the "lips" on the filter housing. The correct filter according to the Mooney IPC is CPE-1179. It is an OEM for Mooney, there is no STC application. The only P/N on the filter is on the rubber or neoprene end. I called Challenger to see if it was the correct filter. She told me that she checked with K&N, who makes their filters, that it is a mold number, and it was for an 1175, which is for an M20K. So that led me to Frank at Mooney, who is very prompt with responses and a nice guy. After some back and forth, I talked to the Challenger lady again and she gave me the filter dimensions. The 1175 is almost 4 inches shorter, so I was down the wrong rabbit hole. I checked with Frank and the filter housing is correct.

I'm not sure of my next step. I was wondering if anyone else had encountered the same problem. When I get it solved I will post the outcome.