Removing DPF for DIY clean

[Jorg81]

Just wanted others input on whether removing DPF filter was fairly simple for even a beginner like me. I watched a video on it, and it looked like a lot to pull off. I have a 2017 KW T680

[Waterloo]

(03-08-2020 )Jorg81 Wrote:  Just wanted others input on whether removing DPF filter was fairly simple for even a beginner like me. I watched a video on it, and it looked like a lot to pull off. I have a 2017 KW T680

It is a good place to start, as you will be finding yourself working quite extensively on the truck yourself if you want to stay in business. On my ProStar it is pretty straight forward removing the cans, just watch those pesky sensors as they tend to snap at the bung hole, that is if you have them on your newer truck. When you get the cans off, post some photos.

[Rawze]

DIY Clean?---- There is no way to clean them yourself without severely shortening their lifespan. Stop watching all those bulls#it YouTube and social media videos, garbage statements where ppl wash them out with liquids, foams, fuel, and other such nonsense == fastest way to ruin one.

You need the proper hi-temp oven, de-ash, and flow-test machines. something like this one: http://rawze.com/forums/showthread.php?t...5#pid50975



Take em off (both DOC and DPF)... send em to a stealers$it for a few hundred bucks to have baked, de-ashed, and flow tested on a proper set of machines.

Since you have a truck that uses DEF fluid,.. also inspect the decomp tube abnd SCR element while you are at it. http://rawze.com/forums/showthread.php?t...07#pid1807

[Jorg81]

(03-08-2020 )Rawze Wrote:  DIY Clean?---- There is no way to clean them yourself without severely shortening their lifespan. Stop watching all those bulls#it YouTube and social media videos, garbage statements where ppl wash them out with liquids, foams, fuel, and other such nonsense == fastest way to ruin one.

You need the proper hi-temp oven, de-ash, and flow-test machines. something like this one: http://rawze.com/forums/showthread.php?t...5#pid50975



Take em off (both DOC and DPF)... send em to a stealers$it for a few hundred bucks to have baked, de-ashed, and flow tested on a proper set of machines.

Since you have a truck that uses DEF fluid,.. also inspect the decomp tube abnd SCR element while you are at it. http://rawze.com/forums/showthread.php?t...07#pid1807

The way I saw was a guy on YouTube and he did it with just water with a pressure sprayer. He said his shop has been doing it this way with success. Maybe it's not the best though. It's hard to know, but it doesn't seem like water would be destructive.

[Magard]

I also seen this video. I talked to a guy that’s the main r&d guy with a fleet of Volvo’s and he pulls them and washes them like that as part of his yearly maintenance. But at the end of the day it’s a couple hundred bucks to have them done professionally I decided it wasn’t worth the risk. There is precious metals coating the filter and pressure washer is compromising that. Plus if you where to damage the filter it would cost thousands. I decided it wasn’t worth the gamble.

[redbeard]

My biggest fear with the water process would be it not being dry after installing and it warming up too fast and the filter starts to fracture.
Not worth the savings, besides, you get a print on how well it flowed before and after to give you an idea how the system is working.

[tree98]

(03-09-2020 )Jorg81 Wrote:  The way I saw was a guy on YouTube and he did it with just water with a pressure sprayer. He said his shop has been doing it this way with success. Maybe it's not the best though. It's hard to know, but it doesn't seem like water would be destructive.

He is having success at cleaning them. The problem is he's washing out the precious metals and shortening the life of the filter by a lot. He probably doesn't see that part because the truck drives away and maybe he never sees it again.

[JimT]

(03-09-2020 )Jorg81 Wrote:  The way I saw was a guy on YouTube and he did it with just water with a pressure sprayer. He said his shop has been doing it this way with success. Maybe it's not the best though. It's hard to know, but it doesn't seem like water would be destructive.

It's hard to appreciate just how thin and fragile the material of the DPF/DOC really is until you've had to remove it from the metal can. There are a ceramic material that it about as thick as a piece of construction paper and is coated with an exceedingly thin (nearly microscopic) layer of platinum (and maybe other metals). Lets just say it makes aluminum foil look like thick armor. Now think about the destructive force that is pressure washing. It can strip paint, clean concrete. High pressure water is also used to cut metals.

Even if you didn't touch the metal coated DOC, the DPF is made up of thousands of very small channels that zig zag through the metal can. They don't actually go straight through. So forcing water and soot through these channels at high pressures and velocities can cause it to punch through the other side, or more commonly, get stuck and clog up the passageway with a carbon mud. Then, ANY moisture still trapped inside can quickly boil and turn to steam from even low exhaust temps, causing rapid internal expansion and cracking. Once that happens it's about as useful as a boat anchor.

Finally, there is a very important reason why you want to flow test the DOC and DPF after cleaning. If the restriction is too high when clean (I think either 3psi or 3inHg or more) then it is considered to be no good and needs to be replaced.

So, by all means, remove the DOC/DPF yourself, save some labor costs and learn more about your equipment. But don't try to clean them yourself, you're just asking for trouble and a huge replacement cost.

[Rawze]

(03-09-2020 )Jorg81 Wrote:  The way I saw was a guy on YouTube and he did it with just water with a pressure sprayer. He said his shop has been doing it this way with success. Maybe it's not the best though. It's hard to know, but it doesn't seem like water would be destructive.

The very mega-fleet I haul freight for has more than 2,000 trucks... They started trying out liquid cleaning processes + drying to ensure no moisture, etc. was left behind. They were thinking they were going to get ahead of their DPF issues and save million of $$$ on it by investing in the equipment. They deeply regretted all of their attempts after a several months. It cost them hundreds of thousands of dollars in DPF and/or DOC element replacements because all of the trucks that any sort of liquid cleaning agent or method that was used. Those those trucks were having 2x more regen issues, and many were failing regens like mad. The DPF was on average about twice as weak, etc. after only one or 2 washings, and nearly 3-4x as many issues and breakdowns after a couple more cleanings on most of them. -- Yeah, they learned the hard way just like most every one else that cleaning them with a pressure washer or by any other liquid means was complete and total bulls$it!.

One of the other mechanics at their shop there jumped in on the conversation that I was having at that time and said to me "Each time we got them wet with any liquids of any type, ... they got weaker. " You could even see sparkles of the precious metals in the over-wash. All we had were headaches after a few cleanings and trucks that would not stay out of a repair shop... even though most were still under warranty". "It was killing our up-time real fast".

I don't say what I do because I am a nay-sayer -- THERE IS SERIOUS MERIT BEHIND IT!


I have heard similar stories by many people who have done this same horse-sh$it and convinced themselves that it would somehow working in the short term too.

ANY KIND OF LIQUID RUINS THEM IN A HURRY!


You need the proper hi-temp oven, de-ash, and flow-test machines. something like this one: http://rawze.com/forums/showthread.php?t...5#pid50975

Most stealers$its charge a few hundred bucks to clean them if you bring them in by themselves. - that is the best way to heave them cleaned and tested ... using proper equipment.