I haven't had a lot of new updates for the 4Runner recently, mostly due to spending my time working on the used Sienna I picked up for the family. Figuring out basic maintenance, refreshing some old components, and thinking of sicmods of course :guitar2:
But here's an exciting one to share: I finally got my cabin air filter (V2) from The 4Runner Show and got it installed tonight. I wanted to show a few pictures of the product and the install.
Packaging is quite nice
The manufacturer took a round charcoal filter and 3D printed a top and bottom base onto it. The design is clever and the fit & finish is good. The top plate has 6 snap fits and the COO and intended vehicle application embossed onto it.
The bottom plate has an integral cone the directs the incoming air outward into the pleats of the filter. It also seals the bottom of the filter media.
The filter is designed to install above the fan and extends downward into the fan itself.
Here is a look up into the AC box with the fan removed. The top base of the filter snaps into the hole of the steel frame.
The fan goes right back in without interference.
Running the fan with the filter installed everything seems fine. The airflow is still good and there is plenty of power from the fan. The sound of the fan is a little bit different -- just a change in the tonality. It'll be interesting to drive around and see how it sounds and if I can tell any different from the driver's seat. I'm also excited to have this in place for pollen season in Atlanta which is right around the corner!
For future exploration I'll be interested to see how easily the filter comes back out for replacement or knocking out dust. I occasionally get a leaf or two into the fan and I expect that this issue will be improved because the crap will just sit in the filter rather than hitting the fan blades and knocking it out of balance (which I can usually hear).
Overall, this is a great product and a welcome and much-needed upgrade for the 3rd gen community!