Oliver

The filter element itself is one of those "combo" units. It's a spongy-foam element that surrounds the paper element. In the garden tractor application, I believe the foam part was to trap the dead blades of grass etc in order to extend the use-life of the pleated-paper main element. I believe you just replace the paper element & re-use the stretchy-foam thing.

I still believe that a good internal combustion engine filter is probably made to filter much finer dirt than any little compressor filter. I think TC folks want you to just run a 1/4" plastic airline into the vehicle cab & take air from there...unfiltered to the compressor. However, most of us have seen the dust etc that even gathers in a cab. I realize it varies w/the year & model of tractors...and operator habits...but none are perfect. I doubt the garden tractor engine filter lets much past. I have no way to test or prove however. It just looks right, to me.

I'd like to add, that we made plates to cover all the old holes in the filter housing & sealed them all with silicone. These would be the holes that attached to the carburetor....or in other words, the INtake side. Of course, you have to leave the gap that allows air to be drawn into the filter element. Just make sure that there is NO way for air to get around element. None gets around our element. By the way, our friend that runs the local mower engine repair shop just "gave" us this element housing from a scrapped tractor. It's a common design.