Acell Cool Blue Filters Experience

[Mike_dup1]

Got some images to share

btw-The media is only about 1/8-inch in thickness.

Vehicle is a 2002 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS6 (Ram Air LS1 325hp). Filter in use for approximately 4,000 miles, about 5 months.

Also to note, this is one of 4 areas of the filter where I can find the dirt on the clean air side. How much had made it past the filter in 4000 miles is the question?

First one shows the clean air side of filter and specks of dirt that came thru

Next image shows voids in cotton media. I found quite a few of these on the clean air side of the filter media. Its a direct path for dirt. Good thing I read this post yesterday and decided to have a look at my filter.

In this next image you see the dirty air side of filter. The dirt is trapped in the apex of the media and on the clean side, thats where the dirt is coming thru. Also notice how you can see light thru a portion of the media, (center @ top of image), thas how thin the media is. I bent the filter like that to see. Its that easy to bend btw, too flexible IMO.

[ August 19, 2003, 11:30 AM: Message edited by: Mike ]

 

[jsharp]

quote:

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Originally posted by Mike:
Got some images to share

btw-The media is only about 1/8-inch in thickness.

Vehicle is a 2002 Pontiac Firebird Trans Am WS6 (Ram Air LS1 325hp). Filter in use for approximately 4,000 miles, about 5 months.

Also to note, this is one of 4 areas of the filter where I can find the dirt on the clean air side. How much had made it past the filter in 4000 miles is the question?

First one shows the clean air side of filter and specks of dirt that came thru

---

Same pics as this thread -

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum&f=15&submit=Go

Same question. Does Accell say to use the element dry because it sure looks that way in the photos. Or do they use a clear oil? K&N will tell you their filters will do almost nothing without being properly oiled but their oil is red so it's easy to see...

[ August 19, 2003, 03:32 PM: Message edited by: jsharp ]

 

[Mike_dup1]

Don't ask me where the oil is. This is exactly how the filter arrived. I have not cleaned it or otherwise done anything. It did have a weird smell when I first got the filter and I attributed that to the oil?

I am looking at it and if it had any oil, it never lasted long at all.. The cotton seems bone dry.

When my truck gets back I am going to look at the one it there.

[ August 19, 2003, 04:36 PM: Message edited by: Mike ]

 

[sbc350gearhead]

Wow......I always imagined that the accel filter was just a copy of the KN filter.

 

[jsharp]

quote:

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Originally posted by Mike:
Don't ask me where the oil is. This is exactly how the filter arrived. I have not cleaned it or otherwise done anything. It did have a weird smell when I first got the filter and I attributed that to the oil?

I am looking at it and if it had any oil, it never lasted long at all.. The cotton seems bone dry.

When my truck gets back I am going to look at the one it there.

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WOW. Other than the blue screen these look just like the K&N filters before they are oiled. Just dry gauze held by screen. I can see this not working at all.

K&N has big warnings about not using their filters dry. I think a call to Accel would be in order...

 

[jsharp]

quote:

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Originally posted by sbc350gearhead:
Wow......I always imagined that the accel filter was just a copy of the KN filter.

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I think they are. This one was just never oiled, or was under-oiled to a point where it's useless.

I just checked on the Summit site and they claim these filters come preoiled. Looks like someone took the day off on this one...

Here's a pic of one correctly oiled -

[ August 19, 2003, 10:56 PM: Message edited by: jsharp ]

 

[Mike_dup1]

It could be possible the oil does not remain on the media? If the dirt got thru, what to say the media oil did not get sucked into the engine or dried out from the heat?

I don't know but I ordered a new FlowAir foam filter. UPS shows it coming in today. I just don't trust a filter that is only 1/8-inch thick on filtering media.

btw-The photo's may not accurately depict the color of the filter. To show the dirt, I had to take a closeup (1ft) photo otherwise although you could see the dirt with the naked eye at 3 ft, it would not show up on the images well. The filter is a panel and it looks just like the round photo shown from the same distance.

First show the air box

This shows the filter

and the car

I looked at the one in my 2001 GMC. This one is much cleaner, hardly any dirt on the filter, even the dirty air side. BUT I did find something I did not like.

Look at the edge of the filter, its is too small

I was able to stick this bill in the opening along the edge of the filter, the filter is about 1/2" short on this side.

and this is the filter box in the 2001 GMC

[ August 20, 2003, 08:41 AM: Message edited by: Mike ]

 

[jsharp]

quote:

---

Originally posted by Mike:
It could be possible the oil does not remain on the media? If the dirt got thru, what to say the media oil did not get sucked into the engine or dried out from the heat?

I don't know but I ordered a new FlowAir foam filter. UPS shows it coming in today. I just don't trust a filter that is only 1/8-inch thick on filtering media.

btw-The photo's may not accurately depict the color of the filter. To show the dirt, I had to take a closeup (1ft) photo otherwise although you could see the dirt with the naked eye at 3 ft, it would not show up on the images well. The filter is a panel and it looks just like the round photo shown from the same distance.

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I'll pull one of my K&N filters and get a picture of it when I get time. With the K&N they tell you to oil it until you get a consistant red color on all the gauze. I've never seen them dry out over time either.

Nice sized filter on the Firebird. It should flow well and have good filter life...

 

[Ryan00TJ]

I am also using the same Accel KB filter in my 2002 SS LS1. Mine came pretty heavily oiled out of the box so I never reoiled it yet and it has been in use since last December. Mine fits pretty good in the SLP Blackwing Airbox Lid. My last UOA on this motor with this filter showed a silicon count of 67ppm. The high reading may have been due to me breaking open the motor and changing the camshaft and then not immediately chainging the oil. It was not abrasive dirt however as my wear numbers were in the normal LS1 range. I will be pulling another sample today from my LS1 and should have the results soon. If the silicon does not come down this time I will go back to the factory Donaldson paper filter.

 

[Mike_dup1]

I have looked over both filters and there is no indication of any oil now or ever. You would think you might find some part of it oily, Nothing! I had a friend look also and he came to same conclusion. Both these have been in use for about 6 months. The car has seen more miles as the truck is not used a lot in the summer.

 

[jsharp]

quote:

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Originally posted by Mike:
I have looked over both filters and there is no indication of any oil now or ever. You would think you might find some part of it oily, Nothing!

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That would certainly explain all the dirt getting through. The dirt sticks to the oil on the gauze, not to the gauze itself...

 

[Mike_dup1]

Well then this does not seem like a good thing to have in you vehicle? I see one of their full page ads in High Performance Pontiac and it claims its The only filter that protects your engine against particles at small as 2.8 microns. It does not say if filters all of them though, I can see opening in the media. The ad hypes performance.

I wish you could see this in person, I would be willing to bet you would not use one of these.

btw-These are made overseas, in France.

They are not in my vehicles anymore.

If you were inclined to contact Accel or Mr Gasket to offer observations, forget it. You have to call on your dime.

[ August 21, 2003, 07:59 AM: Message edited by: Mike ]

 

[metroplex]

Mike: The K&Ns are the same way.

My Accel Kool Blue filters fit fine in the airboxes.

Ford 4.6L SOHC V8 Crown Vic (Flat panel)
Ford 5.4L SOHC V8 E-250 (Mustang air filter - round/conical)

Both came oiled (very greasy to the touch).
You won't find much difference from the K&N, except the K&N filter for the Crown Vic does not fit very well and requires cutting. The Accel dropped in fine.

All of my paper filters are very flexible as well.

I'm going to run the Accels for a few thousand miles and see how it fares.

Right now my Kool Blues are clogging up pretty badly but the performance is still unchanged.

The E-250 filter has about 1/8" layer of dirt/dust on the base of the filter, while the Vic filter has 1/8" of gunk at certain parts in the "back" of the airbox.

The K&N's are just so overoiled that it comes off into the MAF wire.

The Kool Blues aren't are as oiled but its there. My hands were very greasy after touching the surface of the wire mesh. You're supposed to oil the Kool Blues after washing - READ THE INSTRUCTIONS. I would just use K&N oil as Accel doesn't make their oil very known in the Summit/Jegs catalogs. Its all the same thing - mineral oil.

 

[Mike_dup1]

I NEVER WASHED THEM, JUST OPENED BOX AND PUT IN. If the filter is dry and they are now, thats how I got them. When I put them in it was cold out and I did not spend time analyzing them but I have done so now. I don't recall ever getting my hands dirty installing them, I think I would recall that.

I am showing my observations. I removed both of them, they are not for me. Put a stock AC Delco in the TA and put the old foam back in the truck. Filtering is more important that performance for me.

 

[metroplex]

Mike:

I'm just saying during the filter install for the Ford 300 I6, Ford 5.4, and Ford 4.6 - my hands got greasy really quickly from the cotton gauze.

I'm going to check up on them today to see if anything's lodged in there but I know I wouldn't use K&N style filters in any type of forced induction motor. A N/A motor w/o ram-air isn't going to suck up much solid debris that would cause tears in the filter media.

 

[msparks]

Awesome,

I can't wait until they have the new one out for the F150. I saw it at the Convention and wanted to take it.

I emailed Tech and said a few more weeks. Hopefully I'll be the first to have one.

I have the old style on my VW TDI. I wonder if I should order the updated one as well? I really like the new blue Super Seal Material.

 

[metroplex]

Is that an Amsoil filter? I thought Mike had issues with the Amsoil foam filters

 

[Last_Z]

quote:

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Originally posted by Mike:
Well then this does not seem like a good thing to have in you vehicle? I see one of their full page ads in High Performance Pontiac and it claims its The only filter that protects your engine against particles at small as 2.8 microns. It does not say if filters all of them though, I can see opening in the media. The ad hypes performance.

I wish you could see this in person, I would be willing to bet you would not use one of these.

btw-These are made overseas, in France.

They are not in my vehicles anymore.

If you were inclined to contact Accel or Mr Gasket to offer observations, forget it. You have to call on your dime.

---

Mike;
The best thing you did was to remove the Kool Blue filters from your vehicles. I Have a 02 Z28 and had the same fitmen issues you had with your KB. It was too short and there were big gaps in the media, just like yours. It makes no HP difference in your WS6 either. Here is the proof. Paper vs no filter....same results. Just get a high quality paper and be done with it.
I know Metroplex is gonna jump all over my a**, but dude, those filters suck....and there is no way they filter down to 2.8 microns

Rick

[ August 22, 2003, 09:17 PM: Message edited by: Last_Z ]

 

[metroplex]

quote:

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I know Metroplex is gonna jump all over my a**, but dude, those filters suck....and there is no way they filter down to 2.8 microns

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It fits fine on my airboxes except for the Ford E-150 (300 I6) which, like you experienced, was too short.

The 5.4 and 4.6 filters fit perfectly. I see no real difference between the KB and K&N air filters. I only got them because they were cheap. I haven't heard of any engine failures from running K&N style filters on N/A motors.

The Kool Blue/K&N filter gives a noticeable boost in airflow:

Tested on my 2000 Ford 4.6L SOHC V8. The Crown Vic runs 15.5s on the 1/4 at 600' ASL and 92-93F. Corrected to 15.2 @ 90 mph.

Cars react differently to mods especially when comparing different powertrains and different models.

I would use paper filters in the E-250 except they're $18 each (yes the stock paper filters are the same ones used on Mustang GTs - its the round conical style) and in NJ the filters clog up in about 15k miles.

[ August 22, 2003, 09:26 PM: Message edited by: metroplex ]

 

[Last_Z]

quote:

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Originally posted by metroplex:

quote:

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I know Metroplex is gonna jump all over my a**, but dude, those filters suck....and there is no way they filter down to 2.8 microns

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It fits fine on my airboxes except for the Ford E-150 (300 I6) which, like you experienced, was too short.

The 5.4 and 4.6 filters fit perfectly. I see no real difference between the KB and K&N air filters. I only got them because they were cheap. I haven't heard of any engine failures from running K&N style filters on N/A motors.

Tested on my 2000 Ford 4.6L SOHC V8. The Crown Vic runs 15.5s on the 1/4 at 600' ASL and 92-93F. Corrected to 15.2 @ 90 mph.

Cars react differently to mods especially when comparing different powertrains and different models.

I would use paper filters in the E-250 except they're $18 each (yes the stock paper filters are the same ones used on Mustang GTs - its the round conical style) and in NJ the filters clog up in about 15k miles.

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Metro;
I see what you are saying about the KB providing a small CFM increase.....does that translate to HP though?
Also, I know a K&N style filter will not cause a "catastrophic" failure, BUT, they do create "slow" wear on engine parts such as cylinder walls, valve stems and bearings......so, why use them if you can get the same performance out of a paper filter?
Last, 15k miles on paper? That's not bad....I would change way before that.....not even 10k, not matter what....but that's just me.
Rick