AEM DryFlow - Opinions UOAs ?

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Ndx

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Apr 4, 2008
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Hey Guys,

What are you thinking about AEM DryFlow filters ?

Cheers,
N
 
Note Silcon in Red: AEM was installed 5200 of those 7,500 miles

'05 F-150HD, 5.4L V8, 18,966 miles
Lab: WearCheck
OCI- 7463 mi/14.5 months
Previous Oil & Filter MC 5W20/MC FL820S
Makeup Oil: 0
Oil Capacity 7 qts.
Oil Filter: MC FL820S
Air Fitler : AEM Brute Frce

Silicon: 0/19
Potassium: 8.5/5/1
Sodium: 7.1/15
Fuel %: 0/ Glycol: 0/0
Water: Sulfation: 0/23% of max
Nitration: 0/16 % of max
Boron: 14/5.9
Barium: 1.3/0
Calcium: 2524/2280
Magnesium: 1252/1164
Moly: 170/118
Phosphorus: 872/825
Zinc: 862/908
Vis @ 40C: 50.83/--
Vis @ 100C: 9.31 cSt/8.9 cSt
VI: 168/--
Oxidation:0/27 % of max
TBN: 13.6/10.0
Iron: 3.7/28
Nickel: 0.5/0.5
Chromium: 0/1.7
Titanium: 0/0.2
Copper: 0.1/4.4
Aluminum: 1.3/5.3
Lead 1.4/0
All other values: 0

Also, Flow tested the air filter that came with it: 1077.25 cfm @ 28" HG
 
Jim which number is the one from the interval w/ the dryflow, the first or the second one?

EDIT: I looked up your post here uoa, so the first number is virgin oil and the second is the oil from the interval.
 
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I saw no change in Si numbers going from the OEM airbox and paper filter to AFE CAI and an AEM synthetic cone filter.

CAI installed at 100K miles. Making sure all the connections are tight is the key IMO.

UOA5-9-2009.png
 
AEM's test always worried me b/c they don't test them at a cfm of any higher than 240, but considering everyone's UOA's w/ v8's they handle higher airflow fine.
 
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I just removed my 6" Dry Flow from my '99 Dakota R/T. It was in use for 14 months in the SoCal high desert. The truck lives outside 24/7/365 in a very harsh, dusty environment. The filter was installed on a SRI, that has no heat shield or box.

I was SHOCKED to see an almost silt like coating inside the steel tube of the SRI. I have had a 6" K&N, and/or a 6" S&B (rotated the filters) installed from new, until 14 months ago, when I installed this "superior" AEM Dry Flow.

In the 10 plus years that I used the K&N/S&B combo changed at each OCI, (which was roughly 7-10 months) I never saw any trace whatsoever of any dirt entering the intake tube.

So, needless to say, my $70 AEM Dry Flow is in the bottom of my trash container, and will forever be gone tomorrow morning.............You guys can keep this "superior" air filter, and I'll be glad to keep my "inferior", "oil will kill my MAF" K&N.
 
Strange. I found the same problems with cotton gauze filters when I lived in the desert. The Dryflow, and the other alternatives we have now, weren't available then, so I went to oversized paper or washable dry synthetic industrial elements when I could (my trail rig had a gigantic diesel tractor filter). When I couldn't find a direct replacement on one rig (other than going back to oil bath) a foam sock over the cotton gauze made all the difference.

I run an AEM on my farm truck and it's sterile inside my intake tract. I cannot duplicate your more harsh conditions now being in the midwest now, but in every test I see, the Dryflow gets a much better filtering rating than cotton gauze (with no foam overfilter) and a slightly better betting with a foam overfitler.

The MAF thing..??? I think that's more a case of people over oiling becase many peole also don't have problems. It's like a case of, "the right way and the wrong way!"

What is the "S&B" part of your "K&N/S&B" mention above.

Given the filter tests I see (SWRI rans some that are on the web), I wonder if your AEM wasn't defective in some way. I have flow benched the AEM and the K&N, and the AEM has lots more restriction per square inch of media than the cotton gauze. Plus that AEM media was originally designed/developed for industrial/military use to be highly efficient at filtering, but not necessarily for high flow.

I'm not brand-name conscious to any great degree... at least I try not to be... so I am not challenging your choice of brand. It's just that the data I see doesn't correlate to your anecdotal experience. If that filter failed in some way, I'll bet, a) AEM would like to see it, and b) they would probably replace it.
 
I was born here, and have lived here my whole life. I have raced/ridden motocross for most of my life, so I am very aware of how important a clean intake tract is. I have used a K&N on all of my applications (cars/trucks/Razors/Rhinos) that require a non oem filter. On the few toys/vehicles that I don't modify the intake, I just run oem/wix/napa/ect.

The DF looked fine to me. I cleaned it, and examined it pretty thoroughly and found nothing out of the ordinary. I saw a lot of the same tests as you, and that's the main reason I bought it. A S&B filter is the same design as a K&N, but it supposedly has more layers of cotton, which is supposed to filter better.

Here is a link that has a few tests, including both a K&N and Dry Flow: http://www.australianauto.com.au/HTML/Images/Air Filter Shoot Out.pdf

Whatever the reason was for the intake contamination, has me more then a little irritated that I ran the truck for over a year like that. This was the first time on any of my modified vehicles, that I didn't install a clean & oiled air filter during my oci. I always buy two filters, so I can clean and oil one at my convenience, and then it's always ready to go........I won't make that mistake again!
 
Originally Posted By: D Bone
I was born here, and have lived here my whole life. I have raced/ridden motocross for most of my life, so I am very aware of how important a clean intake tract is. I have used a K&N on all of my applications (cars/trucks/Razors/Rhinos) that require a non oem filter. On the few toys/vehicles that I don't modify the intake, I just run oem/wix/napa/ect.

The DF looked fine to me. I cleaned it, and examined it pretty thoroughly and found nothing out of the ordinary. I saw a lot of the same tests as you, and that's the main reason I bought it. A S&B filter is the same design as a K&N, but it supposedly has more layers of cotton, which is supposed to filter better.

Here is a link that has a few tests, including both a K&N and Dry Flow: http://www.australianauto.com.au/HTML/Images/Air Filter Shoot Out.pdf

Whatever the reason was for the intake contamination, has me more then a little irritated that I ran the truck for over a year like that. This was the first time on any of my modified vehicles, that I didn't install a clean & oiled air filter during my oci. I always buy two filters, so I can clean and oil one at my convenience, and then it's always ready to go........I won't make that mistake again!



Yeah, I had seen that Aussie test. I'd rate it rather below the SWRI tests for gravitas but it was one of the better magazine tests I had seen. It's really past time for an objective test of all the "players."
 
Originally Posted By: D Bone
I just removed my 6" Dry Flow from my '99 Dakota R/T. It was in use for 14 months in the SoCal high desert. The truck lives outside 24/7/365 in a very harsh, dusty environment. The filter was installed on a SRI, that has no heat shield or box.

I was SHOCKED to see an almost silt like coating inside the steel tube of the SRI. I have had a 6" K&N, and/or a 6" S&B (rotated the filters) installed from new, until 14 months ago, when I installed this "superior" AEM Dry Flow.

In the 10 plus years that I used the K&N/S&B combo changed at each OCI, (which was roughly 7-10 months) I never saw any trace whatsoever of any dirt entering the intake tube.

So, needless to say, my $70 AEM Dry Flow is in the bottom of my trash container, and will forever be gone tomorrow morning.............You guys can keep this "superior" air filter, and I'll be glad to keep my "inferior", "oil will kill my MAF" K&N.



Funny, I had the same result on my Cummins, except the filter was a K&N.
 
Originally Posted By: D Bone
I just removed my 6" Dry Flow from my '99 Dakota R/T. It was in use for 14 months in the SoCal high desert. The truck lives outside 24/7/365 in a very harsh, dusty environment. The filter was installed on a SRI, that has no heat shield or box.

I was SHOCKED to see an almost silt like coating inside the steel tube of the SRI.


Did you clean it at all during that time? I wouldn't leave any open element filter on for that long in such a harsh environment. Recommended cleaning intervals are shown here aem filter info, scroll down and click "details" and read the first question and answer. The filter was on their way too long and it probably reached capacity and needed cleaning long before you pulled it off. I was always hesitant to buy the dryflow due to AEM's test at such low cfm of only 240, but considering other people's UOA's w/ them I think this is a case of user error.
 
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I had my K&N installed for 11 months, with zero problem. This filter looked dirty, but not excessively so. The clamp was centered and tight, and the filter had no defects.......... I'm glad I trashed a superior dry filter that couldn't do 14 months without [censored] itself, even though it was apparently a user error! lol
 
I don't know what kind of response you want, clearly the AEM filter is not suited for your needs and I don't blame you for getting rid of it. I was just pointing out that in your area it's considered a harsh environment and the manufacturer recommends cleaning it more often than once a year.
 
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