An Airtight Seal Is The Key!

[TheLoneRanger]

After reading all the posts on K&N vs paper air filters, I thought I would post my experience. The vehicle is a 78 Bronco that is a "weekend driver". For years, I ran the stock air cleaner with Fram paper filters. Even though I replaced the carb/air cleaner gasket several times, I always had grit inside the filter housing. No matter how I tried to seal the filter, the grit would somehow find it's way through.

Last summer I replaced the stock setup with a K&N filter and custom air cleaner. In the process, I placed a piece of split vacuum hose around the perimeter of the cleaner base, forming an air-tight seal between the carb and cleaner. After the sealing, and running the K&N filter for over a year, I find absolutely NO grit inside the filter area; none, nada. The point to all this is that the filter sealing is more important than the filter type. At least in my experience.....
Don

 

[Dual Sport]

Airtight Seal ?

www.geocities.com/gkurka2001/FilterZoom3.jpg

 

[jason07-1zzfe]

Good pic!!

I shoulda tried that. Who needs a microscope?

I could have just put the camera in macro mode!

I took a microscopic photo a while back @ 88x also measured the pore size around 625 micron (.6mm)!

 

[Dual Sport]

Jason

Can you post them ?

 

[jason07-1zzfe]

I don't have a hosting company. But I could email it.

 

[OneQuartLow]

LoneRanger, certainly, the seal is important, but seal, media, or passage leaks can subvert the system. Tube or fitting leaks are common. A thin film of grease in the airtube and TB/carb intake is good to show up possible problems. I can tell you, offroad activity will expose these in short order!

In my experience it seems quality manufacturing or control is more problematic for makers of "high-performance" filters than for those making simple paper filters. (* flame suit on *) My guess is the gauze/oil filters are more complex to manufacture consistently. For whatever reason, it's pushed me to use simple paper filters for dune/desert/dust conditions.

Jason, the holes in the pictured filter aren't as bad as some I've seen. I returned one long ago for the same reason. Since then I've seen >1mm holes in friend's new oiled filters. Yes, I watch for it.

Can you email your images? I could post/host if you like.

David

 

[jason07-1zzfe]

What's your email? I didn't find it in your profile

 

[jason07-1zzfe]

Dual Sport, it is now here courtesy of David:
http://216.97.79.107/airfilters/knmicro.jpg

 

[metroplex]

The oil is used because it attracts dirt.

Once more dirt clings onto the filter, they act as filters... and as the filter starts to clog up, the filtration power increases while still maintaining flow because the air can travelthrough the non-clogged parts more readily than in a paper filter.

The Kool Blue I got had much much smaller holes (maybe less than 1/4 of a mm) than the K&Ns I saw. You could see thru it, but not enough to make out objects.

 

[Dual Sport]

Jason, David thanks !

 

[digitaldrifter91]

air tight seal?? great!! i got a stock air box with a fram air filter. its a rectangular form of air filter on my pfi 2.2l I4 sohc honda accord 91. i looked in the tube after the filter and i notice a slight film of dirt. i rub it and it comes off kinda oily. is that the cause of sealing wrong or is it the cause of dirt flowing through the filter? should i clean it out? if it is the seal then what should i do??

btw: i have my reasons why i wont go with k & n...unless i find amsoil which i still have doubts.