Confused about K&N
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K&N is a great filter if you put some type of foam prefilter around it and never clean the Filter (mabe 75k it should be cleaned) just clean the foam filter. I dont think there is anything wrong with the filters except they dont filter well when new thats why I sugest to everyone who has one get a foam precleaner to filter the air completly and we will all be happy.
Turbo/supercharged engines see the most HP benifit from these filters because the the air can be pulled into the superchager/turbo easyer making them spool sooner and create more boost.
I also agree with others who have said people clean the filters to often and over oiling the filer media. All you need to do is every year tap the filter out and lightly reoil the INSIDE pleats with K&N oil and use some kind of grease on both sides of the seals thats it. If the pleats are still red than put it back in and no oil is needed . When its pink it needs oil but only then oil the inside.
I would not run one of these filters in a dusty off road aplication foam would work best there period. If your looking for cheep HP in a nornally asparated 200 hp honda you wont see any so dont be supprised. All you will get is a filter you will never have to replace saving you money in the end . Just my .2$
Turbo/supercharged engines see the most HP benifit from these filters because the the air can be pulled into the superchager/turbo easyer making them spool sooner and create more boost.
I also agree with others who have said people clean the filters to often and over oiling the filer media. All you need to do is every year tap the filter out and lightly reoil the INSIDE pleats with K&N oil and use some kind of grease on both sides of the seals thats it. If the pleats are still red than put it back in and no oil is needed . When its pink it needs oil but only then oil the inside.
I would not run one of these filters in a dusty off road aplication foam would work best there period. If your looking for cheep HP in a nornally asparated 200 hp honda you wont see any so dont be supprised. All you will get is a filter you will never have to replace saving you money in the end . Just my .2$
Something to think about for the K&N people. When you drop in your K&N, chances are your taking out a dirty, clogged up paper filter and replacing it with a clean, shiny new K&N.
I mean I notice a slight increase in power and mileage when I change my dirty paper filter for a clean paper filter.
I mean I notice a slight increase in power and mileage when I change my dirty paper filter for a clean paper filter.
I contacted Airaid regarding the dirt issue brought up by using a K&N filter. Here is there reply.
Joby,
Our filter uses a synthetic filtering media that traps more dirt than any of our competitors. A stock paper element filter from Nissan filters to 10 microns. A K&N filter filters down to 5 microns and our Airaid filter filters down to 2 microns. The smaller the micron rating, the more dirt the filter will catch. From this illustration, our filter does a better job at catching dirt than the stock Nissan element.
Currently, we do not offer a per-filter for your application. If you live in the city or suburbia, you’ll go about 25-30,000 miles before you’ll nee to clean it. If you’re going off-road quite a lot, cut that mileage number to 20,000.
David Lutter
Customer Support
Airaid Premium Filters
[email protected]
602-652-9728 Direct Connect
877-443-3636 Toll Free Fax
Joby,
Our filter uses a synthetic filtering media that traps more dirt than any of our competitors. A stock paper element filter from Nissan filters to 10 microns. A K&N filter filters down to 5 microns and our Airaid filter filters down to 2 microns. The smaller the micron rating, the more dirt the filter will catch. From this illustration, our filter does a better job at catching dirt than the stock Nissan element.
Currently, we do not offer a per-filter for your application. If you live in the city or suburbia, you’ll go about 25-30,000 miles before you’ll nee to clean it. If you’re going off-road quite a lot, cut that mileage number to 20,000.
David Lutter
Customer Support
Airaid Premium Filters
[email protected]
602-652-9728 Direct Connect
877-443-3636 Toll Free Fax
i just wanted to clear one thing up here in this thread. A K&N will not cause you to actually run more boost on a turbo charged car or truck as John mentioned his truck was indicating. What is happening is that due to lower restriction, the MAS is having more air drawn across it. This has no bearing on how much the compressor is actually doing. The only thing a lower restriction filter will do is increase your boost response due to better air flow.
my car has a stock boost gauge, and an aftermarket mechanical one. With the k&N the stock one climbs right up to 7psi while the real boost guage is reading -3" of vacuum. Obviously that's a bit of a stretch.
It also pegs out the gauge long before it actually reaches 14psi (i'm actually running 17psi).
It's amazing how much better the response is, and how much more quickly the car will build real boost though. I clean my filters pretty obsessively, and as such, replace them more often, but I feel that it's worth it.
my car has a stock boost gauge, and an aftermarket mechanical one. With the k&N the stock one climbs right up to 7psi while the real boost guage is reading -3" of vacuum. Obviously that's a bit of a stretch.
It's amazing how much better the response is, and how much more quickly the car will build real boost though. I clean my filters pretty obsessively, and as such, replace them more often, but I feel that it's worth it.
Totally anecdotal evidence here, but after switching to a K&N, I notice my oil is much dirtier when changing... I live in a dusty area, and I think maybe I should go back to a paper filter.
Here's a question, which of the commonly available replacement filters are best? FRAM seems to dominate the market...
Here's a question, which of the commonly available replacement filters are best? FRAM seems to dominate the market...
I've used a drop in K&N air filter on a Expedition.
Didn't notice any MPG gain or power.
Just more engine noise.
Had Blackstone do an oil do test of my oil with the K&N and one without the K&N.
The silicon(dirt) level was much higher with the K&N
Also have read the K&N doesn't do anything for power unless yo're running over 5000 RPM.
So to me the only advantage is not having to buy air filters every 10-15K.
Not a big deal to me.
I'll stick with paper filters.
Didn't notice any MPG gain or power.
Just more engine noise.
Had Blackstone do an oil do test of my oil with the K&N and one without the K&N.
The silicon(dirt) level was much higher with the K&N
Also have read the K&N doesn't do anything for power unless yo're running over 5000 RPM.
So to me the only advantage is not having to buy air filters every 10-15K.
Not a big deal to me.
I'll stick with paper filters.
Stick to paper filters or a good foam filter in dusty areas. AC filters have been a favorite on here. I dont like any fram products.
only in one application in one test.
The results could well switch around amongst the paper filters when applied to another vehicle.
re K&N's making more power, I've posted before that in a few back to back tests we did 9 or so years ago, we made more power with a K&N over foam racing filters,(UNI Filter, Piper Cross) and even bettered the no air filter runs, both when using, and not using ram tubes with a full return radius on them on a Formula Ford 1600.
The K&N had to be mounted in a non-standard way to achieve this, but it was a repeatable 1.5-2 horsepower, which could equate to as much as a 1/10 of a second on the track, sometimes the difference 'tween first and third on the grid.
We could only put it down to the air being straightened by the filter and wire gauze as it entered the little Weber's venturi. Whatever was happening, it worked.
Would this happen on an injected vehicle ? I doubt it, but air flow is a funny thing, and the only way to know for sure is testing.
I spent a small fortune on a K&N for my Land Rover, (IIRC, AU$186.00, made in the UK) then pulled it after 20,000km and replaced with a Donaldson element after a few reports from South Africa with vehicles running the same 300Tdi engine in similar conditions (lots of dirt/gravel roads) suffering excessive upper cylinder wear and using a K&N. Twelve months later Spicers report emerged, and so I didn't feel so bad about having an expensive paper weight sitting here.
I tried K@N filters on my 1971 motorcycle in 1971. I wouldn't recommend one and other than on a boat or a race car there is no use for one.
Are AC Delco air filters made by Champion Labratories? If that's the case, then the cheapo STP filters available at Uh-Oh Zone, er, AutoZone are the same thing at a more reasonable price. Any insight?
The STP filters are sourced from different manufacturers throughout the world.
I used to check the STP filters that fit my car on the regular basis several times a year.
I would encounter a different filter almost everytime I visited the store.
All of them looked to be of good quality.
I've seen filters (the same part # in the same generic box) made in U.K., Canada and U.S. judging by the "made in" writing on the filter media.
I ended up buying the british one - more pleats, unique yellowish paper, very qood quality overall and cheaper than Fram.
[ October 01, 2005, 06:06 PM: Message edited by: vad ]
I used to check the STP filters that fit my car on the regular basis several times a year.
I would encounter a different filter almost everytime I visited the store.
All of them looked to be of good quality.
I've seen filters (the same part # in the same generic box) made in U.K., Canada and U.S. judging by the "made in" writing on the filter media.
I ended up buying the british one - more pleats, unique yellowish paper, very qood quality overall and cheaper than Fram.
[ October 01, 2005, 06:06 PM: Message edited by: vad ]
In the early 90's we demonstrated a 3% hp increase (roughly - it came to 6hp) on the stock mustange GT 225hp EECIV motor using mass air. using a K&N panel in the box and no other filter mods or boxes etc etc.
Longevity? I have over 200000 documented miles on a K&N(226000 total) that the wiz kids said would never last and could not happen. Oh and ya,that motor is still running strong. Never even tested the oil either, just did something blasphemous and changed it. Even ran amsoil in ot for 10 years before I found castrol in the same weight...
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