Help selecting a filter

[Falcon_LS]

As you may have read in my other thread, I upgraded the air filter housing and MAF sensor on my Grand Marquis to one for a Marauder. Although it's a great investment performance wise, because the Marauder wasn't sold in the Middle East (and why I have no clue considering the Impala SS rebadged as the Caprice SS was selling like hot cakes), I have to either special order the filter through the dealer or buy online.

Luckily this gives me a variety of choice, instead of just the Motorcraft FA-1805, but obviously at a cost. Given the following options, I'm wondering what everyone's choice would be:

- ACDelco A3091C
- Champ Labs AF3955
- Fram Extra Guard CA5056
- Fram Tough Guard TGA5056
- Fram Premium Washable WA5056
- Hastings AF1198
- Motorcraft FA-1805
- NAPA Gold FIL 6814
- NAPA ProSelect SFI 26814
- Purolator Classic A35468
- Wix 46812

There are performance filters available, like K&N and aFe, but considering I replace the filter at every oil change (6,250 miles) because of dusty weather conditions, I'm not too keen on reduced filtration.

What's quite surprising, as you may have read in my other thread, is the fact that Mann supplies the factory filter but there's no Mann filter available for the aftermarket.

 

[scurvy]

I would look into a restriction minder so you can tell when it actually needs to be replaced.

FWIW, any of the listed filters should be fine. The Frams available in the US are actually fairly well constructed and have nice, pliable gaskets that seal very well.

I would not use any sort of 'washable' filter and absolutely not an oiled gauze rock catcher.

 

[Falcon_LS]

Thanks for the input!

Originally Posted By: scurvy
I would look into a restriction minder so you can tell when it actually needs to be replaced.


I actually got one of those on my old filter housing, and the problem with that is the really fine particles of sand/dust. According to the RM, the filter still flows well, but when you look inside the intake tube, you can clearly see traces of sand/dust that has passed through. Even 10,000 km is pushing it actually, because past the ~8,500 km mark, I start seeing dust in the intake tube. The only filter I used where this did not happen was the Purolator PureONE, but that's not available for this application.

 

[jkhawaii]

I would not use the K&N with all that sand over there. fram tough guard would be my first thought because of the depth of the filter media may be better able to catch the sand.

 

[accent2012]

+1 for FRAM filter.

 

[scurvy]

Originally Posted By: Falcon_LS
I actually got one of those on my old filter housing, and the problem with that is the really fine particles of sand/dust. According to the RM, the filter still flows well, but when you look inside the intake tube, you can clearly see traces of sand/dust that has passed through.


Is it getting past the filter itself or around the gasket? If the gasket, I would give it a light coating of a Hylomar or similar non-hardening gasket.

Is there something with a pre-filter available? My TDI has a 'cold climate' filter available from Mann that has a foam prefilter on the 'dirty' side of the paper element.

FWIW, the last K&N I took out of an airbox was letting massive amounts of dirt through - terrible tracks on the dirty side of the airbox and into the MAF. I replaced it with an OE paper element filter after cleaning the airbox & MAF. No more dirt!

 

[Garak]

Falcon, I'd go with the Fram, as suggested earlier, or the Motorcraft for that application. At least for my application, the Fram seals were nice and pliable. After 24,000 km, there was no dust on the inboard side of the filter.

 

[Colt45ws]

Amsoil EAA218. Im running one right now.
Motorcraft as secondary.

 

[vssjim]

Wix or NAPA Gold, which are the same are very good filters as well, I really like the gasket material on Wix filters.