how are K&N oil filters?

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I scored two K&N oil filters @ autozone with Castrol syntec (bought GC) deal. Should I use them or try and return them for Motorcraft? (03 Cobra)

Thanks
 
They are good filters and if you got them on sale or with a deal then use them. If you have a choice of buying them stand-alone I'd pass due to the 12.99 price at some places.

Purolator/PureOne, Mobil-1, Wix filters(and their Napa brothers) will give you the same performance for 1/3 the price. I use Mobil-1 and Purolator Classic filters and they do me right.

If you wanted to, you could try to return them and get credit hopefully for about $20+ dollars and stock up on the puralator/pureone filters/motor craft filters to save you even more money.

Really wish my local R&S had another 50% sale again.
 
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Originally Posted By: Jtgrant
It was 28 bucks for 5 quarts of GC with K&N filter


Yeah I saw your other thread, saying if its possible to return just the filters(return them for more money than you paid) by not having the receipt etc they give you store credit and just buy up even more less priced filters. Either way its a kick [censored] deal for synthetic oil and a quality filter.
 
Originally Posted By: Anies
They are good filters and if you got them on sale or with a deal then use them. If you have a choice of buying them stand-alone I'd pass due to the 12.99 price at some places.

Purolator/PureOne, Mobil-1, Wix filters(and their Napa brothers) will give you the same performance for 1/3 the price.

Hmm... for our Jetta, an M1 filter costs the same as a K&N one - $12.99 (at AutoZone). Where can I find M1 filter for 1/3 of this price?
 
Originally Posted By: Jtgrant
I scored two K&N oil filters @ autozone with Castrol syntec (bought GC) deal. Should I use them or try and return them

Good filters, made by Champion, AFAIK. I wouldn't return them.

I ended up getting M1 filters from this deal, just because AZ doesn't stock K&N filters for either of our cars.
 
I took advantage of the same deal, and will probably be going back again before the offer expires. I believe they are running that sale through 08/26. It saves you close to 21 bucks. I figure that ain't too shabby.

The K&N filter is a Mobil 1 filter with a nut on the end of the case.
 
This deal is killer! I was wondering about the filter as well. is there a forum for deals of this type? I just happened to stop by Autozone and catch it and I was pleasantly surprised.
 
Originally Posted By: FusilliJerry82
Inside they're identical to Mobil 1's.


Respectfully, that is not correct. The "skeletal" structure is the same, but the filtration media is different. The M1's filtration media is designed to emphasize fine filtration. The K&N gives up some filtration and emphasizes flow. If you cut them open in unused condition, you can see the difference (color and texture).
 
Here is a little more info concerning the "guts" of the M1 and K&N filters. Again, if you cut them both open (unused), as I have, you can see what's the same, and what's not.

Here are descriptions of the filtration media of each filter, from each company's website:

Originally Posted By: Mobil's site
Our advanced oil filters use synthetic fibers, which leave your vehicle with cleaner oil and an engine that performs better and lasts longer. When used with Mobil 1 fully synthetic motor oil, our Mobil 1 Extended Performance Oil Filter offers the best protection for your engine.


Originally Posted By: K&N's site
High-Flow Rate
Our oil filters use resin impregnated cellulose filter media. This allows for higher flow rates while providing outstanding filtration. High filter flow rates are important in racing vehicles where heavier grade oil is used and the oil is pumped much faster than in a standard vehicle. When the engine is circulating oil at high GPM rates, the high-flow oil filter helps reduce the loss of pressure through the filtering process.


In short, the two are very much NOT identical inside.
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Originally Posted By: BTC
The certainly look the same.

http://www.rubiconownersforum.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=38&t=58887

It would be interesting to get a definitive answer from Champion Labs on whether or not the filtration media is different.


Yes, they look the same. That's what I mean by sharing the same "skeletal structure". If you dissect them in clean, unused condition (which I have done with my own two hands), you will see that they are the same, except for the actual filtration media, which is clearly different. And then again, as I provided above, the two sellers, K&N and Mobil, describe different filters for different missions. And the choice of Champ Labs "architecture" makes perfect sense for both -- they're very durable and well put together. Just what the two sellers aiming for a part of the top-end market need to attract customers and maintain reputation.
 
So you've actually taken the two filters apart? As for marketing speak, I wouldn't put much faith in that as far as determining the actual contents of a product.

I'm curious, so I'm going to contact Champion and see what they have to say, if anything.
 
Well, Champion Labs did confirm that the filtration media isn't exactly the same between the K&N & Mobil 1, but said it was very similar. The guy I spoke to also said the best filter they make is their new Royal Purple filter.
 
Yes, the Royal Purple filter has the same style synthetic glass media in it as the AMSOIL EaO, Donaldson SYNTEQ and Fleetguard Stratapore filters.
 
Originally Posted By: BTC
Well, Champion Labs did confirm that the filtration media isn't exactly the same between the K&N & Mobil 1, but said it was very similar. The guy I spoke to also said the best filter they make is their new Royal Purple filter.


I'm a tad surprised about the RP comment. You'd think that such a comment might not sit so well with the execs at EM or K&N. More fundamentally, though, I'm troubled with descriptions such as "best" in this context. Best for whom? Is "best" the same for a race engine and your Grandma's Buick? The KN provides what's probably "best" for a race engine, in that its cellulose (paper) element has relatively open pores which allow less restricted flow (I assume the claimed "resin" coating is to help the fibres hold on to debris?). The M1, with a primarily glass fibre element has smaller pores, and thus, presumably, provides finer filtration -- probably "best" for a normal street car the owner wants to keep the car for a long time. IMO anyway...
cheers3.gif
 
Originally Posted By: BTC
So you've actually taken the two filters apart? As for marketing speak, I wouldn't put much faith in that as far as determining the actual contents of a product.

I'm curious, so I'm going to contact Champion and see what they have to say, if anything.


Yes, I have. I've dissected roughly a dozen virgin filters myself. I have most of the pictures around somewhere (I've changed computers a couple times since the early dissections).

Again, between these two, you can actually see a color and texture difference. Nothing dramatic or anything, but just not the same.

Gee, I wonder if the new RP filter has a purple element???
wink.gif
 
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