K&N Oil Filters? Name or actually a good filter?
- Thread starter BlazerLT
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I think they are made by champion to K&N's specs.
They trade off filtration efficiency for flow. High flow filters but do not filter as well as others.
They are worth the money if you have a high performance engine that needs a lot of oil flow. Otherwise, you might want to try purolator, wix, napa gold, baldwin or a stock filter.
Dan
They trade off filtration efficiency for flow. High flow filters but do not filter as well as others.
They are worth the money if you have a high performance engine that needs a lot of oil flow. Otherwise, you might want to try purolator, wix, napa gold, baldwin or a stock filter.
Dan
Patman
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I think these are excellent filters, I've been using them for a while now with good UOA results. They are very well built, and flow very well, which IMO is more important when you drive at full throttle often.
On a secondary note...they have a 1 inch nut welded to the bottom of the filter. Depending on the location and difficulty of tightening and loosening your filter...sometimes the 10 bucks is worth just the reduction in hassle of changing the filter.
On the Mazda 6s, the location of the filter makes it extremely...annoying to use a filter wrench. With the K&N oil filter + socket, oil changes are a breeze.
I wish other manufacturers would consider the nut system.
On the Mazda 6s, the location of the filter makes it extremely...annoying to use a filter wrench. With the K&N oil filter + socket, oil changes are a breeze.
I wish other manufacturers would consider the nut system.
If your looking for flow, the Purolator offers more for less money. IMO, the only thing the K&N filter has going for it is the heavy construction and welded nut. It would be a good filter for an off-roading vehicle or such.
Otherwise why not buy a filter with a silicone ADBV or better filtration.
-T
Otherwise why not buy a filter with a silicone ADBV or better filtration.
-T
Well, that is the question that each person must answer. Since the Fram line of oil filters has been thoroughly bashed (with apparent reason) I would probably not use one of them.
A Napa Gold filter costs me around $7, and an AC Delco from the dealer (PF46) costs just under $7. A Baldwin was about the same as the Napa. So, for an extra $3 I get, if nothing else, a filter that is as good or better with ease of change built in.
For sure, I am not rich and I do count pennies, as it were. However, after seeing a number of problems raised with other filters, I am inclined to think that if paying an extra $3-5 gives you a measure of QC, then maybe it is worth it.
My experience with K&N oil filters is indeed limited, but the one I used on a 98 Silverado worked out quite well.
On my 2004 Avalanche, I have used the Napa Gold, AC Delco and the K&N. The Napa leaked, similar to what an other poster observed, the AC Delco seemed to run fine and the K&N did as well.
I am getting ready to change the magic fluid, and based on what I have found out about the Baldwin thing, I will be using Kendall GT-1 10w-30 synthetic and a K&N filter. 3K miles later I will be getting an UOA.
Bob W.
I've used them a lot. Never had a prob, except forking over the $10! Seriously, it appears to be a quailty product. Like the Mobile 1---built like a tank. Of course, the Super Tech is pretty much, too @ $2.07
When you wheel, I can never see an oil filter coming in contact with a rock unless you have a remote filter on the frame rails or something else ridiculas like that. My jeep has an engine skid, steering box skid and diff covers. I think the "thick construction" of k&n's is useless to many 4 wheelers. If your engine came in contact with a rock, you would have a lot more issues than a busted oil filter.
Here are my UOA's from my wife's car comparing the M1 and K&N filters. Both run 5k with Mobil 1 5w-30. Results were nearly identical, especially the insolubles (dirt).
Mobil 1 vs. K&N
I off-road some in my truck, depending on the stock filter location it can be vulnerable. On mine it is, I use a K&N or M1 if I know I'll be wheelin'.
Mobil 1 vs. K&N
I off-road some in my truck, depending on the stock filter location it can be vulnerable. On mine it is, I use a K&N or M1 if I know I'll be wheelin'.
Well, it's just one datapoint, but it would be hard to find fault with this UOA taken after running GC with a K&N oil filter on my last car (a V-6 Camry). These engines do pretty well overall, but certainly, the filtration was not an issue. See for yourself ===> UOA Results Using K&N Oil Filter Over 5,300 Miles
Been using one on one engine for several years now. UOA is the same as with Amsoil and Pure One filters in the past. I like the construction and I believe in flow, filters, IMO, are useless appendages that filter nothing anyway so I like the K&N. I would use Amosil which gives both flow nad better filtering in theory but the Amsoil for the engine in quesiton leaks at the gasket, never could figure out why. Woth $10, no but I still buy them, $20/year I can live with well, $20 less the cost of a Pure One or other brand.
Based on what I have seen from UOA's that have been posted here and on feedback from other groups, it appears that these filters are getting the job done.
I was ready to switch to Baldwin fiters, but if you check out the B31 defect thread, you will see that the QC for some of Baldwin's filters seemed off.
The K&N QC seems good and that little nut really does make it a snap to change.
The added benefit is that these filters are available off the shelf, as it were.
Bob W.
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