PU 5w30 10,200 miles w/ K&N oil filter 2005 Titan

[coachditka]

My last sample was 32,500 miles ago. It has been a brutal summer here and very dry and dusty. I have an Amsoil dry air filter with no chemicals. I will give it a good cleaning. But elevated Si with no elevated Pb does not have me concerned, especially running about 2.5 times the universal average base number of miles.

The K&N filter is just a M1 with a 1" nut on the bottom as far as I know.

Heck, running 10k on an oil change would make some cringe, but this is BITOG and that's what we do!

 

[addyguy]

Silicon is elevated in every run, and Pb is elevated in many of them. As you say, it's not really serious, but you ARE getting significant bearing wear from grit getting into the engine. this may well lead to shortened engine life.

 

[Donald]

Were it my engine I would be a little concerned about the silicon and lead. But not concerned enough to go crazy with things. Have you looked through the entire air intake system for any way air could get in unfiltered? When I looked at two of my vehicles I found a TBI gasket missing in one and a temp sender had fallen out of the air intake housing, leaving a small hole in the other. Maybe silicone grease on the air filter sealing areas?

 

[HTSS_TR]

I agree with Donald, check the air intake system to make sure they are air tied. How long do you have the Amsoil air filter ? How about going back to OEM paper filter ?

 

[coachditka]

Originally Posted By: HTSS_TR
I agree with Donald, check the air intake system to make sure they are air tied. How long do you have the Amsoil air filter ? How about going back to OEM paper filter ?


I have a K&N cold air intake for the past 100k. I will take it off and reinstall it to make sure everything is sealed. Or I might bite the bullet and get a Volant intake cause those things are sweet!

 

[JOD]

silicon is 3ppm per mile over the universal averages? PB is even with the universal averages @ ppm per mile. I don't understand how this is even a concern? It's certainly within the margin of the test. If you've just taken off the CAI, the act of doing the swap alone could have increased SI. If I were in your shoes, I'd just leave it alone until the next run is done and then check it.

There's nothing on this report that would have me doing anything different. The oil and engine look good to me.

 

[Artem]

I'm almost willing to bet that if a good quality air filter is installed, silicon would drop.

 

[JOD]

Originally Posted By: Artem
I'm almost willing to bet that if a good quality air filter is installed, silicon would drop.

Isn't he using an Amsoil dry filter (Donaldson clone)? That's probably the best filter out there. I'm willing to bet if he leaves his intake alone, and DOESN'T clean the filter or otherwise disturb the air intake system of his car, his SI will drop!

 

[Artem]

No, he doesn't. That's what I'm saying, with a good quality filter, things would be different.


Originally Posted By: coachditka


I have a K&N cold air intake for the past 100k

 

[coachditka]

Originally Posted By: Artem
No, he doesn't. That's what I'm saying, with a good quality filter, things would be different.


Originally Posted By: coachditka


I have a K&N cold air intake for the past 100k


I am using an Amsoil dry filter in replacement of the K&N filter. Intake is K&N, filter is Amsoil.

 

[Artem]

Got cha. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[ltslimjim]

Does Ultra have any Si virgin? How about adding a pre-charge wrap to the cone filter for added filtration? That way you don't mess with the setup(aside from visually inspecting it as best you can, including all vacuum, throttle body, piping etc)...?

 

[steve20]

Originally Posted By: Artem
I'm almost willing to bet that if a good quality air filter is installed, silicon would drop.

I'm not willing to bet, I'm willing to guarantee an OEM filter would drop Si and Pb way down. But (luckily) it's not my truck, so it's not my decision

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: steve20
Originally Posted By: Artem
I'm almost willing to bet that if a good quality air filter is installed, silicon would drop.

I'm not willing to bet, I'm willing to guarantee an OEM filter would drop Si and Pb way down. But (luckily) it's not my truck, so it's not my decision



Agreed.

I've really grown to become quite fond of the factory filtration setups. Often a simple removal of a silencer will make them "perform" on-par with their "high flow" aftermarket equivalents.... without the the added cost and poorer filtration.

 

[ltslimjim]

^I agree generally with that statement, in non-tuned applications.

 

[FZ1]

If you want the silicon to drop,go back to the oem setup and oem AF.

 

[coachditka]

If I wanted a stock truck, I would have a stock truck. I like having the extra power of an intake, timing advance, and magna flow exhaust. I am going to take the intake off and check it up and down for possible cracks or leaks. Then reinstall nice and snug.

 

[Artem]

Originally Posted By: coachditka
If I wanted a stock truck, I would have a stock truck. I like having the extra power of an intake, timing advance, and magna flow exhaust. I am going to take the intake off and check it up and down for possible cracks or leaks. Then reinstall nice and snug.



Report back. Try to blow off/wipe off any dirt/dust from the connecting points as well as most of the internal intake piping to keep from having extra debris from going into the throttle body during installation.

you could also try cleaning the TB and inside the intake manifold. I noticed mine get pretty dirty after 100k or so and a nice clean up is always a plus. Idle seems smoother afterward too.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: coachditka
If I wanted a stock truck, I would have a stock truck. I like having the extra power of an intake, timing advance, and magna flow exhaust. I am going to take the intake off and check it up and down for possible cracks or leaks. Then reinstall nice and snug.


Most CAI's do SFA. If your stock setup has any restrictors or silencers in it, remove them, and re-fit it. I imagine it was a "factory CAI" anyway, as most vehicles I've owned drew air from the fender or behind the headlight stock.

Nobody's telling you to return your truck to stock. But this is a pretty common observation on here with aftermarket "CAI's".

On my Expedition, for comparison, there was a restrictor in the tubing about 6" before the throttle body. And there was a silencer that fed the airbox. This necked down the 4" opening in the airbox itself to around 2". Replaced it with a 4" long piece of 4" PVC pipe. Voila! Home-made CAI (and it sounds like a CAI) while retaining the stock filter, filter housing, and plumbing. Which won't heat-soak like an aluminum CAI will.

 

[ltslimjim]

^True, regarding heat-soaking of a metal short-ram pipe.

Good for fuel efficiency perhaps, but not power. Which is why the K&N intakes, generally, if can be had in the 'hard plastic' variety I prefer over metal, unless of course I want warmer air at the TB/intake manifold, as long as the vehicle is mechanically sound, you'll probably have an increase in fuel efficiency over a true CAI, generally speaking. A CAI may yield better results in an engine that is retarding the timing much from the hot weather and would be better served with CAI, for example. Just a thought anyway.