Spectre performance?

[disturban]

Anyone done any test on these filters as far as flow and filtering capacity goes?

I just winterized my wifes truck, oil change, coolant flush, fuel filter, air filter ect.

I seen these for just a little more than paper filters so I thought what the [censored] and got one because they are suppose to flow better and in the winter her gas mileage sucks so I do everything I can to get the most mpg like running 0w30 oil, proper tire inflation ect.

So far though no change in performance or MPG...what a suprise, LOL!

I use to run fram air filters and they served me well but I am trying to get the most out of every product I use on our vehicles now days and keep maintenance intervals to a minimum like running extended OCI with amsoil, 100,000 mile tune up parts, synthetic diff and trany fluids ect ect.

 

[bullwinkle]

Try to find ethanol-free gasoline, that'll help MPGs more than anything else!

 

[disturban]

Originally Posted By: bullwinkle
Try to find ethanol-free gasoline, that'll help MPGs more than anything else!

I know winter gas is a contributing factor to bad MPG in the winter but we need it, many other factors contribute to poor mileage in the winter though such as warm up time, rolling resistance of cold tires, cold air is denser and harder for your vehicle to push through it, ect.

Bottom line is I am doing whatever I can to squeek as much as I can out of each tank, she usually gets 20mpg on the HW in the summer but now we are getting 16.2...last winter we was getting 15.5ish so all the little things I am doing are adding up.

Funny thing is though I drive a 1988 3/4 ton 4x4 Suburban for work and daily driver in the winter and it gets 10mpg in the summer and winter, up hill or down hill, Head wind or tail wind...no matter what it always gets 10mpg, thats really not bad seeing as how it is a 22yr old truck with over 300k all original drive train, oversize tires and brand new it was rated at 11mpg on the HW.

 

[Quest]

Good luck finding ethanol-free gasoline here in NA nowadays.

(*been using E10 for over 15 yrs now, never had an issue with it*)

Q.

 

[shanneba]

Ethanol free gas location in the US and Canada
http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=ON
We currently have 2219 stations entered for the following states and provinces.

 

[Hokiefyd]

I would not use a Spectre filter. I've not seen nor heard good things about their filtering performance, which in my opinion, is the most important job of a filter. If you want to go aftermarket, the AEM DryFlow seems to be the bee's knees due to its dry synthetic media.

Personally, I'd go back to the pleated paper filter (or whatever is OEM on your car).

 

[Hokiefyd]

Originally Posted By: shanneba
Ethanol free gas location in the US and Canada
http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=ON
We currently have 2219 stations entered for the following states and provinces.


I question some of the retailers on that list. I see Mobil, I see Chevron, I see Exxon, I see Shell...and those are just stations in North Carolina. According to the Top Tier Gasoline website (http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html), all of those retailers (including Shell Canada) claim to meet the standard of Top Tier gas. What's a requirement of Top Tier gas? No less than 8% and no more than 10% ethanol by volume (http://www.toptiergas.com/deposit_control.html).

I suspect that a lot of people are reporting gas stations to that pure-gas.org website that simply don't have "ethanol" stickers on the dispensers. Just because there's no sticker, doesn't mean the gas doesn't have ethanol.

 

[Jim Allen]

The larger point is that a free flow filter does nothing, or next to nothing for FE anyway. You are mixing up flow potential with actual flow. The new filter may flow more air, but the engine only needs as much as it needs at the moment. If it has enough, there's nothing to be gained at that moment. Even if it runs out of flow potential, the attached link to the EPA tests show that the EFI kept trimming the fuel so that the FE remained very close to normal all the way until the engine just wouldn't run. A retuned intake system might do a little better better by introducing more turbulence or effecting the mixture in some way (and not many intakes systems have much of a FE effect) but a drop in element... it won't pay you back. There amy be other benefits, such as the ability to clean it, or better filtration, but as for power, in many, if not most, cases, it's the plumbing that's the restriction to power.

Look Here for more info:

Air Filters & Fuel Economy

 

[Jim Allen]

Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: shanneba
Ethanol free gas location in the US and Canada
http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=ON
We currently have 2219 stations entered for the following states and provinces.


I question some of the retailers on that list. I see Mobil, I see Chevron, I see Exxon, I see Shell...and those are just stations in North Carolina. According to the Top Tier Gasoline website (http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html), all of those retailers (including Shell Canada) claim to meet the standard of Top Tier gas. What's a requirement of Top Tier gas? No less than 8% and no more than 10% ethanol by volume (http://www.toptiergas.com/deposit_control.html).

I suspect that a lot of people are reporting gas stations to that pure-gas.org website that simply don't have "ethanol" stickers on the dispensers. Just because there's no sticker, doesn't mean the gas doesn't have ethanol.


+1. There are a total of five "pure" gas stations in all of Ohio. Big whoop! Yep, ethanol is here to stay. It ain't all bad but I don't like the drop in FE. I happened to be do some serious MPG tests as my area transitioned. I got concerned when I suddenly dropped 1 mpg.

FYI, they reduce the ethanol content in winter (to around E6) but increase the the RVP (Ried Vapor Pressure) to improve cold starting (usually by adding butane). That tends to decrease fuel economy because the winter blends typically have about 2 percent less energy content than the summer blends. Summer RVP in warm weather areas is usually around 7 in summer and 9 in cooler areas. It may go as high as 15 in cold areas.

 

[disturban]

Originally Posted By: Jim Allen
Originally Posted By: Hokiefyd
Originally Posted By: shanneba
Ethanol free gas location in the US and Canada
http://pure-gas.org/index.jsp?stateprov=ON
We currently have 2219 stations entered for the following states and provinces.


I question some of the retailers on that list. I see Mobil, I see Chevron, I see Exxon, I see Shell...and those are just stations in North Carolina. According to the Top Tier Gasoline website (http://www.toptiergas.com/retailers.html), all of those retailers (including Shell Canada) claim to meet the standard of Top Tier gas. What's a requirement of Top Tier gas? No less than 8% and no more than 10% ethanol by volume (http://www.toptiergas.com/deposit_control.html).

I suspect that a lot of people are reporting gas stations to that pure-gas.org website that simply don't have "ethanol" stickers on the dispensers. Just because there's no sticker, doesn't mean the gas doesn't have ethanol.


+1. There are a total of five "pure" gas stations in all of Ohio. Big whoop! Yep, ethanol is here to stay. It ain't all bad but I don't like the drop in FE. I happened to be do some serious MPG tests as my area transitioned. I got concerned when I suddenly dropped 1 mpg.

FYI, they reduce the ethanol content in winter (to around E6) but increase the the RVP (Ried Vapor Pressure) to improve cold starting (usually by adding butane). That tends to decrease fuel economy because the winter blends typically have about 2 percent less energy content than the summer blends. Summer RVP in warm weather areas is usually around 7 in summer and 9 in cooler areas. It may go as high as 15 in cold areas.

Is there any kind of fuel additive you can add in the winter to regain that 2% power loss? Maybe add 1/2 gallon of Nitro from the local hobby shop per tank...LOL!

 

[Jim Allen]

Sure, you could find some summer blend 7 RVP fuel but you'd trade off your cold start ability. In the warmer areas of the country, there is virtually no change in the fuel but here in these winter wonderlands, it's another matter.

One thing you could do, which is being encouraged in Europe and in Alaska and Canada, is to install a block heater. Cold starts and long warmups are a major killer in winter. IIRC, the study I saw showed an average 1-2 mpg increase when a block heater was used religiously. Of course, some of that gain will be offset by higher energy use at home, or where the car is plugged in, but a timer can really help lessen those losses. The other "cost" is the installation and the block heater as well as the aggro of plugging and unplugging the heater day in, day out. Most of us are far too lazy to do that. And don't forget about being able to plug it in at your destination. Your workplace may not have an available outlet, so lose half of what you gain.

BTW, you can get rid of the ethanol in your fuel. Simply add water and chill it until phase separation occurs. Drain the water/ethanol mix and, voila, you have 84-85 octane "pure" gas. Not much use in most cars, plus the danger and chemical hazards involved make it inadvisable.

 

[Quest]

haa....haa.....whoever consider going the "moonshine" distillation (or separation of ethanol from E-10 gas) just for the hexk of getting some FE back, is, IMHO, counter-intuitive.

Yeah, I know (and aware of)some backyard "adventurists" out there already doing that as we speak (again, risk of explosion/fire is on those folks, not me). But then again, at what cost? burn down the neighbourhood?

I'd gain FE by reducing load/unnecessary stuff and also occupant weight (yes, I only weigh 165lbs). By doing so, I recover most of the FE lost in winter fuels and also by E-10. Afterall: E-10 has been with us in our area for over 15 yrs and frankly I don't see that as an issue.

Q.

 

[kcfx4]

around this time last yr autozone had spectre filters on sale or rebate, i dont remember, but i do remember buying 2 of them for $25/per filter, seem to me to be as good as my K&N, im not scared of a reusable oil type air filter if maintained properly, i have them in every vehicle i own