K&N Filters

======================= I have read a few things about testing of the K&N and the bottom line is it doesnt filter well and the flow is *ever so slightly* better than a paper filter. I have witnessed first hand the things used on CV police cars and they come in every service (3k) with the MAF sensor all oily and dirty. Well thats enough for me, if that MAF sensor caught all that dirt on its tiny little thermistor in 3K miles just imagine what went into/through the engine........Also, how do you know if you put the correct amount of oil on it? Did you put to little oil to filter well but the flow is good or did you put to much so it filters well but doesnt flow well? ....

Follow me here. Think of sewer pipe.

Your engine requires at maximum effort the flow potential of a 4" pipe Your stock filter has the capacity to flow as much as an 8" pipe If a K&N filter flows better, say like a 10" pipe. Just how will it be better when the engine for the most part is using the flow of a 1 or 2" pipe and at maximum effort uses a 4" pipes worth of flow.

the K&N is treusable, if you have very dusty conditions and need to change filters frequently.

They will be of more value to you if YOU find them.

The K&N site was almost enough for me. Simply the amount of effort they spend focusing on "percent filtering efficiency" and effort to avoid direct product comparisons to the competitors. Its like Saddam Hussein saying he doesn't have WMD but being such a jerk about taking one small step and letting inspectors prove his claim without hassling them.

One very interesting site was in Japanese where they took 4 or 5 different filters and ran copier toner thru them. Used a shop vac to suck air thru the filters like an engine.

A simple test you can do for yourself is to smear a fingerprint of grease on a clean surface inside your airbox. Drive for a while with K&N and test. Repeat with a paper filter. BTDT. I admit its not a good scientific test but when repeated on my daily commute the K&N always had grit which the paper filter did not have. Will never buy a K&N product again.

Many have reported increased MAP sensor failures on K&N-equipped vehicles. You will also find a film of oil lining your airbox in the test above.

As others have said in this thread, "less restriction" isn't of any use. I'll clarify by pointing out that whatever restriction the air filter does not provide, you will provide by closing the throttle farther. The only way a K&N will provide better fuel economy is when a carburetor is out of tune. With adaptive self-tuning fuel injection there is no difference or advantage but at full throttle.

We ran K& N filters on SCCA Alantic cars, 1600cc Toyota's, with a K&N the valve seats were worn after 500 miles, with an oiled foam filter they looked much better. The K&N flows better because it has larger holes, in effect a fine screen rather than a true filter. Not for me.

I have read a few things about testing of the K&N and the bottom line is it doesnt filter well and the flow is *ever so slightly* better than a paper filter. I have witnessed first hand the things used on CV police cars and they come in every service (3k) with the MAF sensor all oily and dirty. Well thats enough for me, if that MAF sensor caught all that dirt on its tiny little thermistor in 3K miles just imagine what went into/through the engine........Also, how do you know if you put the correct amount of oil on it? Did you put to little oil to filter well but the flow is good or did you put to much so it filters well but doesnt flow well? ....

Yeser it is but the oil kit costs as much as a whole mitt full of paper filters at least around my neck of the woods. My opinion -- Just a costly gimmick.

-- Gordie

PURGATORY:

"Whenever a date is set for the 'invention' of purgatory, you can point to historical evidence to show the doctrine was in existence before that date. Besides, if at some point the doctrine was pulled out of a clerical hat, why does ecclesiastical history record no protest against it?" (Consider what is happening to the Episcopal Church because of its acceptance of same sex marriages and look at the level of protest. The protest is huge and it is splitting the church world-wide)

"A study of the history of doctrines indicates that Christians in the first centuries were up in arms (sometimes quite literally) if anyone suggested the least change in beliefs. They were extremely conservative people who tested a doctrine's truth by asking, Was this believed by our ancestors? Was it handed on from the apostles? Surely belief in purgatory would be considered a great change, if it had not been believed from the first--so where are the records of protests?

They don't exist. There is no hint at all, in the oldest writings available to us (or in later ones, for that matter), that 'true believers' in the immediate post-apostolic years spoke of purgatory as a novel doctrine. They must have understood that the oral teaching of the apostles, what Catholics call tradition, and the Bible not only failed to contradict the doctrine, but, in fact, confirmed it."

I have the K&N FIPK on my truck, I did not notice ANY improvement at all. the only things I noticed was the engine was louder at WOT, and my wallet was thinner.

You may also notice a fine layer of dust inside your air tube between the K&N and your intake. KH

I will have to take a look, When I took it off before to change the plugs, it looked pretty good. Maybe now that some more time has passed, it will be there. Actually, I am thinking about putting the OEM filter structure back in and see if it makes any difference.

================ Well, at least it *sounds* faster! :)

LOL, Remember when we used to flip the top of the air cleaner housing over because we liked the way it sounded when the secondary's on the Q-jet pulled open?

There is somewhere hidden in this group or alt.autos.4x4.chevy-trucks a post about a company who decided to change over to K&N to try to cut down on the $30,000 dollars they were spending PER MONTH for their highway and heavy eq. (like cat bulldozers etc) fleet. Needless to say, they went back to spending $30,000 a week. Oil tests showed extreme wear within days/hours if I remember correctly for some of the bigger beasts.

~KJ~

Explain? I have both of these and want to hear it!

~KJ~

If you buy a K&N filter you get one really good thing - the box it comes in. Take the filter out and throw it away but save the box because it is a very high-quality item.

Now be nice! You forgot about the K&N stickers that you can use to impress your friends!

KJ, The 350's I had in both my 76 K1500 Custom and 77 K1500 Silverado short boxes had Q-Jets with vacuum secondaries. If you flipped the top of the air cleaner cover over and screwed the wingnut back down tight, the air filter would still filter. When you kicked it hard and the secondaries opened you would get the nicest WAAAAAAAAA sound from under the hood you ever heard. I honestly don't know if it helped the truck breath any better, but it sure sounded like something was making power. lol I wish I still had that magic 3 speed w/granny lo manual tranny in my 87 K5. In lo range and granny 1st gear it could have walked up the garage wall if it could get enough traction. Ahh for the old days, eh? JR

Totally! Hey guys, my truck sucks more dirty then yours!

Adair :)

Don't forget, those stickers are good for shaving at least three seconds off your quarter-mile time.

Yup, pinstripes, stickers, cool paint, all adds 5 hp.

~KJ~