What are some pros and cons of a K&N filter, don't just give cons because all I hear a bad things, what are some good things about them?
Pros and Cons of a K&N Drop in Filter
- Thread starter TedSexington
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I'm serious all I hear are bad things, I want to hear the pros of a K&N air filter and I want to hear from people that have actually used one.
The Pro of K&N:
It needs infrequent cleaning and oiling for normal use.
You can leave it for 30000 miles and it still works allright.
If you use the universal one (not drop-in) you can have less restrictive air-flow intake that will give slightly better torque on mid rpm where you use the most and better horsepower on top end.
It needs infrequent cleaning and oiling for normal use.
You can leave it for 30000 miles and it still works allright.
If you use the universal one (not drop-in) you can have less restrictive air-flow intake that will give slightly better torque on mid rpm where you use the most and better horsepower on top end.
UMM,UMM.can't think of any pros .
Originally Posted By: TedSexington
I'm serious all I hear are bad things, I want to hear the pros of a K&N air filter and I want to hear from people that have actually used one.
If you are talking about a drop in replacement, then the only two advantages are insignificantly lower restriction and profit for K&N.
I don't count the ability to re-oil them as an advantage because so many people over oil them and end up with more restriction than a stock filter.
I'm serious all I hear are bad things, I want to hear the pros of a K&N air filter and I want to hear from people that have actually used one.
If you are talking about a drop in replacement, then the only two advantages are insignificantly lower restriction and profit for K&N.
I don't count the ability to re-oil them as an advantage because so many people over oil them and end up with more restriction than a stock filter.
I think there's a reason you only hear bad things about them. The only good reason to buy one is for the re-usability factor. But even then, since the price of a K&N is so outrageous, it would take about 100k miles before it would pay itself off.
You MAF will never rust out if you use one...
I'd pass on one even if it was the same price.
I've have seen too many issues with them.
Take care, bill
I'd pass on one even if it was the same price.
I've have seen too many issues with them.
Take care, bill
Originally Posted By: Bill in Utah
You MAF will never rust out if you use one...
You MAF will never rust out if you use one...
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If your engine is breathing substantially better than stock (modified engine) then the added airflow is beneficial.
They need infrequent cleaning, and are pretty much infinitely reusable. The key here is to OIL AND CLEAN THEM CORRECTLY. Which most people don't do. Most people over-oil them and cause MAF contamination.
They need infrequent cleaning, and are pretty much infinitely reusable. The key here is to OIL AND CLEAN THEM CORRECTLY. Which most people don't do. Most people over-oil them and cause MAF contamination.
If there were a tough rock to bounce off the pavement and hit the media the metal backing MIGHT stop it. Uhh I guess the other pro is they only use about 3 layers of cotton gauze to save the environment from the ills of over-harvesting. As far as re-oiling them goes...hum let's see here, well if you are scared of f'ing up your MAF then I guess you will also conserve oil. Seriously though K&N is good for a race motor that only needs to make it from the start line to the finish line. A drop in air filter use of a K&N is not going to help you save 2 mpg or get 5 extra "real life" HP. Realize that their testing is either done on an engine stand or a chasis dyno. This isn't idling around town by any stretch. AEM dryflow and Amsoil filters actually "Filter" air and can handle a lot of contaminants before they choke off and make your ECM work for a living (i.e. do recalibrations). Hey though it's your ride and if you feel like handing over your hard earned cash then go for it.
I've got a K&N CAI cone filter in my garbage bin want me to send it to you? Replaced by a real filter an Amsoil EA
I have never had a problem using a K&N filter. I think that most people that have had problems are due to them over-oiling the filter. The instructions say to clean them every 50,000 miles, yet people are cleaning and oiling them every couple months. I do not think that is the fault of the filter.
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Originally Posted By: JasonC
I have never had a problem using a K&N filter. I think that most people that have had problems are due to them over-oiling the filter. The instructions say to clean them every 50,000 miles, yet people are cleaning and oiling them every couple months. I do not think that is the fault of the filter.
Let me see your UOA on the engine that is running a K&N filter.
I agree that over oiling is a major problem, but so is the dirt that 99% of the K&N filter UOAs we see here.
Again, let us see your UOAs with low SI.
Take care, bill
I have never had a problem using a K&N filter. I think that most people that have had problems are due to them over-oiling the filter. The instructions say to clean them every 50,000 miles, yet people are cleaning and oiling them every couple months. I do not think that is the fault of the filter.
Let me see your UOA on the engine that is running a K&N filter.
I agree that over oiling is a major problem, but so is the dirt that 99% of the K&N filter UOAs we see here.
Again, let us see your UOAs with low SI.
Take care, bill
I use a K&N on the GN because absolute airflow is more important than lasting 100,000 miles. With the new line of EAA filters, I'm going to use the Amsoil for now on. My filter is in the engine bay with no outside air feeding it.
On the TL I wouldn't think of using a K&N. Drop in filters on most stock cars offer no gain at all. Looking at the area of the stock paper filter in my car, there's no way it's going to be a restriction with only 258hp.
You basically get worse fitration with no performance increase.
On the TL I wouldn't think of using a K&N. Drop in filters on most stock cars offer no gain at all. Looking at the area of the stock paper filter in my car, there's no way it's going to be a restriction with only 258hp.
You basically get worse fitration with no performance increase.
Originally Posted By: BuickGN
With the EAA filters around, I don't know why anyone buys K&N anymore.
That's an easy one.
Brand name recognition and K&N fanbois touting the product.
With the EAA filters around, I don't know why anyone buys K&N anymore.
That's an easy one.
Brand name recognition and K&N fanbois touting the product.
An article from a few years ago regarding seemingly trivial or overlooked (not by us!) maintenance items and how they affected Stock cars with limited rules for modification (in a racing series).
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/stock-tips/
http://grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/stock-tips/
I don't think that there is much doubt that a clean K&N has less resistance to airflow than a factory paper air filter.
And...If the air filter element is a significant percentage of inlet tract resistance, then a K&N can help power a bit...at the sacrifice of letting several times as much dirt through as a paper element does.
The % power gain in the article you linked to is one of the most remarkable increases I have seen claimed for a drop in K&N. Maybe BMW has a lower restriction inlet systems than most cars, that wouldn't surprise me. There have also been many dyno runs in other cars that showed essentially no improvement with a K&N drop in filter.
And...If the air filter element is a significant percentage of inlet tract resistance, then a K&N can help power a bit...at the sacrifice of letting several times as much dirt through as a paper element does.
The % power gain in the article you linked to is one of the most remarkable increases I have seen claimed for a drop in K&N. Maybe BMW has a lower restriction inlet systems than most cars, that wouldn't surprise me. There have also been many dyno runs in other cars that showed essentially no improvement with a K&N drop in filter.
The air flow argument is a bunch of hype. Your car's throttle ...errr...throttles the air flow. The throttle's job is to choke down the air flow to just what the engine needs. The only time max air flow is needed is full throttle at high rpm. How often is this important to you?
The dirty air filter affecting gas mileage is also a bunch of hype. The dirty air filter acts exactly like a throttle that won't quite open all the way. It limits max power, but has no effect on any other range of power or economy. Your engine's mass airflow sensor measures the exact amount of air flow and causes the control system to send the exact correct amount of gasoline through the injectors. Things were different in old cars with carburettors, but those days are past for most of us.
You will find no advantage of a K&N or other expensive air filter over any good pleated paper filter in any except full throttle high rpm driving. A dirty K&N filter flows less air than a paper air filter. A clean K&N filters less dirt out than a paper air filter.
The dirty air filter affecting gas mileage is also a bunch of hype. The dirty air filter acts exactly like a throttle that won't quite open all the way. It limits max power, but has no effect on any other range of power or economy. Your engine's mass airflow sensor measures the exact amount of air flow and causes the control system to send the exact correct amount of gasoline through the injectors. Things were different in old cars with carburettors, but those days are past for most of us.
You will find no advantage of a K&N or other expensive air filter over any good pleated paper filter in any except full throttle high rpm driving. A dirty K&N filter flows less air than a paper air filter. A clean K&N filters less dirt out than a paper air filter.
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