k&n oil filters

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time to change the oil again in my 2011 hemi p/u. used wix filters and m1 for years in past vehicles. since this truck was new i have been using penzoil ultra and kn filters. doing 7000 oci, long for me. i am paranoid about using new products, any reason to change brand of filter?
 
I use a K&N in my motorcycle with good results. The nut welded to the end makes changes easy, as the filter is enclosed in a housing and can't be easily removed otherwise.

That being said, I use Purolator PureOnes on my other vehicles. K&N is good too, but perhaps a bit overpriced.
 
If I'm not mistaken, Insolubles % is a partial indicator of oil filtering performance. While 0.4 is good, I've gotten the same or lower using less expensive DENSO or PureONE filters. There are a lot of variables in the overall equation; I'm just not sure the UOA really contains anything to really indicate how good of a job the K&N oil filter did.
 
K&N filters are a high quality unit but cannot be considered a high efficiency filter based on the beta ratio info I have seen on several part numbers. Their filtering efficiency is between the average filters and the high efficiency ones. Better than average,but only just. If you read their advertising info, they emphasize flow, so if you want a well constructed filter that will not go into bypass (on cold starts or high rpms) and have a long OCI capability, it's a good choice.

Of the brands you mentioned, the M-1 is a more efficient filter, on average, than a K&N or a Wix. Remember filtering efficiency sometimes changes between part numbers within a brand. Wix is usually only slightly above OEM efficiency but well constructed. If you want efficiency, go with the M-1.

You don't get a huge indication from a UOA on filtering efficiency unless you have a bypass system installed. The spectrographic analyzer only "sees" particles under five microns and that's below the filtering threshold of most filters. They may catch some in that range, perhaps enough to effect the number, but usually only slightly. In order to evaluate filter performance, you need to do before and after particle counts, I.E. run 5K miles on filter A, do a particle count, then run 5K on the better filter B with fresh oil and compare the results.

"Insolubles," as Blackstone lists, includes everything, including carbon, oxidation byproducts, large chunks of metal, additive fallout and anything else. I don't think it's an accurate enough tool to make any usefully graduated evaluations on filter efficiency. It can say "OK" or "Not OK" but I don't think it can tell the difference between two filters that aren't just light years apart in efficiency.
 
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thanks all,
jim allen, thought the m1 filter and kn filter were the same, chose kn because of the nut. am i mistaken that they are the same? tks.
 
Same manufacturer (Champ Labs) but different filter media?? Sufddenly I can't find my M-1 spec to verify. I was working from memory, so if I misspoke, I apologize. Maybe someone has some M-1 specs to post.

Here are the two K&N Specs I have at hand. Different apps and different specs so I think you need to find your part numbers for both brands and e-mail K&N and Mobil to get the specs.

K&N HP-1004 (per ISO 16889):

100% at 40 microns
100% at 35 microns
100% at 30 microns
99.4% at 25 microns
98.9% at 20 microns
97.1% at 15 microns
92.3% at 10 microns
82.5% at 5 microns


HP-6001 (Ford Powerstroke Filter):

10 um- 53.1 %
20 um- 95.4 %
30 um- 99.9 %
Capacity- 55.4 grams
Hydrostatic Burst- 558 psi
Element Collapse- 175 psid
Flow Rate- 20 GPM (J-806)
Betas- 10/20/30=2.1/21.7/1000
 
@Jim, at most to the naked eye they seem nearly identical filters between K&N and the M1. I've never gotten a real confirmation that their media is 'exact' other than by appearance only.

I'd imagine looking at the same filters and comparing bypass relief settings might give a clue, other than that what to do without efficiency numbers?
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Heard some really weird suggestions that a K&N was causing VTEC problems on some Hondas from a shop last summer.
confused2.gif


http://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthre...698#Post2300698

PS: Not that I believe this. I think these guys were racing Hondas with K&N filters and had at least a 40 SAE grade oil(like a 10w-40 etc)
 
Our Saturn VUE has the Honda-manufactured 3.5-liter V6 that GM called the L66. (Honda called it the J35A3.) I'm 99% sure it has VTEC and I've used K&N oil filters (i.e. HP-1010) without any issues (i.e. at least none that I noticed).
 
Originally Posted By: Jim Allen
Same manufacturer (Champ Labs) but different filter media?? Sufddenly I can't find my M-1 spec to verify. I was working from memory, so if I misspoke, I apologize. Maybe someone has some M-1 specs to post.

Here are the two K&N Specs I have at hand. Different apps and different specs so I think you need to find your part numbers for both brands and e-mail K&N and Mobil to get the specs.

K&N HP-1004 (per ISO 16889):

100% at 40 microns
100% at 35 microns
100% at 30 microns
99.4% at 25 microns
98.9% at 20 microns
97.1% at 15 microns
92.3% at 10 microns
82.5% at 5 microns


HP-6001 (Ford Powerstroke Filter):

10 um- 53.1 %
20 um- 95.4 %
30 um- 99.9 %
Capacity- 55.4 grams
Hydrostatic Burst- 558 psi
Element Collapse- 175 psid
Flow Rate- 20 GPM (J-806)
Betas- 10/20/30=2.1/21.7/1000


thanks jim.
 
By the way, K&N motorcycle oil filters are made by HiFloFiltro in Thailand. The only visible difference with a HiFlo brand filter is the color of the media, the box, and the nut on the end...and the price.
 
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