Keep K&N or NOT ?

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by wemay
Originally Posted by DoubleWasp
Originally Posted by wemay
BMC is the same as K&N. Porsche uses it as OE in one of their most expensive vehicles. And nowhere does it say this car is only for racing or weekend drives.

http://www.bmcairfilter.com.au/porsche-918-spyder-assembly-line/


It's a 918 Spyder. Weekend drives and track duty are all those cars are ever going to see.


That's an assumption. We have no idea what an owner does with his vehicle. Especially in places like the middle east where these hyper cars aren't as coddled.


OK, but on the other end of the spectrum, the insane level of filtration efficiency achieved by filters like the Donaldson PowerCore and the like used on OTR trucks, mining equipment....etc. Machinery where huge hours/miles are guaranteed to be "a thing" and they don't skimp on efficiency because there's a correlation there.

 

[wemay]

I've never questioned there are better, as in more efficient "filters" out there, just that we take this "rock catcher" moniker to extremes.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted by wemay
I've never questioned there are better, as in more efficient "filters" out there, just that we take this "rock catcher" moniker to extremes.


Sure, but all other things being equal, a better air filter will, barring mechanical failure/issues, result in less wear over the life of the equipment. Now, whether that's important? That's up to the end user and/or the OEM, as both our examples demonstrate, but at opposite ends of the spectrum.

 

[Yah-Tah-Hey]

Give it the old heave ho and never ever think K&N.

 

[metroplex]

The Ford GT from the factory uses a pair of FA-1912A Ford/Motorcraft air filters. These are OEM on the Ford Fusion as well. You will flow more air than you'll ever need with the stock airboxes and stock paper filters. The only advantage to running a K&N in a car like the Ford GT or Ford Fusion Sport would be the 0.3-0.5 psi reduction in pressure drop at WOT due to the cotton gauze material.

 

[circuitsmith]

Originally Posted by metroplex
The only advantage to running a K&N in a car like the Ford GT or Ford Fusion Sport would be the 0.3-0.5 psi reduction in pressure drop at WOT due to the cotton gauze material.

Not even that much difference.
0.5 psi is about 14" water, which is about the restriction that a paper filter has when it's time to change.
I figure a K&N will have more like a 0.1 psi reduction over a new paper filter.
My previous car had a restriction gauge installed, and I changed the stock filter when total restriction reached 11", which took 43K miles.

 

[geeman789]

Originally Posted by JoelB
It would be interesting if we could somehow quantify the loss of life an engine would see using a K&N vs oem filter. I suspect the difference wouldn't be as great as people think. If there is any shortening at all.



I ran a K&N cone filter for 19 years on an Acura Integra. Finally got rid of the car due mainly to rust, worn out interior, and a failing manual transmission.

Engine still ran fine at 525 000 km's ( 328 k miles ) ... YMMV

 

[Nissanfan845]

The K&N air filters are the best air filter you can purchase for your vehicle as far as design and how well they flow they are superior. When it is time to service your K&N air filter just clean and re oil them with the K&N air filter recharge kit it is easy to do. Replace your K&N air filter if it is damaged.

 

[FordBroncoVWJeta]

Originally Posted by Nissanfan845
The K&N air filters are the best air filter you can purchase for your vehicle as far as design and how well they flow they are superior. When it is time to service your K&N air filter just clean and re oil them with the K&N air filter recharge kit it is easy to do. Replace your K&N air filter if it is damaged.

I hope that's a joke... K&Ns are junk.

 

[4WD]

Wait … give them some credit … don't they flow dirt into the engine faster than OEM filters ?

 

[DoubleWasp]

Originally Posted by wemay
Originally Posted by DoubleWasp
Originally Posted by wemay
BMC is the same as K&N. Porsche uses it as OE in one of their most expensive vehicles. And nowhere does it say this car is only for racing or weekend drives.

http://www.bmcairfilter.com.au/porsche-918-spyder-assembly-line/


It's a 918 Spyder. Weekend drives and track duty are all those cars are ever going to see.


That's an assumption. We have no idea what an owner does with his vehicle. Especially in places like the middle east where these hyper cars aren't as coddled.


That's not an assumption. Anything more than that will be an extreme outlier at best.

 

[DoubleWasp]

Originally Posted by wemay
I've never questioned there are better, as in more efficient "filters" out there, just that we take this "rock catcher" moniker to extremes.


It's more about advertising misrepresentation to me than anything. If these manufacturers would simply admit in their advertising that their filters trade efficiency for flow, I'd have no issue.

When K&N had Arlen Spicer visit their factory, they openly admitted as much. When they posted about his visit, they admitted as much. Do they admit that in their advertising? Heck no.

Does BMC? No. They boast about filtering efficiency, and even claim to be more efficient than paper filters. Do we see any test results? No.

Any product that pushes testimonials over science while making scientific claims is probably complete hogwash. Tornado fuel saver has plenty of testimonials.

Where Porsche is concerned, you and I know that deal was conceived in cash and braggadocio and nothing else. Porsche gets to unzip itself and brag about its "race car Formula One" filters, and BMC gets to brag about it's filters being on a top shelf supercar.

If a soccer mom driving a Fusion and a hedge fund manager driving a GT both go to the Ford dealer to buy an air filter, they're both walking out with the same air filter. Clearly this is not an area where Area 51 extraterrestrial science is required or beneficial.

They just need to stop the bull feces train.

 

[JohnnyJohnson]

Originally Posted by DoubleWasp


They just need to stop the bull feces train.


As long as they keep raking down $$$ with this Bull crap the train isn't going to stop.

 

[metroplex]

Originally Posted by DoubleWasp
Originally Posted by wemay
I've never questioned there are better, as in more efficient "filters" out there, just that we take this "rock catcher" moniker to extremes.


If a soccer mom driving a Fusion and a hedge fund manager driving a GT both go to the Ford dealer to buy an air filter, they're both walking out with the same air filter. Clearly this is not an area where Area 51 extraterrestrial science is required or beneficial.


Totally agree - just wanted to point out the GT would need 2 of those Fusion air filters!

 

[DoubleWasp]

Indeed, but still the same filter.

 

[fortesquieu]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GS69owXpGdY

FWIW

 

[TiGeo]

UOA running a K&N since new. Yeah, I know, only the second one at 15K but note the air filtration comment. Flame suit on!

 

[rat]

My Focus likes the K&N so much that every time I go back to a paper filter, the car just feels like it has asthma.

 

[TiGeo]

Originally Posted by rat
My Focus likes the K&N so much that every time I go back to a paper filter, the car just feels like it has asthma.


Mine too...

 

[Al]

Originally Posted by circuitsmith
My eyes are stinging from that solid block of text.
Who can read that?

I agree 100% Unreadable.