Need a new air filter and it seems hard to justify 55 bucks for a K&N. On the other hand I do live on a dirt road.
What do y'all think?
F150 btw
Do you think a K&N is worth it
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YeOldeStonecat
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- Location: Somewhere along the shoreline in New England
As long as you keep a stock of their oil for the filter..and keep it oiled, and regularly maintained (washed/dried/reoiled). Part of how K&N works..is their filters have larger pores....so "dry"...it will be worse for your engine.....as more contaminates will make it through. To be effective...you have to..HAVE TO...keep it properly oiled..and occasionally washed.
The K&N brand oil is expensive. You can get less expensive brands of air filter oil.
WIX makes some good "heavy duty" filters...popular brand for the commercial industry.
The K&N brand oil is expensive. You can get less expensive brands of air filter oil.
WIX makes some good "heavy duty" filters...popular brand for the commercial industry.
MORNING WOOD Lumber Company
Guinness for Strength!!!
Guinness for Strength!!!
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YARDofSTUF
- Posts: 70006
- Joined: Sat Nov 11, 2000 12:00 am
- Location: USA
K&N is not a better filter for filtering, it's a better FLOWING filter for performance. Also, improper re-oiling of the filter element has been known to screw up the mass air flow sensor in some vehicles. Go with a OEM paper replacement and be happy.
Tao_Jones Cult Member since 2004
I gave Miss Manners a Dirty Sanchez, and she LIKED it.
I gave Miss Manners a Dirty Sanchez, and she LIKED it.
Sava700 wrote:I love my K&N filters.... I wash and oil mine once a year in my jeep and ranger... they work great as I've seen a decent performance boost when changed to them..but yeah you have to keep them maintained but better for the environment too since your not tossing out old filters over and over again.
If you haven't had a tune up recently. K&N + Bosch+4 plugs + new PCV valve +
clean out the throttle body + new fuel filter = a very noticeable improvement in my experience.
Feelings about religion: I believe in a dogma-free personal Prime Mover.
---First off, I think it's cool that there's an Automotive forum on the site. I would have found it earlier if I had more time and didn't allow my membership to lapse, but I'll try and keep up now that I have registerred again.
---People will say that overall their spending has lessened since using the K&N, but truth lies in the environment they live in and the amount of time they spend driving as opposed to getting their hands dirty, as well as it does with a standard filter. What's good for some, may not be good for others and this is especially the case when it comes to people who care what quality of air their car is breathing.
---IME, K&N is really only best when used in an environment where it will get wet... Off-roading being the extreme. Now, I dislike everything GM but the private test done two years ago showed that AC-Delco had the best all-around results in "filtration when clean" up to "flow (& filtration) when 70% dirty". This test was performed by a retired fire chief who had wanted to investigate claims without paid advertising being a factor. The test results, were posted, in multiple* charts on the net for about a year and a half. They might still be out there, and I need to get in the habit of backing up my system so I don't lose important URLs.
---These tests cost him somewhere between $1,300 and $1,500 a pop at the time and though he may have been able to write it off as a civil service for taxes... lol, it still cost him a heap of cash outright. Tests were done on air-demanding diesel engines between Dodge's Cummins, Chitvy's Duramax and International's Powerstroke. As for advertisement... Every manufacturer is going to claim they have something special, as well as every manufacturer is going to claim that their competition failed their tests. Baldwin and NAPA gold/Wix fell into the top five, just as they do when it comes to oil filtration on the http://www.SAE.org site. When it comes to advertising, I have dealt with so many sales reps in the S and C field that it's not funny. I love making them stutter trying to answer technical "Q"s as much as replacing a filter that "looks clean" on a transfer truck (that generally saves the driver 10% in fuel costs).
---FWIW, Fram wasn't even on the list of filters tested, because most know that Fram is cheap junk. Sort of like buying cheap filters for your home furnace/AC unit. Either they last 90 days or the collapse after 30 days. Fram oil filters aren't even a consideration. If you cannot find AC-Delco for some reason, Wix/NAPA Gold and Baldwin were also in the top, but again I would suggest trying to find AC-Delco.
---Dig around the http://www.SAE.org site for a few days and see what info you can find, written by a group created to protect the consumer against false advertising.
---To help cut down the need for replacement filters, you could install a prefilter over your paper filter. In this case, I would suggest using an STP filter for their high-flow quality. If you have a large filter, like an 11" x 2" (you might try asking, but you may have to go to a speed shop), a lawnmower parts house may have them and should have smaller prefilters. Same would apply when on your vehicle, as well as your lawnmower:
---People will say that overall their spending has lessened since using the K&N, but truth lies in the environment they live in and the amount of time they spend driving as opposed to getting their hands dirty, as well as it does with a standard filter. What's good for some, may not be good for others and this is especially the case when it comes to people who care what quality of air their car is breathing.
---IME, K&N is really only best when used in an environment where it will get wet... Off-roading being the extreme. Now, I dislike everything GM but the private test done two years ago showed that AC-Delco had the best all-around results in "filtration when clean" up to "flow (& filtration) when 70% dirty". This test was performed by a retired fire chief who had wanted to investigate claims without paid advertising being a factor. The test results, were posted, in multiple* charts on the net for about a year and a half. They might still be out there, and I need to get in the habit of backing up my system so I don't lose important URLs.
---These tests cost him somewhere between $1,300 and $1,500 a pop at the time and though he may have been able to write it off as a civil service for taxes... lol, it still cost him a heap of cash outright. Tests were done on air-demanding diesel engines between Dodge's Cummins, Chitvy's Duramax and International's Powerstroke. As for advertisement... Every manufacturer is going to claim they have something special, as well as every manufacturer is going to claim that their competition failed their tests. Baldwin and NAPA gold/Wix fell into the top five, just as they do when it comes to oil filtration on the http://www.SAE.org site. When it comes to advertising, I have dealt with so many sales reps in the S and C field that it's not funny. I love making them stutter trying to answer technical "Q"s as much as replacing a filter that "looks clean" on a transfer truck (that generally saves the driver 10% in fuel costs).
---FWIW, Fram wasn't even on the list of filters tested, because most know that Fram is cheap junk. Sort of like buying cheap filters for your home furnace/AC unit. Either they last 90 days or the collapse after 30 days. Fram oil filters aren't even a consideration. If you cannot find AC-Delco for some reason, Wix/NAPA Gold and Baldwin were also in the top, but again I would suggest trying to find AC-Delco.
---Dig around the http://www.SAE.org site for a few days and see what info you can find, written by a group created to protect the consumer against false advertising.
---To help cut down the need for replacement filters, you could install a prefilter over your paper filter. In this case, I would suggest using an STP filter for their high-flow quality. If you have a large filter, like an 11" x 2" (you might try asking, but you may have to go to a speed shop), a lawnmower parts house may have them and should have smaller prefilters. Same would apply when on your vehicle, as well as your lawnmower:
- Wash filter with mild soap & water (or gasoline)
- Thoroughly dry filter
- Place a small amount of lightweight motor oil on filter
- Squeeze excess oil from filter
- Install
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jjwillis55
I have always used K&N air filters. I have a 2007 Porsche Carrera S. There is no question they have better performance and response. They also last MUCH longer than regular air filters.
I got mine here kinda cheap.
http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/2007/p ... ilter.html
You could alwalys use a dry perfomance filter if you don't want a K&N......
What a Dry Performance Air Filter is: (AEM has some nice ones)
http://www.aempower.com/Faqs.aspx?CategoryID=93
Before my porsche i had BMW vehicles and they always got a K&N filter. That was the first thing i bought for them. I never had any issues with the MAF sensor or anyhting like that.
Not to mention the K&N could save you a few bucks on Fuel.
And just to be clear, K&N does test all their filters and have been proven better than regular filters.
I got mine here kinda cheap.
http://www.partsgeek.com/catalog/2007/p ... ilter.html
You could alwalys use a dry perfomance filter if you don't want a K&N......
What a Dry Performance Air Filter is: (AEM has some nice ones)
http://www.aempower.com/Faqs.aspx?CategoryID=93
Before my porsche i had BMW vehicles and they always got a K&N filter. That was the first thing i bought for them. I never had any issues with the MAF sensor or anyhting like that.
Not to mention the K&N could save you a few bucks on Fuel.
And just to be clear, K&N does test all their filters and have been proven better than regular filters.
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purecomedy
- Posts: 1377
- Joined: Thu Feb 03, 2000 12:00 am
- Location: Canada
I have to say that my dad's K&N filter experience (X 2) was definitely negative (exacerbated by either unknowledgeable or profiteering dealership).
In both a Ford car and Chevy truck the Mass Airflow sensor began to cause the engine light to go on (and noticable lack of power and responsiveness in the truck and stalls on startup in the car). This was with the air filter after like 20,000 miles before cleaning or oiling the filter.....this was as-is from the factory state.
1. The Chevy dealership screwed around and racked up all kinds of charges trying to fix the truck....it was only after I did some research and told them to just replace the Mass Airflow sensor that they did that and it solved the problem. If I had the time and know-how I could have attempted cleaning or replacing the part myself.
2. The Ford...found instructions for how to clean the mass airflow sensor and with a $8 bottle of cleaner (and purchasing the "safety" torx bits) fixed up the Ford. Too bad about a year earlier Ford saw it fit to do an engine flush and "re-calibrate the computer" which apparently takes 30 minutes of them driving it around. I believe the touch was $800+. My favorite was when I simply disconnected the battery and the car ran at least better for 200 miles (resetted the engine light too).
Anyway....be prepared for extra maintenance and pains in the ass with K&N. Who knows if the Chevy Mass Airflow sensor was dirty or messed up. I still have the old one, it's pretty black whereas the new one was very shiny.
I totally believe that there is theoretically a better filter out there than the old paper technology we use....I just don't think K&N is there going by real life experience. I believe the design of the whole air intake system needs to be looked at, not just the filter.
In both a Ford car and Chevy truck the Mass Airflow sensor began to cause the engine light to go on (and noticable lack of power and responsiveness in the truck and stalls on startup in the car). This was with the air filter after like 20,000 miles before cleaning or oiling the filter.....this was as-is from the factory state.
1. The Chevy dealership screwed around and racked up all kinds of charges trying to fix the truck....it was only after I did some research and told them to just replace the Mass Airflow sensor that they did that and it solved the problem. If I had the time and know-how I could have attempted cleaning or replacing the part myself.
2. The Ford...found instructions for how to clean the mass airflow sensor and with a $8 bottle of cleaner (and purchasing the "safety" torx bits) fixed up the Ford. Too bad about a year earlier Ford saw it fit to do an engine flush and "re-calibrate the computer" which apparently takes 30 minutes of them driving it around. I believe the touch was $800+. My favorite was when I simply disconnected the battery and the car ran at least better for 200 miles (resetted the engine light too).
Anyway....be prepared for extra maintenance and pains in the ass with K&N. Who knows if the Chevy Mass Airflow sensor was dirty or messed up. I still have the old one, it's pretty black whereas the new one was very shiny.
I totally believe that there is theoretically a better filter out there than the old paper technology we use....I just don't think K&N is there going by real life experience. I believe the design of the whole air intake system needs to be looked at, not just the filter.