Clean K&N Air Filter
09-01-2009, 11:19 PM
#4
If you over oil it or its not dry and you put it back in and go for a drive it can certainly gum up the MAF sensors.
Also...when it rains water gets in there and reactivates that oil all over the filter and the MAF gets gummed up anyway.
Its just something that happens with K&N filters.
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Also...when it rains water gets in there and reactivates that oil all over the filter and the MAF gets gummed up anyway.
Its just something that happens with K&N filters.
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09-02-2009, 08:24 AM
#7
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09-02-2009, 01:03 PM
#9
You do realize that the reason K&N can claim a tiny tiny eensy beensy HP increase over a paper filter is because the K&N filter SIMPLY allows more air through...which in turn means that more small dirt particles and debris also gets through to your engine...which means more engine (ring) wear.
The K&N "oil" just takes up space between the mesh contruction when it dries, allowing just a little less debris and dirt to pass.
If you're not using the oil than you are getting the max amount of dirt and debris through to your engine.
Just use a paper filter, give up that .1 hp the K&N MIGHT give you, and have MUCH better engine protection.
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The K&N "oil" just takes up space between the mesh contruction when it dries, allowing just a little less debris and dirt to pass.
If you're not using the oil than you are getting the max amount of dirt and debris through to your engine.
Just use a paper filter, give up that .1 hp the K&N MIGHT give you, and have MUCH better engine protection.
.
09-02-2009, 11:41 PM
#10
You do realize that the reason K&N can claim a tiny tiny eensy beensy HP increase over a paper filter is because the K&N filter SIMPLY allows more air through...which in turn means that more small dirt particles and debris also gets through to your engine...which means more engine (ring) wear.
The K&N "oil" just takes up space between the mesh contruction when it dries, allowing just a little less debris and dirt to pass.
If you're not using the oil than you are getting the max amount of dirt and debris through to your engine.
Just use a paper filter, give up that .1 hp the K&N MIGHT give you, and have MUCH better engine protection.
.
The K&N "oil" just takes up space between the mesh contruction when it dries, allowing just a little less debris and dirt to pass.
If you're not using the oil than you are getting the max amount of dirt and debris through to your engine.
Just use a paper filter, give up that .1 hp the K&N MIGHT give you, and have MUCH better engine protection.
.
09-04-2009, 12:16 AM
#13
Its all choice. If K&N does give a gain in HP...you can bet its like 1 hp. So you have to decide if you want to clean it and re-oil it and get dirty MAF sensors every time its wet outside (because that reactivates the oil and it starts to run into the engine over and through the MAF sensors)....and without question...you WILL have less engine protection from a K&N. There is simply no arguing that fact.
Just go into an auto parts store and push the button on that K&N filter display. Sure enough, the K&N lets more air through to raise the ping-pong ball higher than the paper filter can. More air = more dirt passage.
But when you actually have an 8 cylinder engine sucking air through a filter, the flow is the same. Its not like their little .0001 cfm electric fan motor on that display.
so, your choice. Is it worth all that, and a possible 1 hp gain...for less engine protection?????
.
Just go into an auto parts store and push the button on that K&N filter display. Sure enough, the K&N lets more air through to raise the ping-pong ball higher than the paper filter can. More air = more dirt passage.
But when you actually have an 8 cylinder engine sucking air through a filter, the flow is the same. Its not like their little .0001 cfm electric fan motor on that display.
so, your choice. Is it worth all that, and a possible 1 hp gain...for less engine protection?????
.
09-04-2009, 12:18 AM
#14
Its all choice. If K&N does give a gain in HP...you can bet its like 1 hp. So you have to decide if you want to clean it and re-oil it and get dirty MAF sensors every time its wet outside (because that reactivates the oil and it starts to run into the engine over and through the MAF sensors)....and without question...you WILL have less engine protection from a K&N. There is simply no arguing that fact.
Just go into an auto parts store and push the button on that K&N filter display. Sure enough, the K&N lets more air through to raise the ping-pong ball higher than the paper filter can. More air = more dirt passage.
But when you actually have an 8 cylinder engine sucking air through a filter, the flow is the same. Its not like their little .0001 cfm electric fan motor on that display.
so, your choice. Is it worth all that, and a possible 1 hp gain...for less engine protection?????
.
Just go into an auto parts store and push the button on that K&N filter display. Sure enough, the K&N lets more air through to raise the ping-pong ball higher than the paper filter can. More air = more dirt passage.
But when you actually have an 8 cylinder engine sucking air through a filter, the flow is the same. Its not like their little .0001 cfm electric fan motor on that display.
so, your choice. Is it worth all that, and a possible 1 hp gain...for less engine protection?????
.
09-04-2009, 08:47 AM
#16
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I'm going to assume here that a K&N filter does what the manufacturer says, in that it filters at least as well as an OEM paper element. If that is in fact the case, and I've never been able to find any test data to either support or refute the claim that isn't annecdotal, then it makes sense to use. The reason it makes sense to use it isn't that you'll get more power because of it, (although in some instances you may as it IS a fact that they flow more air dirty than a paper element does) rather it makes sense because it saves money that can then be put elsewhere. You won't go through many paper elements these days before you've paid the equivalent cost.
The amount of oil you take into your engine because of it is so miniscule as to not be an issue in my mind, although it would be interesting to see someone run a test on MAF cleaning frequency.
The amount of oil you take into your engine because of it is so miniscule as to not be an issue in my mind, although it would be interesting to see someone run a test on MAF cleaning frequency.
09-04-2009, 12:19 PM
#17
I'm going to assume here that a K&N filter does what the manufacturer says, in that it filters at least as well as an OEM paper element. If that is in fact the case, and I've never been able to find any test data to either support or refute the claim that isn't annecdotal, then it makes sense to use. The reason it makes sense to use it isn't that you'll get more power because of it, (although in some instances you may as it IS a fact that they flow more air dirty than a paper element does) rather it makes sense because it saves money that can then be put elsewhere. You won't go through many paper elements these days before you've paid the equivalent cost.
The amount of oil you take into your engine because of it is so miniscule as to not be an issue in my mind, although it would be interesting to see someone run a test on MAF cleaning frequency.
The amount of oil you take into your engine because of it is so miniscule as to not be an issue in my mind, although it would be interesting to see someone run a test on MAF cleaning frequency.
My thoughts on the K&N for a daily driver is that every time it rains or is just wet out after a rain.....the oil is coming off. I'm not saying the oil going through the engine means anything because it doesn't, its just not enough. But it does have to pass the MAF, and over time, each tiem the car is driven, that MAF is getting gradually clogged up. So over a period of time the engine is gradually decreasing in performance via a gradually clogging MAF. Instead of the MAF always delivering OPTIMAL performance over that same time period.
People always come on here and say how they have no codes, but the engine just isn't running up to par. Its been slowly over a couple months changing and not running that great. Its usually a dirty MAF. They clean it and bam, runs like new again. So a MAF that is slowly getting clogged up robs you of optimal gas mileage and performance. The only time the K&N equipped engine operates optimally is in the beginning, until that oil gets any moisture on it and it starts to shed of the mesh construction.
So decreased performance, decreased mpg, and decreased engine protection because the oil is wearing off normally and it wears off greatly any time it gets moisture on it.
A paper filter lasts me 10,000 miles, easy. Thats like 1 filter a year and absolutely no hassles and optimal engine protection.
A test I'd like to see....clean and re-oil a K&N filter, let it dry properly and install it. Then drive in a medium intensity rain shower for 20 minutes. I would put my money on the fact that a laarge portion of the oil is "gone." And if thats true, then people have been driving around for months with no oil at all left on their K&N filters and never even knew it. And that MAF would be very dirty.
Take some of that oil and spray it on a screw driver. Let it dry. Then spray a mist of water on it. I bet it gets reactivated and its moist again where it will run off if wind was applied to it, or the MASSIVE suction of a V8 engine.
This would be a test, where if it happened the way I describe, would put K&N out of business.
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09-04-2009, 12:57 PM
#20
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My thoughts on the K&N for a daily driver is that every time it rains or is just wet out after a rain.....the oil is coming off. I'm not saying the oil going through the engine means anything because it doesn't, its just not enough. But it does have to pass the MAF, and over time, each tiem the car is driven, that MAF is getting gradually clogged up. So over a period of time the engine is gradually decreasing in performance via a gradually clogging MAF. Instead of the MAF always delivering OPTIMAL performance over that same time period.