K&N Air Filters do they protect your engine? ? ?

VTSSDUDE · #1 29-07-2004, 08:44 PM

Hi,
I am wondering how efficient K&N air filters are. I have been doing some reading on people's opinions, from all over the world.
Some people have said that they have noticed dust and dirt particles after the filter so they have chucked their K&N filter out. Went back to the good old paper filter. Some people swear by them.
Now according to one person who seems to know what he is talking about who is in the USA who owns a couple of porsches and that reackons in one of his 4WD or some trucking company they measured teh silicone amounts in the oil after a service with ordinay filter in, but then put K&N in and measured the silicone amount again on next service and noticed they were higher which means that more finer sand particles were getting in to or past the filter.

But I have read other people's views where a trucking company had volunteered to K&N people to use them for experiments. WIth ordianary paper filters, they measured the silicone amounts. Then used K&N air filters in the trucks, the silicone levels had dropped. Interesting.
My own feelings would have to say that I reackon K&N wouldn't filter as good as ordinary paper filters.
Really for the extra 1-2hp you gain if you gain any more power I think it is not worth damaging your engine for the sakes of it.
I was wondering if anyone here has their opinions on k&N filters.
Because all the reading I have done, people are saying yeah go ahead use them they filter better then normall filters then you get people say nah they let more dirt get through, don't use them.
As tests have proven the K&N filter difinetly straightens the air out which makes the air to fuel mixture better. So a K&N would have to give better performance which in a lot of people say only in throttle repsonse and in some cases high rpm.
UK car clubs have used high tech machines to test K&N to normal and other performance fitlers. In the better performance and better filtering K&N came out in the one of the top lines.
So it's hard to tell whether or not they filter just as or better then a normall filter.
As again, if anyone could post their opinions it would be interesting what people have to say about K&N or any other performance air filters.

Thanks for your time,

Cheers,
Jim

AirStrike · #2 29-07-2004, 09:35 PM

My opinion is that surely cotton held within a mesh casing, with an oil to catch fine dust is better than some paper................
Just my opinon, from my experiance, can't complain about my K&N Pod.
Cheers

blue alliance · #3 30-07-2004, 07:26 AM

Go the K&N my good fellow, i installed one in my 92 VP Calais and was getting a minimum of an extra 100ks to the tank, sometimes getting 700ks to a standard tank of fuel. I now have one in my S/C Vt and just helps everything breathe a bit easier. If u want my opinion go the K&N.

TRYMY6 · #4 30-07-2004, 02:45 PM

iv got a K&N flat panel filter in my car. never had a problem. on the dyno did a before and after test with the panel. just by cleaning it i gained 5rwkw. id have K&N anyday. Just my opinion

philscat · #5 30-07-2004, 03:33 PM

I've got a K&N in my s2vt. I travel a bit (40K + a year) and from this point of view, its cheaper in the long run (no replacement at service) better fuel economy, and more power at highway speed. For me, a good move.

Garth · #6 30-07-2004, 06:54 PM

well, i guess it does come down to personal choice

i put a k&n air and fuel filter in my car, i noticed some increase in engine performance, but the car was stumbling to hold idle. out of curiosity, i measured the fuel pressure, and yeap, way to much fuel pressure, put it down to fuel pump, replaced fuel pump, still high pressure, so though id replace the fuel filter back to the old one,

well, what more can i say, the old ryco fuel filter is the go, holds pressure heaps better, and is a finer filter,

as for air filter, think about it, no mater what type of air filter is in the car, the thiner the material the more air that get's threw, and sand, and bug's wings, and goodness know's what else, riped out the k&n air filter just the other day, reaplaced it with a genuin gmh air filter, riped down throtle body, it was caked in crap,

although there was a huge incrase in power from both air and fuel filter change, i personaly wont be using them anymore, my engine is to important to me for me to be playing with air filter's or fuel filter's,

but like many people have said, it's a mater of personal choice, if your after performance, yeah, sure k&n are the go, but ifyour like me, and just after a engine that will last cause you dont got money to burn, then stick with genuin filter's, personal choice, remember that

cheers
garth

AussieHolden · #7 30-07-2004, 07:06 PM

I couldn't agree more with you Garth if you want your motor to last a long time then stick to the genuine parts but if you want the power and don't care to much about your engine then go with the K & N parts.

Wombat · #8 30-07-2004, 09:09 PM

No real scientific proof here, but I've been using the good old K&N for years.
I've got one in our VS-II Ecotec, one in my 1974 Kawasaki H2-750 two-stroke triple, and one in my 1984 BMW R/65...jeez, if I could get one small enough, I'd even stick one in my 1964 Vespa scooter!

I did notice on a *cough* Cortina I owned some years ago with a hot 4.1 ltr six that occasionally you would get fine dust inside the filter body, but I used to cane that thing mercilessly along some very dusty dirt roads doing the rally thing, and I probably should have been cleaning and reoiling it a lot more often than I did.

A (qualified until further evidence) thumbs up from me for K&N...

jules · #9 31-07-2004, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2Fast2FuriousDude

Now according to one person who seems to know what he is talking about who is in the USA who owns a couple of porsches and that reackons in one of his 4WD or some trucking company they measured teh silicone amounts in the oil after a service with ordinay filter in, but then put K&N in and measured the silicone amount again on next service and noticed they were higher which means that more finer sand particles were getting in to or past the filter.

this will depend heavily on the type of driving, and where the vehicle was driven, moreso than just the filter material itself.

VTSSDUDE · #10 31-07-2004, 06:09 PM

MMm, I am after performance but I rather have a gutless motor then a no go motor. This is why I am asking people on their opinions and thanks for your responses.
I have installed the K&N filter, and I have put a few smears of vasoline around the filtered side to see how much dust builld up I get. Then in two weeks time I will put standard one in and see if there is any difference. I fortunely drive on bitumen roads not very dusty environments so I might be lucky. But I have read so many people's comeback with that they have found k&n filters not to filter as well but then I have people say they have found nothing wrong with them. So I will keep on looking into this. I will post my own tests up with my progress on my findings as well.

Cheers,
Jim

jetspin_vn · #11 31-07-2004, 06:48 PM

Well I've had the K&N pod for a year now and all is well. Love the noise and with my added cold air system (see below) th'Dang flies along!

Nothing like rangi mods eh.

jules · #12 31-07-2004, 10:49 PM

yeowch. i remember recently in melbourne record rainfall and driving through 2 feet of water. i was a bit worried i might stall the car. with that cold air duct i'd suggest pulling over and switching the engine off the minute water rose above a few inches

jetspin_vn · #13 01-08-2004, 10:04 AM

Hell no, what do you think this is? Quality engineering?!? This is a totally half arsed operation I'll have you know!! Ram air/stones have created plenty of nice little drain holes in the duct hosing so even when the water gets above it, none of it gets to the engine. Thats not to say the system does not work, because It does. Or at least I think it does.

(c) 2004 - Jet§pin Racing Team