Hi guys. So I am in the middle of a couple of things, right now. Just performed the www.ravensblade-impreza.com "clutch creak fix" (very easy, by the way -- high-temp. grease and a Q-tip :D ), and while I had the airbox off, I pulled it apart to check on my K&N.

Blech, dirty. :o Thought I'd cleaned it more recently, but I'm at 123K and my last cleaning was about 75K. Ick. Hosed it off, and will put some more lubricant on it, soon.

But I got to thinking of all the diagrams and anti-filter talk, recently. Anti-CAI stuff too, for that matter (and I have a PDM CAI). I've yet to decide whether I'll plop the K&N back in, or the OE filter... which I still have. It's the one that came with the car, I took at off with under 30K I think. Still quite clean.

Anyway... Is paper still the way to go? Is all the foam/oiled filter stuff a passé fad? Is there a "better" paper filter out there?

Thanks. :)
=S2=

The K&N type filters have got a bad reputation because many of the people installing them over-oil them, thus fouling the MAF. If you clean/oil it properly, then I think they are better than paper. Also, don't use the K&N without oil, as you are allowing too much "stuff" to flow through without the oil medium to trap it.

I have a K&N and have used it for 70,000+ miles-NO problems for me.

.02

Jared

Yeah I haven't had any problems, I guess I was just wondering.

And yes, I always oil it. :) Put the paper one back in for a day or two... just to see if I feel anything, I guess.

You should've seen the gunk inside my airbox... :eek: Hosed and dried it out, but man... YUCK.

go for the ac delco paper filter. the K&Ns filter as well as a screen door. but you may lose 1hp. oh no3s!!

go for the ac delco paper filter. the K&Ns filter as well as a screen door. but you may lose 1hp. oh no3s!!

Any basis for this?? tests or otherwise? Or just your opinion? Seems like my screen door is doing just fine, as I would think that if 70,000 miles of screen door filtering were really going on my engine would have shown some signs of dislike by now.

Jared

Any basis for this?? tests or otherwise? Or just your opinion? Seems like my screen door is doing just fine, as I would think that if 70,000 miles of screen door filtering were really going on my engine would have shown some signs of dislike by now.

Jared

there was a huge study a while back comparing ALL of the filters. as far as flow, filter capabilities and cost. (i have no link, i saw unabomber post it somewhere). K&N got good flow but HORRIBLE filtering. and its $50 and you have to clean it every 10k miles or whatever. the plain old paper filters flowed about 100 cfm less than a k&n but filters about 20x more stuff. and it costs about $15. and lasts a decent amount of time. im gonna do a vast search for the link. i suggest you do too. i know for a fact unabomber posted it


edit-found it, linked in teh intake faq

http://home.usadatanet.net/~jbplock/ISO5011/SPICER.htm

Hmm, AC Delco did awfully well in there, eh?

Guess I'll have to look up the part, price, and someplace I can check them out.


The K&Ns need cleaning every 30K miles, not 10K. Price-wise I think mine was closer to $35 than $50.

Hmm, checked www.acdelco.com ... didn't see anything listed for my car, under any of the categories.

A new paper filter will flow about as well as a K&N. But it's after they get a few miles on them when they start to lack flow.
The K&N pays for itself after about 5 paper filters.

K & N = More air + More dirt.

Paper filters best because of restriction, IMO. And IF the MAF blows out on me again, then i'm getting a WARRANTY for sure! I'm trying to put a '96 MAF in place of my '99.

Well I'm a MAP guy, since I have an '00. :) But good idea.

Opinion still seems pretty split! :D My car felt .... really good this morning on the way to work, actually. Probably just because it was CLEAN...... hah!

the K&N needs to be cleaned and oiled every other oil change regardless of wht K&N says. the filter is a great product but the problem is is that people put the filter back into the car before lettign the oil penetrate. This is what kills maf's. so letting the filter chill for a day or two in a nice cool dry place is a great idea. I think that more dirt is an inherent risk but the size of the dirt particles it is letting in and the amount will not adversely affect the runability of the engine. If you have a cold air intake think otherwise.

So... I should probably revert to a totally stock setup, intake/filter, if I don't want to re-oil my filter every 6K or so.

Which I don't.

Hmm...

My K&N gets pretty dirty just after 8-10k miles. I've been using it now for about 25k(70k-95k on the odo). I've washed and re-oiled it once somewhere in there. Mainly I just check it every other oil change and knock out the dirt particles and wipe out the fins with cotton swabs. If it it too dirty or dried up, then I clean and oil it.

Anyone with a short ram or cone style filter has the same issue. Don't think this is just applies to K&N, rather its style of filtration.

i have a friend that works in a division of ford in detroit, last year he helped build what will be the 2007 cobra (5.4 DOHC supercharged)
out of the box drop in K&N in the factory airbox lost 7rwhp compared to the oem ford paper filter. its an 05gt airbox with a different intake tube.
lucky bastard gets to take it home on the weekends too.

Well I'm a MAP guy, since I have an '00. :) But good idea.

Opinion still seems pretty split! :D My car felt .... really good this morning on the way to work, actually. Probably just because it was CLEAN...... hah!

me too but i have a 99 :p

gtluke,

Cool story. Yeah I think I hate that guy already. ;)


BUMP!

On the Cobb intake they recommended every 3-6 months... I didn't do that and it was nasty when I finally got around to cleaning the filter. Now I do it after I get my oil changed so I don't forget. And with your 2000 it should be fine... no MAF to worry about getting a layer of oil on :)

Right. :)


I still haven't decided. *shrug* The K&N is in my garage... I have the paper one in there right now.

k+N = more dirt
so? whens the last time i heard of someone getting to much dirt in their motor from a free flowing air filter? Umm 1965?
Scoobies arnt tightly wound machines with no tolerences for that? If after 100,000 miles my cylinders arnt Perfectly smooth cause i had a K+N i dont think that would be as much of a problem as just boxer knock would be
people over obsess about things like this, i love the sound i get from my CAI + KN and if im letting in to much dirt, oh well, least its something to catch the Big pieces

Okay, then let's look at this from a performance standpoint....


Anyone?

Okay, then let's look at this from a performance standpoint....


Anyone?
more air means more power. but more air means less filteration, and that means more dust particles.

So, back to square one. Guess I'll have to find a filter that's maybe a happy medium. High-flow paper, I'd guess.

Okay. Thanks! :)

i run high-flow but i also use a can of bg44k every couple months just to cut the grime down. Dont know if it actually helps...but I notice a smoother running engine after the additive.

The high-flow ram intake didnt do much in the way of low-end power, but it irritates people when i pass them so *shrug*.

That and it was $30 and looked cool...so why not. I was kinda bored. :p

I ran 44K through my engine not that long ago, and also had a quart of Marvel Mystery Oil in my car for about 4K miles (before the recent oil change, last week).

My internals should be in good shape.

is that mystery oil any good? i saw it and thought "snake oil"

It's been around since like 1912. :D

The head mechanic at the nearby dealership recommended it to me. For me it was a potential fix for a P0304 CEL.... who knows if it works. I only get it at cold starts, and it ain't exactly cold out right now. ;) I'll know in like October.

*shrug*

Other thing you guys need to take into consideration is what engine it's going in, and whether it's the drop in panel filter or pod style filter.

For my car, there is zero difference in performance between a k&n panel filter and a new paper filter. However in filtering, with the k&n the maf screen get's dirty. With the paper filter, it doesn't.

Well mine's a 2000, so it's MAP and a panel.

gtluke,

Cool story. Yeah I think I hate that guy already. ;)


BUMP!

yeah that bastard gets to take the ford gt supercar home once in a while too. i hate him. though K&N claims like 40hp gain using a K&N in that car, i can't see it happening cause really the 07 cobra is the same engine, that uses a wet sump iron block instead of the aluminum dry sump. same blower and heads and everything. i bet they just figure nobody is going to dyno one for a comparison :)