What do you guys really think about K&N air filters

[Roland69]

After reading the forums on that BOBISTHEOILGUY site there are alot of poeple talking bad about them. Kind of got me thinking about switching but I always thought they were a "top of the line" filter. What do you guys run for a filter in the stock airbox.

 

[bryce93lx]

i have ran k and n in my car since i got it and it was great my cai came with a mac and it is good too, but the cai is a buch of crap, they look good but in reality similar gains are had with just the k and n or like filter in the stock box, they are all the same, but k&n has been making them alot longer than anyone else, all just a matter of prefeance really

 

[Strype]

The only time people run into issues is with the MAF after reoiling... K&N is great just don't re oil and you'll be fine

I've owned 11 different cars and about 7 of them with K&N filters

 

[Roland69]

I don't even have a MAF I was worried about the charts in the link to the oil thing.

 

[Roland69]

http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=forum;f=15


http://theoildrop.server101.com/cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=15;t=000554

 

[Euphoric306]

roland i thought your car was post-88?

either way, hoodstrype the oil is what actually filters out the air entering the engine, without it not only will it not filter correctly, but you'll have a nasty white filter underyour bay lol.

excessive oiling is where people screw up and end up building up gunk on their maf's. just lightly coat the whole thing and you'll be good

 

[Roland69]

I have a 88 without Mass air but I was wondering about the dirt getting by the filter. I was thinking about getting a Nappa Gold or whatever.

 

[mustangphil]

Better than stock. How do you oil it anyway? Does it come in some kind of spray bottle? Anyone has a picture and part #?

 

[Roland69]

the oil is in a spray can. I don't over oil mine I want it to breathe

 

[HISSIN50]

Free flowing and great filtering generally dont go hand in hand in a similar trend. A filter can be restrictive but filter great, or it can flow great but not necessarily filter great.

In the grand scheme of things, a filter which lets a little bit more dirt through will probably not affect the engine's lifespan in any super meaningful way.

 

[Shakerhood]

I just stick with the Motorcraft brand paper filter. I had a K&N and no matter how little oil was on it, it still got upstream, not worth it IMHO.

 

[Black1987Stang]

Free flowing and great filtering generally dont go hand in hand in a similar trend. A filter can be restrictive but filter great, or it can flow great but not necessarily filter great.

In the grand scheme of things, a filter which lets a little bit more dirt through will probably not affect the engine's lifespan in any super meaningful way.

Thats exactly what I was thinking...I had lost my fenderwell air filter one day and needed one fast so i was looking for a new one in autozone in the ricer section, they have the kind where u oil and they have a 100% metal mesh screen, it looked like a normal filter except for the cotton media in it, just by looking at it u no it would flow air easy no problem but u no it wouldnt filter no where as good as a other kind like K&N or whatever...plus it said for track use only, i wouldnt want to risk using a crappy filter and blow ur motor just for a little better airflow

 

[squeeeg]

3 mustangs, 3 k&n filters. I have never had a problem with them. I am sure i got some oil upstream when I cleaned them but not enough to effect anything to my knowledge.

 

[Daggar]

K&N sets the standard. There are companies out there that make better application specific filters but it would be a huge challenge to figure out which one was truly better.

Filter oiling (when done correctly) is how these types of filters are designed to operate. Running this type of filter without oil is less than ideal. It can cause rips in the media and filters nothing but the largest particulates. When oiling a K&N, the media should look splotchy (like it's not evenly covered) and light in color (when compared to the color of the oil). The filter should be allowed to sit so that the oil saturates and the splotchy look will go away as the gaps are filled in.

I've seen some sopping wet filters stuffed into a few Mustangs and have to wonder.... "Is this a design flaw or operator error?". hehe

Final note: I like the Green Filter. That's the brand name. The design of their conical with the open end allows for the same amount of surface area as the K&N in a shorter conical. Is it worth any HP? Probably not.

 

[The Shape]

I have read some of those same threads on that forum before. It got me to thinking as well, I still have my K&N though. I just can't imagine it is going to actually hurt anything. The other thing about K&N I have trouble getting used to is that they claim they filter better as they get dirtier????

That being said if I had it to do over again I would probably just stick with the cheap paper filters and replace them often, but since I alread have a 50 dollar K&N I will continue using it. I'm also still Speed Density so over oiling isn't a problem for me.

 

[soylentgreen]

I've been running a K&N for over 100k miles on my Mustang. I also have the original MAF sensor in the car. No problems at all.

 

[lxwants12's]

I actually just took out my cai and installed the factory box back....gives it the more stock look and i have seen plenty of modded cars with the stock box...i had just installed a fram b/c i dint have the $$ right then and there for a k&n but i would have bought it....dunno if ill gain anything......but im kinda worried now..never heard bad things about them till now

 

[Black1987Stang]

I have read some of those same threads on that forum before. It got me to thinking as well, I still have my K&N though. I just can't imagine it is going to actually hurt anything. The other thing about K&N I have trouble getting used to is that they claim they filter better as they get dirtier????

They do since if theres more dirt and debris in the filter theres less spots incoming dirt in the air could get passed through the filter...kinda sounds like a oxymoron or whatever thats called.

 

[25thmustang]

Hmm who to trust, a bunch of guys with newer SUVs or people with 100,000+ miles on their Mustangs running K&Ns??? Some people will look for ANYTHING to piss and moan about, and with the internet these days, we get the pleasure of having to see, hear, and read it.

 

[srothfuss]

The only time I wouldn't run a K&N filter is on a vehicle that sees a lot of dusty conditions. That is when a paper filter is better than a K&N panel or conical style. I've had K&N's on all of my Musatangs in the past and on a few other cars and never had any problems.