Air Filters: K&N/Fram Air Hog?

[DevinSixtySeven]

Originally Posted by chizel08

i prefer this K&N Filters for it has high air flow with excellent filtration, it is also economical since i washed them rather than replacing them, and when it comes to performance, it protects my engine with better filtration while providing more air flow and more power.

I hate to be a jackass but that's pretty much the advertising line on the box, and the first two and last benefits have been disproven over and over (even by K&N's own dyno charts for our vehicles), while the third is a moot point as the engine will take as much air as it needs and the stock paper is sufficient. Even the Trueflow guys will tell you all this...most gains are made in aftermarket intake kits on nor-am vehicles with poor OEM intake designs. Toyotas don't show much, if any, improvement from a filter alone.

The K&N I ran briefly...never caused a problem with the MAF from the oil, but it allowed quite a bit of dust down the intake tube, which did show up on the MAF when I swabbed it...so I guess you could say it could damage the MAF, but not from oil going downstream unless you soaked the filter in oil and then ran it hard. Incidentally that's consistent with this guy's test results:

Filtration Testing for Amsoil, K&N, Napa, Jackson Racing, Baldwin, and Mazda air filters on a Miata

And here's another interesting thread.

Bob Is The Oil Guy: Pics of cotten gauze vs paper under a microscope

For the record I've been using a TrueFlow filter for a while. I've also used K&N and stock paper in this truck. The K&N was garbage, for every reason mentioned in those two links. The TrueFlow seems to filter as well as the paper filter, but my super-accurate butt dyno doesn't suggest that it had any performance benefit other than catching a lot of dirt...I should probably clean it...

-Sean

[LifeTech]

Very interesting stuff

I strongly feel it all comes down to splitting hairs on this subject of re-usable versus paper air filters. I only use K&N's for the washability. Nothing more. Don't expect any more or less. The money saved outweighs these ever so slight negative claims. And I do monitor/clean the MAF Sensor. Never any oil is visble. Nor dirt/dust. It looks the same as if there were an O/E paper filter there.

BTW, my H/L V6 has a secondary permanent fixed filter on the upper half of the air box and it is always immaculate.

LT

[LifeTech]

Originally Posted by t3mp

It won't ruin the MAF, but can certainly get it dirty skewing the readings. In previous vehicles where I used aftermarket oiled filters, I cleaned the MAF with electric cleaner about a week after I re-oiled the filter.

I have done the same and find that the MAF is not in need of cleaning when I use a K&N.
This Myth has been put around for some time and been so called tested in many ways . properly oiled the MAF is never oil fouled or damaged. These sensor merely go bad and the blame is always put to the oil type filters if one existes.

LT

[mustang67408]

Originally Posted by LifeTech

properly oiled the MAF is never oil fouled or damaged. These sensor merely go bad and the blame is always put to the oil type filters if one existes.

LT

So your saying the BRAND NEW IN THE BOX K&N FILTERS are improperly oiled? hMMMMM.... something to think about.
I dont want to argue, but I disagree, yes the sensors go bad, but we have found 90%+ that have issues, have a K&N or "OTHER" OIL type filter.
I personally LOVE K&N"S . We have them in every High Perf vehicle we own as well as most of my friends.
It's a crap shoot whether its the filter oil or the MAF.No one has really proved either.