Choking on Air......

[PDQSHIP@aol.com]

In a message dated 95-11-21 06:23:55 EST, you write:

>Not meaning to blast a hole in the seeming love of K&N filters here, but, 
>as the old saying goes, you don't get nothin' for free.  I seem to recall 
>some traffic earlier on this list regarding some tests comparing K&N vs. 
>stock filters in effectiveness in keeping crap out of your engine.  Seems 
>to me that the K&N was not as good a *FILTER* as stock in dusty 
>environments, with some engine damage resulting in extreme cases.
>
>

Hmmmm.......  Dan has a point, and the point is maintenance........  The K&N
is not a drop and forget lifetime filter, and in fact will actually clog and
flow less than OEM if you let it go long enough......  I remember the thread
on K&N vs some other "oil" filter arrangement......   However, properly
maintained (and it isn't that hard, use dishsoap to clean, and K&N oil to
reoil the fins), the K&N actually traps more dirt and stuff than the stock
filter........  

I know that the ProRally folks use the oil type in the most grueling of dust,
and CLEAN and REOIL them after every event......  Me, I tend to be aware of
where I'm driving, and a couple of rules should apply regardless of filter
type:  1)if you are in dust (esp around sand blasting equip, that stuff will
zip thru a stock filter) keep your foot out of the accelerator and off the
boost....  2) when driving in extreme conditions (dusty, how bout salt dust
too) for any length of time, a mental note of an oil change and a filter
clean and reoil should be made.....  and 3) Hi Flow air filters are a
maintenance item,  make a habit of cleaning the K&N's with each oil change
minimum.......  These simple guildlines should keep you "flowing well"  for
the life of your motor........

Hi flow is a hi-perf mod, some attention is required......   My FJ1100 has
four K&N cones on it and I have torn the oil filter and ckd the pan oil
several times looking for the "silt" that comes with dusty conditions, and
just didn't see it, and that is with a ram air feed......    My advice is, if
you are concerned, don't do it, if you are not willing to read and follow the
cleaning and re-oiling directions, don't do it.  And when you first buy the
filter, remember the hue of the pink that is in the "cotton" from the oil.  I
have seen too many "oil" filters with waaaaay too much oil on them, and for
that you actually get less performance.....  If you really want to be
conservative, put a K&N cone filter onto your airbox horn, and put the K&N in
the air box........  Or just run it at the track is a fine idea too......
 Those of you with any mods on your turbo car, should have a hi-flow oil type
filter in your arsenal, you can actually run lean in some cases without it,
cuz you actually are getting less air when there is a demand for more, which
is the reason the turbo cars respond better to the hi flow oil type than the
NA's.....  

Scott
1 87 5ktq , 150k on K&N
1 87 5ktq, K&N2B