Has anyone installed a K&N engine air filter on their RR?

[gdub]

I still can't believe people use these garbage oiled cotton filters... They filter like crap. Get a proper dry element filter.

Sorry, the only thing that is crap is that statement. As I said before, I have used K&N air filters on all my vehicles since the mid 70s. That has to total more than a million miles of K&N filtered air into engines. Many of those miles were in extremely dusty conditions. I have never once experience any issue related to poor filtering of the K&N filter.

At the least, if the K&N filter was a garbage filter, I would have gotten ring wear along with higher oil consumption. My 02 Ranger has 300K miles on it and with no increase in oil consumption compared to when it was new. My 89 Ranger was the same way with 200K miles on it.

That is personal real life experience not hear say.

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[kieefer]

Many mechanics will advise against an air filter that requires it to be oiled.
Stick with a dry washable filter.

 

[AlpineBike]

Many mechanics will advise against an air filter that requires it to be oiled.
Stick with a dry washable filter.

The race car mechanics I talk to say precisely the opposite…

 

[Hootbro]

Ran a K&N drop in air filter in my Gladiator and my silicon numbers almost tripled on my last oil analysis. Immediately chucked that garbage. Any HP gains are short lived as the adaptive fuel trim mapping will adjust for it.

I have a hard time wrapping my head around a product they basically admits it filters like crap at first but gets better as it gets dirtier. Forget that nonsense when it comes to a turbo application. Just easier to stick to inspecting and time/mileage interval changes with a OEM style filter media.

 

[hand-filer]

Ran a K&N drop in air filter in my Gladiator and my silicon numbers almost tripled on my last oil analysis. Immediately chucked that garbage. Any HP gains are short lived as the adaptive fuel trim mapping will adjust for it.

I have a hard time wrapping my head around a product they basically admits it filters like crap at first but gets better as it gets dirtier. Forget that nonsense when it comes to a turbo application. Just easier to stick to inspecting and time/mileage interval changes with a OEM style filter media.

And aside from the piss poor filtration, there's the initial cost of the filter, the cleaner, the oil and the time wasted in cleaning, waiting for it to dry and reapplying the oil.
I can't understand how/why people continue to buy into the hype.

 

[SubaruRaptor]

Many mechanics will advise against an air filter that requires it to be oiled.
Stick with a dry washable filter.

Only because people dont know how to oil them and are bad at it, also because they cant charge you for a replaceable one. Vast majority of people dont take proper care of an oiled filter.

 

[SubaruRaptor]

And aside from the piss poor filtration, there's the initial cost of the filter, the cleaner, the oil and the time wasted in cleaning, waiting for it to dry and reapplying the oil.
I can't understand how/why people continue to buy into the hype.

How is it piss poor filtration?

 

[Hootbro]

How is it piss poor filtration?

Just search for "K&N ISO 5011 Filter Testing" and pay attention to efficiency rating, dirt loading and dust loading curves. K&N is on the negative end of most scales and graphs.

When you look at efficiency numbers where most conventional air filters are in the high 98% to 99%+ scale for efficiency, K&N is in the 96% range. Does not seem like much but a efficiency difference between 98% and 99% means the 98% is passing twice as much. That is why K&N filters like crap when new and only gets better once loaded with larger particulates but that ignores all the ones that passed before filter loading.

Does not take a rocket surgeon degree to figure out why K&N has "best" flow rates as it sacrifices efficiency for it.

Will most lay people have a problem with a K&N? Probably not, but if actually testing through oil analysis and other tests, the data is evident that on some scale it is not as efficient than traditional OEM cellulose media type air filters. Once one gets into chasing performance with tuning where better flow is more valued, then that is a different weighing of what is more valuable, filter effiency or flow?

 

[HyperM3]

I installed a BMC filter on mine almost 1k miles ago. Ive had them on other vehicles with no issues. It will be on there until I decide which upgraded intake I want.

 

[gdub]

This is a very old argument that will not go away. K&N has also not gone away. Say what you want but I will continue to use K&N air filters. However, I will not use them in a vehicle with a turbo that is used in dusty conditions.

I base my usage on long term real life results, not some short term tests. In Aerospace, I have learned about the limitations of short term testing. They can be used as an initial screening tool but long term testing in real conditions is the one that will give the best information. That is why development is so expensive and time consuming.

 

[RANGER/HOBB]

This is a very old argument that will not go away. K&N has also not gone away. Say what you want but I will continue to use K&N air filters. However, I will not use them in a vehicle with a turbo that is used in dusty conditions.

I base my usage on long term real life results, not some short term tests. In Aerospace, I have learned about the limitations of short term testing. They can be used as an initial screening tool but long term testing in real conditions is the one that will give the best information. That is why development is so expensive and time consuming.

I’ve used K&N’s exclusively for decades and have never had any adverse effects or issues turbocharged, supercharged or NA. They are the only factory authorized aftermarket replacement filter. For daily use they simply flow better than the OEM filter. Dusty off-road conditions, always call for increased filtration and a OEM filter just won’t cut it.

Most don’t understand how a K&N works and why. What they can’t understand, they speak poorly about. They simply look for any article that fits their cognitive dissonance.

 

[RANGER/HOBB]

I still can't believe people use these garbage oiled cotton filters... They filter like crap. Get a proper dry element filter.

This is nothing but anecdotal information. The Ecoboost engine crank case vapor by will oil a MAF far quicker than any K&N filter will. The oil film on the K&N when applied correctly, produces no oil residue in the intake or MAF.

Over 6 decades of production, national and international sales, with literally millions sold and no issues. Yeah sure their crap🥱………. Seriously, move on!🫵

 

[hand-filer]

Here's the link to the ISO 5011 Filter Test Comparison that Hootbro was referring to. It convinced me to go back to using quality paper filter elements on my daily drivers.
I use an oversized aFe cone filter on my supercharged Mustang. It sees limited use and never in dusty conditions.
Personally I think K&N filters are garbage.

 

[pablo94sc]

This is nothing but anecdotal information. The Ecoboost engine crank case vapor by will oil a MAF far quicker than any K&N filter will. The oil film on the K&N when applied correctly, produces no oil residue in the intake or MAF.

Over 60 decades of production, national and international sales, with literally millions sold and no issues. Yeah sure their crap🥱………. Seriously, move!🫵

It'll oil the MAF sensor because the breather tube is always AFTER the MAF. That's what oils up the throttle body.

 

[RANGER/HOBB]

It'll oil the MAF sensor because the breather tube is always AFTER the MAF. That's what oils up the throttle body.

No kidding……….. The CCV side will always have oil vapor thru out the intake tube. Go pull yours from the air box right now and run a paper towel thru it. An Ecoboost or GDI engine will always have oil in the intake tube from the air box to the TB. The MAF is located nearer the air box on the 3.0L.

I‘ve “never” had a problem or malfunction with a MAF oiling up in any engine I have run a K&N, for over 4 decades. Service the K&N correctly and there‘s no oil residue.

Most of time owners don’t know how to clean and oil K&N filters. They over oil them, which can cause issues. It’s not rocket science……..

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