VEHICLES, CAMPERS, and BOATS > Powerplant, Driveline, and Braking
Why I just tossed my K&N filter....
Wilbur:
So I am not sure if this is in the "RIGHT" spot but I don't know where else to put it so here goes. I have had a K&N oiled filter in my Yukon for prob 8 to 10 years or so (its a 2003). I just have the stock 5.3 L engine with nothing else done, 100% stock. But at the time I read their website, saw a fair number of them being used and felt it was probably better than stock. For some reason the whole "oiled filter" thing seemed like it would trap more dirt. In the back of my mind I remember clogged air filters on the old Chevy/GM pickups I have had with the typical round air filter on top of the carb. The filter would be BLACK and clogged right by the input tube and the rest would be reasonably clean. But keep in mind that the Yukon has a filter box with the filter sitting on TOP of the box where the air getting pulled to the engine exits through the top (As I don't have a newer pickup or Duramax I don't know if they are similar- I suspect they are but not sure) so I never saw that single "black/clogged" spot on it. But it seemed to make sense to me, and I wouldn't have to buy any more air filters. Not that air filters are crazy expensive but whatever.
As an aside (I will DOT my own thread) the first time I saw the configuration of an air filter on top of a box like the Yukon has was in my 80 something VW Jetta. I could not understand why it was like that, so I studied it a while. It had a tube that entered the "box", then the filter on top sucked the air out to the engine intake. It then dawned on me, and partly it was cause I saw "dirt" in the bottom of the box while the filter was still pretty clean. The air comes in under pressure (not "high pressure" but more than atmospheric given its small size) then goes into a bigger area ("the box") which results in a drop in air pressure and lets the debris fall to the floor of the box. Then the "relatively" clean air is sucked through the filter to go to the engine. As a comparison to my round filtered small blocks in pickups with the clogged single part of the filter this seemed like genius to me!
Sorry....back on track.....but over the years I have seen people saying that K&N are junk, get rid of them, yada yada yada. And I have never really understood why some make that claim. So a couple of days ago I did some dedicated searching to try to figure out the problem. I ran across this link:
http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/kn-vs-oem-filter.html
This seemed to make a lot of sense to me. If you want to read it please do, but the basic issue is that YES, K&N filters do allow more air through to the engine. But unless the engine is pushing HUGE amounts of horsepower then the additional air is not doing anything. In a stock engine, the air flow through a conventional OEM filter is satisfactory for the power being produced (duh....). But the other issue is that to allow that much air through, the K&N filters also allow a ton of dirt through. This was the first time I ever saw the whole thing measured from start to finish scientifically with the amount of dirt introduced, the length of time to clog the filter, the amount of dirt that got through the filter etc etc.
Anyway. After reading all this I went to WalMart today, got a new air filter and tossed my K&N in the trash. Is it the right thing to do? I don't know. I welcome different opinions on the subject. But it made enough sense to me to do it. Do I think the K&N HURT me? No I don't think so.....I have 240K miles on the Yukon so something's working. But would I prefer cleaner air to the engine? Yup. YMMV.
Flyin6:
Wil,
Point of order here
Do we need another section? TO discuss parts and pieces
I run into the problem as well, cram it onto the build thread section but it's not a build per-see...
Opinion???
Flyin6:
Good read, great info
I just put a K&N on SquareD !!!!! :o
Wilbur:
--- Quote from: Flyin6 on July 30, 2016, 06:35:21 PM ---Wil,
Point of order here
Do we need another section? TO discuss parts and pieces
I run into the problem as well, cram it onto the build thread section but it's not a build per-see...
Opinion???
--- End quote ---
I don't think so Don.....maybe change the "Build Thread" Section to "Vehicle Info- Build threads, mods, all things vehicle related" or something similar?
--- Quote from: Flyin6 on July 30, 2016, 06:43:42 PM ---Good read, great info
I just put a K&N on SquareD !!!!! :o
--- End quote ---
Um....in all honesty I saw the K&N you had and that made me look this all up. I have started to do the investigation a few times about K&N when I see comments on line but when I saw one of your pics on the airbox changes that made me go an finally do the search. Once I found the info I said to myself "sheesh....I hope Don didn't just get that" :-\
I did find it compelling though....at least for me running an all stock motor.
TexasRedNeck:
I gave mine up a long time ago too. But for a different reason. Any excess oiling fouls the MAF.
I love all the hype about S&B and Banks and what not over on Dmax Forum. Unless you have twins and are moving massive air...you just validated what I suspected.
Thanks for sharing
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