K & N Box filter, causing engine wear?

[rspi]

How many times did you clean your K&N filter in those 150k miles?

Tried to remember to check it every 25,000 miles. Pulled it out the other day and it was on the bad side. I have 2 spare so I just swapped one in. I believe I cleaned it twice. At 50,000 it was still pretty clean, at 75,000 I think I cleaned it for the first time. A lot more dirt out west here.

[theWIFES_S70]

I remember when I first started driving in 94 how all the guys around here were over the moon about what K&N filters could do. Guys swore their Civics and Jettas would run like Corvettes (and that they would get chicks like David Hasselholff!) if only they spent the money on an air filter that would outlive their cars. Talk about some amazing marketing! I was always a cheapskate so I never got around to using one so I don't know. I think your 10K oil change schedule probably has more to do with your engine wear than anything.

What I'm curious about is:
You know your engine through and through. (Few on this earth can say they know their engines as well as you!) And you've had your oil analyzed in the past; I wonder what your oil says now. The one time I did an analysis, they said it looked like I had some dust in my oil that could've been from loose intake hose or something. Which, when I checked was right.

[bmdubya1198]

http://www.turbo-mopar.com/forums/showt ... highlight=

I clean it once a year and spray a little K&N oil on it every oil change. It's due for a cleaning but WTF. I've gone back to a paper Wix filter. It's really dusty here in Arizona. I don't think the K&N is up to keeping out the very fine particulates in the air here.

That's scary. I'm glad I switched to a Mann paper filter from my old K&N filter!

I think your 10K oil change schedule probably has more to do with your engine wear than anything.

I agree, that seems like a long time for a car of this age with over 300k miles. I change my oil at 5k miles, and my car currently has 177k.

[wizechatmgr]

Should take another picture after the same number of miles with the paper filter.

My belief was that K&N claimed better flow as their primary benefit. This may be true, especially if you're letting more particulates past the filter medium.

Now to stir up some stuff... Everyone's favorite guy Bob's the oil guy has this nifty review here: https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/airfilter/airtest3.htm

[theWIFES_S70]

Now to stir up some stuff... Everyone's favorite guy Bob's the oil guy has this nifty review here: https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/airfilter/airtest3.htm

Great link, wizechatmgr!

"Well there is a clear pattern on filtration ability compared to both flow and the type of filtration media used. The "high performance" cotton gauze and foam filters do not filter as well as some have claimed. I actually received an e-mail from K&N stating their filters filter within 99% of the OEM filters. This may be true, and 1% may not sound like much. I contend that 1% over many miles, may be important. Really, it is up to each individual to decide. The poorer flowing filters, remove more particles, and the better flowing filters remove less particles. If you think about it, that conclusion passes any and all common sense tests, so it is not surprising. There are many that will be shocked by the results, that should not be though. I've used high performance filters in the past, and I might again in the future. At the same time, I know that the stock OEM type filters perform very well in filtration and don't inhibit flow nearly as much as some think. "

[scot850]

The main issues I have read about is the belief that the oil from the K&N filters can get onto the MAF and shorten the life. Whether this is true or not I have not seen any proof of this claim. I have run K&N filters for several years without issue. The biggest issue is poorly applied oil to the filter.

Either way, you pay your money and make the choice.

Neil.

[bmdubya1198]

It is very easy to over-oil the K&N filters. I sprayed a light mist when I oiled mine, and the thing was soak for months. Another reason I just switched to paper.

[belskee]

I'm a big fan of the world and British touring car racing (happy to see Volvo back in).

These cars though use race spec filters and has been long known what wizechatmgr's link is saying (great link by the way).

Any filter that lets more airflow through will let more particles through, it's simple science, race teams know this but they have the advantage of rebuilding their engines before each race.

If you're concerned about engine wear from using high flow filters you could go back to oem, or you can change your oil more often.

Something I've been wanting to try on my Volvo is to add a second oem filter, somehow turn the filters upside down with a modified housing connecting to the maf, the bottom of the filters pointing up towards the bonnet, with some handy work this housing would meet the bonnet where a vent/scoop would pass fresh cold air in.

Not sure if this would work too well in the rain but my thinking on 2 oem air filters would allow twice as much air flow and yes twice as many particles, although the particles would be smaller than what a k & n filter would let pass