K&N air filter

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patride71

patride71

Joined
May 8, 2004
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Location
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what is the opinion of K&N air filters?

the PO put one on mine. i know that they don't need much servicing (website said every 50K miles), but i planned on cleaning mine up anyway. do they really make much of a difference, or is the selling point the fact you don't have to continue to change your air filter and just clean it instead?
 
I've had a couple over the years on different trucks and to be honest, I could never tell any difference. If it's already there, keep it, otherwise I wouldn't spend the money on one. BTW, supposedly they work better dirty, go figure.
 
saw a noticeable difference, i.e. increase in engine performance, when I dropped one into our '60....has more power, quicker response.... been running it for 2 years now with no complaints

my 2¢,
-dogboy- '87 FJ60
 
The whole thing about them working better dirty is all in the wording. Yes a new K&N will allow your truck to breathe better. A dirty filter element on a K&N is more efficient.....efficient at catching dirt, not efficient in the sense that the engine will breathe better. I chased gremlins on my Tahoe for over a year and found out the oil from the K&N contaminated the MAF sensor causing the truck to run lean. Read their FAQ and ask yourself why they added the part about MAF sensors. Not really a big deal but if you have a MAF and a K&N, make it a habit to clean the MAF sensor every one in awhile with carb cleaner. I run the K&N and have better power on the highway, the 2F could care less about dirt so I don't know if it helps on a wheeling rig.
 
Its up to you

Just remember with k&n the more air that goes through, the more dirt that goes through! Your engine won't last as long and I personally want my engine to last as long as possible so I have a good old paper filter it gets the job done but if you don't worry about that kind of stuff then keep it because they do make a difference in horsepower, I didn't notice a difference in fuel economy though :cheers: :beer:
 
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Personally, K&N air filters are a waste of money. You can replace many OEM paper filters before buying one K&N. And treerootCO, is right about the oil from the filter messing up down-stream parts.
I always think it is very funny that people put K&N filter on their list of upgrades. That's like saying, the tank is filled with premium gas. Well, I just think they are a waste. My 2 cents.

ben
 
Benji said:
Personally, K&N air filters are a waste of money.
Click to expand...

I agree. My 62 had a K&N in it when I got it. When I opened the air canister to check it the first time, I couldn't believe how small it was. No way you can convince me that tiny thing flows and filters better than the OEM filter:

AirFilters.jpg


(OEM on the left, K&N on the right)

I gave it away and dropped the OEM in. I couldn't tell a bit of difference.
 
I know Stone has a TRD oiled filter for his 13BT now, however I have not been able to hook up with him at the shop to take a look. He says it is the same size as the paper one, and noticed a difference. I don't think he has internet access just now, however when I hook up with him I'll see if he can post a picture of it beside the stock paper one.

I've heard nothing but good things about Amsoils oiled filter.

gb
 
My amsoil rep told me on friday that the filter for the old F, 3B, 2H are no longer available...

I have also been told that the TRD is the K&N rebadged...but have no proof.

If anybody has access to the amsoil, please let me know, thanks
 
Hi Brad...

Bummer bout the Amsoil.

Stone says his TRD is the same size as the paper one, which would make it considerably larger then the K&N one...ala the pic above.

Will try and get a picture and post the part #.

gb
 
I'd have to agree with dogboy2 on the performance. Plus I like the fact that you can clean it, re-charge it and use over and over- Less trash in the ground and more cost effective over time.
 
I put an FZJ80 filter in my FJ62. Looks the same except the element is a little thicker and maybe more porous. It is exactly the same size as the 3FE filter, but a different part number. I bought it because the dealer was out of 3FE filters that day, but I figure maybe it flows a little better for the 1FZ-FE.

K&N filters definitely let more air through and let more dirt in both. Take your pick - a bit of performance or a bit of longevity? Might lose that performance gain eventually if you lose compression or something from the wear from the extra dirt - I dunno, I'm just making stuff up now.
 
K&N

They do let more air through than stock when they're clean: made a huge difference on my old 83 FJ60 (but I also changed to a Man-A-Fre 6-2-1 exhaust header at the same time).

They also let less dirt in, and trap more dirt the dirtier they get, IMO.

Biggest problem is cleaning them before they need it. For DDs, follow the directions. If you wheel in the Mojave, YOYO.

A friend had one on a V8 Taurus SHO & it "ruined" the MAF, which he "had" to change. Found out later about cleaning the MAF from a good Ford mechanic.
 
K&N = junk. Hi flow, but simply does not filter as well as a good paper filter, so why would you want dirt in the engine. it will kill the rings and negate any performance gain. Also, while the oil does contaimate hot wire MAF's, its not an issue on FJ62's since they are trap door style MAFs.
 
Finally got ADSL in the new place, so I can wade in. Attached is a pic of the Toyota factory air filter next to the TRD replacement. Practically exact same size as the paper filter. Has nice soft polyurethane ends that keep a tight seal between the filter and the can. As can be plainly seen, very different from the K&N equivalent.

I have noticed a slight improvement in performance and slightly less smoke out the tailpipe. Is it worth the $80 CDN that I paid for it? Why not. A few days after installing the TRD filter I drove miles of gravel and dust roads with three Cruisers in front of me. Inside of my BJ74 was coated with dust. Took apart the air can just to see how much fine dust got through...and there's really nothing much to say about that. If it's good enough for the Toyota engineers, I guess it's good enough for me. My 2 cents.

The next thing I'm going to put on will be a Safari centrifugal hat to replace the air ram of my snorkel (similar to the ones on the "factory" Toyota snorkels).
P9080001.jpg
 
Part # Stone? I forgot to bring the piece of paper home from the shop.

Thanks

gb
 
treerootCO said:
I chased gremlins on my Tahoe for over a year and found out the oil from the K&N contaminated the MAF sensor causing the truck to run lean. Read their FAQ and ask yourself why they added the part about MAF sensors. Not really a big deal but if you have a MAF and a K&N, make it a habit to clean the MAF sensor every one in awhile with carb cleaner.
Click to expand...

Did you possibly put too much oil on the filter after cleaning it?
 
Greg_B said:
Part # Stone? I forgot to bring the piece of paper home from the shop.

Thanks

gb
Click to expand...

The TRD filter part number is: COTRA-17801-06. Maybe see you at the shop tomorrow, Greg. Getting excited to put that new suspension in. :D
 
If you read the literature and see how it works it is better. It does allow more air in and does not allow more dirt in. Those 2 things are not related here. In a paper filter they are related.

WHy not buy one? They are better in all ways and last forever. The real trick is to not mess with them. Let them ride for 30K or so. hard for most of us to do.

Another advantage is that they shead water. Lets see a paper filter do that!

No matter how you slice it is a good upgrade.
 
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