K&N or OEM?

[livinoffroad]

I bought the K&N setup, and used it for a little while, but, with all the violent objections I read here, I began to get paranoid about fouling the MAF, so I removed it. I had good performance with K&N on my motorcycle, but then, there was no MAF. If you want my nearly new K&N, plus the re-oiling kit that I purchased with it, PM me and I'll let you have it for half of whatever I got it for.

 

[Ebag333]

Yes true. But they use them on desert race trucks in the Baja 500 and 1000. Pretty dusty conditions. Plus the clogging makes it filter better. An OEM one is so restrictive and when it gets dirty it gets even more. I guess I am one of the few that actually likes K&N. Heck I bought one filter. Last me 7 years so far.

OEM is restrictive?

The OEM filter is flat out huge. Even if it doesn't flow as well as the oiled filters (ala K&N), it's only slightly less (and even that has been called into question). Even if it flows less than the K&N, you're working with a significantly larger surface area, which will quickly make up for any loss in flow rate.

The fact that foam based filters will filter better than K&N is well known, there have been tons of tests (some formal, and some less so) that show that.

Add in the risk of damaging your MAF sensor with oil (which oiled filters have been known to do), the higher upkeep/maintenance of the oiled filters, etc....there's no real good reason to go with a K&N.


Now if you are driving a sports car and want that extra 5 HP, then you want your intake to be as open as possible (though again, K&N's claim that they flow better than foam is marginal at best). But we don't drive sports cruisers (LX_TREME excepted). 5 HP is completely unnoticed/lost by the time it gets to the wheels in low gear.

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

My truck came with a K&N installed and it was the first thing I replaced (with OEM of course)

 

[lt1fire]

There are also new aftermarket high flow filters that don't use any oil.
There are also wraps for the K/N's if you are in dust conditions

But what I said in my first post still stands.

 

[Ebag333]

There are also wraps for the K/N's if you are in dust conditions

OEM doesn't need this. We have the wonderful tuna catch can for pre-filtration.

 

[Yossarian]

After reading up on the K&N here on Mud I went to the local dealer, who gives me a discount, and bought the OEM.

Anyone in the Denver area want a free K&N PM me

 

[retrofive]

you chose wisely

 

[jonheld]

But they use them on desert race trucks in the Baja 500 and 1000. Pretty dusty conditions.

Yes they do. And they rebuild the motors after every race and don't care about longevity.

 

[Tools R Us]

The K&N thing again. These links should be in the FAQ?

https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/225298-k-n-filter-killing-maf-toyota.html
https://forum.ih8mud.com/80-series-tech/156529-80-series-k-n-vs-oem-air-filter.html

 

[Wrench]

Yes they do. And they rebuild the motors after every race and don't care about longevity.

I got 70k on one filter. I'm gonna continue to run it.

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

I got 70k on one filter. I'm gonna continue to run it.

I've got over 100k on my OEM filter. I'm gunna continue to run it

 

[Wrench]

I've got over 100k on my OEM filter. I'm gunna continue to run it

Ya sure it's probably black and flows like air through a cardboard box. LOL

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

Ya sure it's probably black and flows like air through a cardboard box. LOL

I know its been said countless times, but you are aware the OEM is washable, right?

 

[Wrench]

I know its been said countless times, but you are aware the OEM is washable, right?

No I was unaware of that. I thought it was a disposable...Interesting. I chucked mine. Frisbee.

 

[98 SNAKE EATER]

No I was unaware of that. I thought it was a disposable...Interesting. I chucked mine. Frisbee.

Yeah, I punted my K&N across the shop

I've been selling K&N's for 15+ years (even have the ping pong ball demonstrator in my shop), but I refuse to put that garbage in any of my own cars

When clean, they flow great and filter like poop

When dirty, they filter great and flow like poop

To top it off, they're expensive to buy, expensive to maintain and you risk possible engine damage for horsepower gains that can't be felt

 

[Wrench]

Well mines still running strong.