Air Filters

[Highway Man]

Here's one that probably everyone has an opinion of and that is air filters. I am not advocating any certain type or brand over another all I am asking is for those who would like to share their experiences with air filters they have used in their cars. I am considering replacing the stock air filter in my 92 C4 so I do have a motive in starting this thread. Two main areas of interest are increased fuel mileage and horsepower gains. This is going to be interesting.

 

[boomdriver]

Here's one that probably everyone has an opinion of and that is air filters. I am not advocating any certain type or brand over another all I am asking is for those who would like to share their experiences with air filters they have used in their cars. I am considering replacing the stock air filter in my 92 C4 so I do have a motive in starting this thread. Two main areas of interest are increased fuel mileage and horsepower gains. This is going to be interesting.

First, forget the term "cold air induction" and get that completely out of your mind. Thats marketing talk thats gimmick designed to sell a product, not make HP...
They should call these things "fresh air" intakes.
Reason is, cold air is no longer cold after it passes thru an intake thats got 230 degree coolant flowing all thru it, around it and 2" away from several hundred degree combustion and exhaust gases. Ain't gonna find any cold air in the top of a wet-intake Chevy motor, sorry.

What you can do and feel good about is an induction system that is more free flowing, bigger filter surface, and re-usable. K&N I was once every coulple months in the dishwasher, re-install and its fine,. That 1 $75 K&N has served me what would have been 3 or 4 $15 paper filters.My K&N will be good for another 10 yrs, just wash and run it.

 

[Highway Man]

Air induction?

First, forget the term "cold air induction" and get that completely out of your mind. Thats marketing talk thats gimmick designed to sell a product, not make HP...
They should call these things "fresh air" intakes.
Reason is, cold air is no longer cold after it passes thru an intake thats got 230 degree coolant flowing all thru it, around it and 2" away from several hundred degree combustion and exhaust gases. Ain't gonna find any cold air in the top of a wet-intake Chevy motor, sorry.

What you can do and feel good about is an induction system that is more free flowing, bigger filter surface, and re-usable. K&N I was once every coulple months in the dishwasher, re-install and its fine,. That 1 $75 K&N has served me what would have been 3 or 4 $15 paper filters.My K&N will be good for another 10 yrs, just wash and run it.

First off who said anything about cold air induction or any other type of induction for that matter? What I am asking about is for those who would like to share their experiences with "air filters". Maybe my question was misunderstood as I know there are a lot of manufacturers out there making all kinds of claims to sell their products. As with anything else I am sure that some of the claims are valid while others are probably are subject to the opinion of the user. I don't know a whole lot of people who will go out and drop a lot of money on a product then go out and tell the world how they wasted their money. Anyway I do appreciate the feedback and I think you have made some very valid points to consider.

 

[93Rubie]

K&N, I run an modified air box lid. It is totally open on top, nothing to block or inhibit air to the filter element. Like Boomdriver said, K&N's are reusable and paper elements are not. Just make sure if you use a K&N to keep it clean and not to over oil it. As for any HP gains...http://www.vetteweb.com/tech/vemp_0611_1996_corvette_lt1_engine_buildup/index.html
Maybe, hey, I like it because it is reusable and will definitely outflow the engine, good enough.


Hey, BOOMDRIVER, since when does a LT1 have a WET intake manifold. otflotflotfl Your 87 would but his 92 would not.
Just pick'in on ya.

 

[jonszr1]

i vote for k and n also . great value will last as long as you own the car

 

[TedC]

Paper filter with open air cleaner. The air filter is not a limiting factor on my TPI that runs under 5000 RPM.

 

[Toms007]

I ran a K&N on my 94 with open lid. Did I feel any difference in performance? Not really. It sounded better, but I believe that the gains come at higher rpm range, I rarely pushed my car that hard. Would I do it again? Probably, because as boomdriver said, those filters last forever, wash them out, re-oil and install. I have a habit of changing out the paper filter in the DD every other oil change. I could probably save a few bucks by buying the K&N (or other brand of reusable filter).

 

[Tuna]

The C4 has a pretty large air filter - more than enough volume for most applications. A new paper filter and a new K&N will provide the same performance in most applications. As the paper filter gets dirty, air flow is reduced but it takes a lot of dirt to affect the air flow.
The K&N gets dirty also but the flow isn't restricted as much as a paper filter so the performance stays good for a longer time. Plus you wash, re-oil and reuse the K&N so they last a really long time.
I think any of the oil coated, cloth filters would provide similar results to the K&N though.

 

[boomdriver]

K&N, I run an modified air box lid. It is totally open on top, nothing to block or inhibit air to the filter element. Like Boomdriver said, K&N's are reusable and paper elements are not. Just make sure if you use a K&N to keep it clean and not to over oil it. As for any HP gains...1996 Corvette LT1 Engine Buildup - Vette Magazine
Maybe, hey, I like it because it is reusable and will definitely outflow the engine, good enough.


Hey, BOOMDRIVER, since when does a LT1 have a WET intake manifold. otflotflotfl Your 87 would but his 92 would not.
Just pick'in on ya.

ya ya ya...

but you;re right.:eyerole

I just get ruffled everytime I see someone about to fall for the marketing gimicks and claims. If I had all that money that I wasted on generic bolt on stuff the first 10 yrs, I could buy a new Z...

That being said, K&N also makes HP claims that probably are not true for the typical street car, but the durability is without a doubt worth the purchase price. I think I've thrown mine in the washer with a load of shop towels....and it comes out like new.
Actually better, it smells nicer.

 

[Highway Man]

ya ya ya...

but you;re right.:eyerole

I just get ruffled everytime I see someone about to fall for the marketing gimicks and claims. If I had all that money that I wasted on generic bolt on stuff the first 10 yrs, I could buy a new Z...

That being said, K&N also makes HP claims that probably are not true for the typical street car, but the durability is without a doubt worth the purchase price. I think I've thrown mine in the washer with a load of shop towels....and it comes out like new.
Actually better, it smells nicer.

Hey Boomdriver, Maybe I owe you an apology if I took you the wrong way over the air induction thing. I can see where you are coming from though. Its like the so-called performance chip that you can buy for $50 and it instantly adds 150 hp to your engine. I may have been born at night but it wasn't last night. I am not so naive to believe some of these claims but what I was really after is how to make an engine run more efficiently not to be a fall for some of these ridiculous hp claims. Anyway thanks for your feedback and opinions.

 

[Enuzio]

Intakes

Here's one that probably everyone has an opinion of and that is air filters. I am not advocating any certain type or brand over another all I am asking is for those who would like to share their experiences with air filters they have used in their cars. I am considering replacing the stock air filter in my 92 C4 so I do have a motive in starting this thread. Two main areas of interest are increased fuel mileage and horsepower gains. This is going to be interesting.

Hi Highway Man...SLP's cold air ram works well, along with coolant bypass...no throttle body icing noticed in 34 deg rainy weather...also the the TPIS seems to also help...the filter itself is a K&N type that came with the cold air ram.

Cheers,

Enuzio

 

[CharlesBrown]

Here's my experience with K&N. Over $400 in repair costs due to excess oil contamination (on sensors etc.) from a new K&N air filter. I think I'll stick with paper ones.

 

[Schrade]

Here's my experience with K&N. Over $400 in repair costs due to excess oil contamination (on sensors etc.) from a new K&N air filter. I think I'll stick with paper ones.

This is what I was looking for...

Do NOT over-oil the filter. Oil will foul the MAF element (of MAF-equipped twisters), and other sensors as well.

But having to replace the sensors? There's no 'fire' to burn down the oil -> carbon deposits...

:confused

 

[Highway Man]

Research

That's what I like about these threads. You can share your experiences and learn the do's and don't from others. I put a K&N filter in my 92 and I can't tell if it has any extra power but it does seem to run smoother and have a little quicker throttle response. It could be my imagination but that's the way it "seems". Easy on the oil boy's. Its okay to drown your french fries in catsup but not your air filter in oil. I do have an almost new paper filter so the next time I have my airbox off I may just put it in and go for a drive to see if I can tell any difference.

 

[jonszr1]

if one does over oil the filter a simple can of throttle body cleaner will clean the oil on the ofended sensors . asak me who i know;squint:

 

[WillC4]

I have the SLP "C.A.I" for my LT1. As far as satisfaction, i am satisfied with it. On a stock application, its useless. But when used in conjunction with all the other bolt-ons, it helps out a little bit.

I have the SLP filters on it, probably similar in the properties of K&N filters. Now, i have been doing the research on K&N, and i have to say that I wouldnt go with them again. Probably has to do with the experience and vibe i have received when i was researching filters for my WRX. The K&N will increase flow (by how much is still undetermined), but apparently oild from the filters may potentially, over time, gum up your MAF sensor or other modules in the intake system. Another is, with increased airflow comes reduced filtration capabilities, therefore increasing the amount of small particules that could enter your engine. So, i would personally stick with paper filters as the HP difference his pretty negligible on stock-mild modified applications. So, back to my SLP filters, im aware of the risks that i have laid out, and will maintain my vehicle accordingly to it.

 

[db2]

I run K&N in all my cars.CRV,GST,S2K and Z06.

When cleaned & oiled properly they should not cause any problems.

\db2
carolina

 

[boomdriver]

I run K&N in all my cars.CRV,GST,S2K and Z06.

When cleaned & oiled properly they should not cause any problems.

\db2
carolina

K&N is the best and most efficient filter on the market, proven for many yrs.

The problem is in the understanding of how much to "oil" the filter. In the typical climate, oiling is not always necessary. In someplace like Arizona with all the dust and sand, it needs to be oiled. Thats just a MIST. Thats all it takes. Not actual wetness. the oil is just to help the cotton element grab and hold the finer particles.