How To Service a K&N Air Filter?

[badabing9]

i just ran across an air cleaner housing that has a k+n air filter in it as well as the box being "cut". whomever did this did an excellent job as it looks factory. how do i clean the air filter element as it is rather oily? when clean, what color should the filter be? there has to be more than 1 way to do this.

also, is there really any advantage in a cut airbox, possibly hp gains?...thanks!

 

[sleepyhead]

The K&N Filters are supposed to be oily...but if the previous owner cleaned it and oiled it wrong, I suppose there could be too much oil on the filter. Too much oil is really bad because it will likely damage the Mass Air Flow Sensor. (Although some people say that the small amount of oil on a brand new K&N Filter isn't good for the MAF sensor, but many people (including myself) don't really buy into that.)

As far as what color should it be when clean, they are typically a pinkish purple color.

Horsepower gains for a K&N Filter with an unrestricted lid...well, you'll have some people who'll say that you will gain about 3-5 hp or so and you'll find others saying that any gains will be negligible and GM would have done it that way to begin with if there were any benefits. Personally, when I installed my unrestricted lid and new K&N filter I swore that I felt a minor noticable difference, but that could have been my mind trying to compensate for the price of the air cleaner! :L

Here's a website you can go to for more information on K&N filters as well as cleaning tips: http://www.knfilters.com/facts.htm

Hope this helps and I'm sure others will be chiming in.

-J.

 

[badabing9]

thanks for response. i was under the impression that i could soak the darn thing in dishwashing solution to get it clean. i will read the link ya gave, thanks!

 

[Vettefan87]

Just put enough oil on the filter so that it turns red, and you can't see any white. Don't use a lot to much, and you will suck it up and mess up your MAF, and that is a costly mistake. It should not be oily enough that when you touch it your hand is totally soaked in oil if that helps.

 

[sleepyhead]

K&N sells a "recharging kit" which includes everything you'll need to recharge it...oil, instructions and whatever else. I haven't had to buy it yet as you're only supposed to clean them every 50,000 miles or so.

 

[badabing9]

K&N sells a "recharging kit" which includes everything you'll need to recharge it...oil, instructions and whatever else. I haven't had to buy it yet as you're only supposed to clean them every 50,000 miles or so.

thanks for reply. can the filter be cleaned - oil be removed from the filter by washing/soaking it in dishwashing detergent? it would seem to me that that would be what part of the k&n kit does.....

 

[Tuna]

thanks for reply. can the filter be cleaned - oil be removed from the filter by washing/soaking it in dishwashing detergent? it would seem to me that that would be what part of the k&n kit does.....

Check out MidAmerica catalog for K&N recharging kits. They come with a bottle of cleaner and a can of spray oil. BTW, the cleaner works well for cleaning oil and grease out of the carpet on your car also.

The K&N is a white cotton gauze filter that is coated with a red colored oil. When it's dirty, you basically wash it with soap, rinse it, dry it and then oil it. I bought a large cookie sheet with sides that is big enough for me to put the whole filter in it and give it a bath. After it dries, I spray it with oil - pausing often to see if white is still showing. Then I sit it on edge for a couple of hours to let any excess oil drain. Wipe off any excess and re-install.

 

[Mad-Mic]

Check out MidAmerica catalog for K&N recharging kits. They come with a bottle of cleaner and a can of spray oil. BTW, the cleaner works well for cleaning oil and grease out of the carpet on your car also.

The K&N is a white cotton gauze filter that is coated with a red colored oil. When it's dirty, you basically wash it with soap, rinse it, dry it and then oil it. I bought a large cookie sheet with sides that is big enough for me to put the whole filter in it and give it a bath. After it dries, I spray it with oil - pausing often to see if white is still showing. Then I sit it on edge for a couple of hours to let any excess oil drain. Wipe off any excess and re-install.

good stuff! i need to clean mine! i haven't cleaned it since i've had it in 2 years but then again paper filters dont' even get real dirty either i noticed the first year when i bought my vette.

 

[badabing9]

Check out MidAmerica catalog for K&N recharging kits. They come with a bottle of cleaner and a can of spray oil. BTW, the cleaner works well for cleaning oil and grease out of the carpet on your car also.

The K&N is a white cotton gauze filter that is coated with a red colored oil. When it's dirty, you basically wash it with soap, rinse it, dry it and then oil it. I bought a large cookie sheet with sides that is big enough for me to put the whole filter in it and give it a bath. After it dries, I spray it with oil - pausing often to see if white is still showing. Then I sit it on edge for a couple of hours to let any excess oil drain. Wipe off any excess and re-install.

so, then i could give the filter a bath in an "oil desolving" solvent to remove the oil, correct. is not the thing that matters is the oil that is applied to the filter to catch particulate matter as it passes through the filter?

 

[6 Shooter]

Auto Zone sells the K&N recharging kits . . .

Later . . . . . .
6 Shooter

 

[WradDad]

I have used Simple Green to clean my filter, but I don't know what the long-term affects will be. I have done it twice now, and haven't noticed any shrinkage of the cotton fibers. A gallon of the K&N cleaner is around $26, so I'm willing to try the less expensive cleaner. My .02.

Barry

 

[6 Shooter]

Heck we own Corvette's !

I have used Simple Green to clean my filter, but I don't know what the long-term affects will be. I have done it twice now, and haven't noticed any shrinkage of the cotton fibers. A gallon of the K&N cleaner is around $26, so I'm willing to try the less expensive cleaner. My .02.

Barry

What's a few dollars?

 

[NevadaJim]

With the cleaning/recharging kit; you spray the filter down with the cleaning agent. Then you hose the filter down to remove all dirt. You let it dry (normally I let mine sit over night) then lightly oil it and replace it. If you use any other type of cleaner I'm not sure if you would damage the filter or its effectiveness. For the cost of the kit, which lasts for a few cleanings/recharges, I don't think I want to take the chance of using other chems (cleaning agents). Just my .02

 

[Vettefan87]

I would not clean it with anything except what K&N sells to clean them, same goes for the oil.

 

[Edmond]

I would not clean it with anything except what K&N sells to clean them, same goes for the oil.

My thoughts as well. The recharge kits are only $10-12 a kit. Why even take a chance? It's not worth it. The kit comes with cleaner and the oil.

Like the others said, don't over oil the filter or else it'll mess up your MAF. I have a K&N on my Toyota. When they want $16 for an OEM paper filter, I decided to go with a $45 K&N because I put a lot of miles on the car through every kind of weather. Anyway, I took the MAF sensor off a couple weeks ago and ended up cleaning the area right before the MAF because I over oiled the filter and it accumulated near the MAF.

 

[Vettefan87]

And to add to Edmonds post if you descreen your MAF, and over oil it, you could be in some potentially big doo-doo. Which is never good. Just pay attention, and you will be good.

 

[Edmond]

I wonder what would happen if that oil ever got as far as the combustion chamber...

 

[Vettefan87]

Yeah I hope that it wouldn't get that far but I guess it could, but when I was oiling mine last week the can went crazy and started spraying the oil all over the place, so when I pulled up on the cap it shot off... but I found it and I think it still works :L at the time I wasn't laughing though the fact that it was only 35 degrees out didn't help either...

 

[napacruzerC5]

Yup...get the K&N recharging kit and do it right. Be sure that you don't over oil it.

Since you're doing that, also clean off all the dirt that gets sucked up in front of the radiator. Since my driveway slopes down I bring the nose of the vette right to the slope then I can get underneath it enough to see the radiator to clean it.

 

[jrose7004]

I clean my K&N with Simple Green and recharge it by mixing mineral oil and alcohol in a spray bottle. The alcohol makes the sprayer work better then the alcohol evaporates and boom you're recharged!