K&N Filters

[TurboLuigi]

Folks,

Having various turbo cars throughout the years I have always been told that stock air filters are better for the turbo system as they filter finer debris from entering the intake which helps preserve the turbo, but hence they are more restrictive.

I do however know many people that use the K&N system on turbo cars.... most of the Buick Grand National guys I also hang out with.

What are your opinions on this? Is the K&N oiled system the preferred route? What do most of you use, Stock or K&N??

I remember at Carlisle a few cars that had a side mounted filter instead of the front mounted filter (Pete). Besides his car, are any of them Aerobody cars??

Of the front mounted air filters, is anyone using the cut out filter cover sold by Ecklers/Mid-America which has a larger open surface for the filter?? What about the effects of rain?? Thoughts??

Thanks,

Luigi
:cool

 

[EricVonHa]

Dunno bout the K&N's other than I've got one in every car that I own. It's probably a contributing factor as to why I haven't been married yet because the filters are run through the dishwasher ever couple months or so!

If K&N filters were less efficient from a filtration point of view, I think they would have had a black eye in the industry by now. The trick is to keep them well oiled. I like them not for the 15hp gain (yeah right!) but because it's one less disposable item on the car (see "dishwasher" above).

I haven't been particularly fond of the way the front mount (original factory config) K&N air filters get installed because the filter itself is thinner in construction than a standard filter. In other words, it is half the height of a standard filter. In order to take up the extra space, K&N gives you foam strips with self adhesive backing in order to elevate and further insulate the filter housing. Ask me what happens several years later... I'll tell you, I've got an LT1 Vette as well and after 6 years those foam strips are all but deteriorated and squashed beyond belief.

I don't think that the Aerobody has any adverse effects on filtration with regard to rain. The majority of the air is still routed from underneath the car rather than through the nose.... now that would be a modification... straight through the cross beam with a 3" hole saw! That's what they do for the ram air kits anyway. Stock aerobody config, we don't have anything to worry about.

I bought my car with the factory front mounted housing and it also has the open air filter lid. Not sure when the open lid was installed on the car. Sooner or later I'll touch base with the original owner.

I've got a question too.. why did Callaway go to the side mounted system?? My only guess is because they could use a much larger MAF by moving it to the front well of the nose area but ??

 

[90Callaway]

I also have K&Ns in everthing I own - cars, boat, bike... everything except my lawn mower! I don't think I'd use one in it if I could. I think the key to this question is where and how the vehicle is used. I would not put a K&N in my lawn mower even if I could because it operates in a VERY dusty/dirty environment.

However, the other toys are only used in nice weather when the roads are clean. There is generally very little dust around the areas I travel. So, I'll take my chances and go with the flow... extra air flow from the K&N that is. I'm not really concerned about abrasive particles getting past the filter. I think this is a very small risk if the K&N is oiled correctly.

I agree with Eric about keeping them properly maintained. (As in cleaned and oiled with the correct K&N products that come in their kit.) Although I've never put one in the dish washer!!! LOL But I did wet sand and buff my gas filler cover base on the breakfast bar last week! Hmmmm, come to think of it, I'm not married either. Is there a pattern here?

My aerobody car has the filter box in the right side of the nose. It's a 1990 MAP (speed density) setup so I don't have a MAFS. I just have a huge rubber hose between the filter box and the wonderbar. I know this was installed after initial purchase by the original owner as an "upgraded wonderbar". I have the invoice at home and it was quite expensive. Around $1700 I think. I'm pretty sure that some other stuff had to get moved around as well. I'm thinking the '90s had the coolant overflow in that location from the factory. Mine is now on the left side like the earlier cars. I was looking at this between Pete's ('89) and Luigi's ('91) cars at Carlisle but I can't recall all the differences between the installations. I wanted to take some detailed pics but I never did get around to it.

 

[RubyDropTop]

I have both the K&N filter as well as the cut air lid on my car. The filter was already installed in the car when I purchased it almost 2 years ago, but the cut lid was something that I had added myself. Not wanting to cut the original air lid, I purchased the aftermarket cut lid through Corvette Central for $50.00. :eek

I've read the hp claims of the K&N filters, but I don't have experience with the stock paper filters in order to compare. The addition of the cut lid does offer a different sound to the air intake under throttle (it was just muffled by the original lid). Does the cut lid offer an increase in hp? Maybe, but I'd be hard pressed to tell. I decided to go with the cut lid for 2 reasons: cosmetics (I like the appearance) and I thought that the cut lid may allow the car to breathe more easily. :confused

 

[SurfnSun]

over in the ZR1 forum at CF there has been alot of talk about K&N vs paper. The guys over there swear by a clean paper filter producing more hp than a K&N.

 

[91callaway]

k&n no difference

i recall that when i bought my callaway and brought it up to them i was told they did dyno test and k&n filter showed no differecnce than stock. the mechanic's name was george back then

 

[MagicDragon]

Hey Guy's, The front mounted factory style housing that is cut out is very unlikely to ingest water. I have heard of a few TT's with the low side mounted style (wonderbar setup) that got hydro locked from owner stupidity (read driving car in deep standing water) Both setups under normal driving conditions are great. Your guess is as good as mine when it comes to why they located the airbox in the headlight area on the '88 and up cars. I do know that it was not done to fit a lager MAF because they used stock MAFs throughout production of the TT's. My guess is it cleans up the top of the engine compartment, the larger airbox probably flows alot more air and shorter distance to the wonderbar than the stock configuration might also help with flow. Mine has the front mounted factory airbox. I cut out the opening of a stock OEM lid and use a K&N filter. I drive the car in the rain and never have any troubles with water getting in that area.

 

[TurboLuigi]

Cool Stuff!

Can anyone post pics of the side mounted setup???

Thanks,

Luigi
:cool

 

[SurfnSun]

 

[*89x2*]

nice pic S&S! Now picture an 8" K&N where the airbox is, on the end of the MAF and that is what I have (inst by prev owner-thankfully I got the stock airbox as well...)
At any rate, the only negative I heard was the K&N (and maybe it was some other rubber bellow???) collapsing under boost... I would imagine if there was a rubber bellow long enough, it would partially close under intake pressures. Thoughts?

 

[SurfnSun]

nice pic S&S! Now picture an 8" K&N where the airbox is, on the end of the MAF and that is what I have (inst by prev owner-thankfully I got the stock airbox as well...)
At any rate, the only negative I heard was the K&N (and maybe it was some other rubber bellow???) collapsing under boost... I would imagine if there was a rubber bellow long enough, it would partially close under intake pressures. Thoughts?

Does your car have the cone shaped K&N like Ultra's car? From what he's stated thats the best way to go on these cars.

 

[*89x2*]

S&S, yes It is conical and about 8" long. seems to work well and of course the car has zero chance of running into a puddle Take it easy! *89x2*