K&n
Senior User
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 337
Likes: 0
From: Mt. Airy MD
I thought the same thing when i first came to FTE. Looking around at some of the efficency numbers, it looked like the K&N wasn't that bad. I think-like most oiled filters-is that the more they dry out-which can vary alot by climate and dust- they allow alot of fine dust to pass hence "dusting the motor and turbo". My truck had one when I got it at 104,000 and now has over 180,000. But i do clean and oil it every 3 oil chances around 12,000 miles. Maybe I am wrong but...so far so good. I think maintanence is the key.
Posting Guru
Joined: Nov 2007
Posts: 2,158
Likes: 0
From: West Texas
Probably because efficiency doesn't mean squat when they can't keep the dust out of our turbos and engines.
Every time I see one of those things these days I throw them away. I don't even ask the owners anymore. The factory fit ones don't seal unless you use the "special grease" on the seal and even then they don't seal for long. The round ones just let so much dust through that turbo wheels are trashed in no time. I had a neighbor over the other day asking if I'd look at his truck that doesn't have power anymore. It's a 03 F-250 powerstroke. The first thing I asked was if he got rid of the K&N yet. He didn't. I took off his intake hose and looked at what was left of the turbo wheel and guess what. It was mostly gone. The engine sounds ok but I'm going to compression check it while it's in the shop just to be safe.
Out here in the desert and southern plains those filters are just bad news.
I have a washable filter of another brand on my tractor for the cab air conditioning and it's about worthless too. 10 minutes in the field and it's plugged then sucking dirt by the gasket instead. Big pleated paper filters are just the only way to go in this environment.
Every time I see one of those things these days I throw them away. I don't even ask the owners anymore. The factory fit ones don't seal unless you use the "special grease" on the seal and even then they don't seal for long. The round ones just let so much dust through that turbo wheels are trashed in no time. I had a neighbor over the other day asking if I'd look at his truck that doesn't have power anymore. It's a 03 F-250 powerstroke. The first thing I asked was if he got rid of the K&N yet. He didn't. I took off his intake hose and looked at what was left of the turbo wheel and guess what. It was mostly gone. The engine sounds ok but I'm going to compression check it while it's in the shop just to be safe.
Out here in the desert and southern plains those filters are just bad news.
I have a washable filter of another brand on my tractor for the cab air conditioning and it's about worthless too. 10 minutes in the field and it's plugged then sucking dirt by the gasket instead. Big pleated paper filters are just the only way to go in this environment.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 244
Likes: 0
From: ON & AB, Canada
My buddy's turbo wheel on his 02 PSD with 130,000k is as dusted as mine with 540,000k on it. He has run a K&N for about 2 years now. When we pulled the intake hoses 2 weeks ago, I noticed a build up of grit in the hoses ...alot of it.
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 5,903
Likes: 1
From: MICHIGAN
If it flows more air and it has less surface area of filtering media than a paper element
of the same size...guess what else gets through the tiny little holes in the media besides air......
Hey, you could always add a tornado in the intake tube...that improves air flow too.
of the same size...guess what else gets through the tiny little holes in the media besides air......
Hey, you could always add a tornado in the intake tube...that improves air flow too.
