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K&N Strikes Again!!!!

4K views 45 replies 16 participants last post by  gtspowerstroke 
#1 ·
So I was checking my oil a few days ago, & I noticed my restriction gauge on the airbox was about halfway. I checked the air filter & found a coating of oil all over the top section of the airbox. The filter itself had no debris inside the pleats. The oil is from the filter. When I had recharged it a few weeks back, I went across the pleats barely enough to see the red of the K&N oil & had let it drip for 2hrs. before I had wiped down the edges & reinstalled the filter. Now, weeks later, I'm getting an airbox restriction & oil's getting inside the airbox! WTF? I know plenty about over-oiling an air filter(past experience with a K&N cold-air intake on a Mustang), but now I'm barely oiling this K&N job & I'm getting this! The more I deal with this K&N/Banks replacement filter, the more I wish that S&B intake was on my doorstep!....& just for the people who believe I've probably over-oiled the filter; I've still got 3/4 of a can left when other times I'd have 1/4.:nod:
 
#3 ·
That's what I thought @ 1st. I used a white napkin to get a sample of what kind of oil it was. There is little engine oil present, but the majority of the oil on the napkin was orange.
 
#4 ·
K&N oil is distinctly red not orange. A light film of engine oil could look orange. 1/4 of the can seems like quite a bit of oil to me. Any excess should just get sucked off the filter and shouldn't cause any real issues, but it would probably show up on the air box as you describe.
 
#5 ·
The orange looks like a mixture of engine oil & the K&N oil. I found a drip on top of the filter seal today & that oil was red.
 
#6 · (Edited)
Hey guess what when you get that S&B filter. You still have to oil it too. There for my feeling is dry filters. You wash them and then when they are dry you install them. No oil, No mess, No worries about over oiling the filter.

I got rid of the K&N type filter a long time ago. Now I just use the 6637 filter from Napa which all I do is blow it out with compresse air when I do the oil change. I replace the filter every 3rd oil change. But even that will be replaced soon with something else.
 
#7 ·
Hey guess what when you get that S&B filter. You still have to oil it too. There for my feeling is dry filters. You wash them and then when they are dry you install them. No oil, No mess, No worries about over oiling the filter.

I got rid of the K&N type filter a long time ago. Now I just use the 6637 filter from Napa. But even that will be replaced soon.
I know, I haven't learned yet:doh:.
 
#8 ·
I use the 6637...I think thats the ticket as far as ease goes.
 
#10 ·
...interesting....is there a way to make the AIS work better. What I mean is; I've already got the AIS. Is there a way I can make it more efficient with a in-garage modification?
 
#11 ·
My Afe did this before also. Replaced it with a K/N filter and the problem was solved lol.
 
#12 ·
Your AFE did it with the restriction gauge or the oil deposits? Just wonderin'...:wink[3]:
 
#13 ·
Sucked the restriction guage all the way down. Made the check air filter light come on inside the cab. Re-oiled/cleaned filter and same thing. Bought a $15 K&N filter and the problem was fixed.

I know K/N isn't the best, but it works great for my truck.
 
#16 ·
I wish it did for mine, too considering I already have it! I guess it's all about trial & error, eh?
 
#15 ·
Ah, I see! Funny you should mention that; I've got a Zoodad plate coming in the mail. I figured that was the way!:thumb:
 
#17 ·
No Probs Here W/ My K&N. When I recharge mine I just give it a light coating. Are you using a sock as well?
 
#18 ·
No, actually. What is it? I did, though, give it a light coating. There was almost no remainence of oil @ the bottom of the garbage can where I had let the filter drip off. I just came back from a 45min. ride & I checked the air filter. There is red oil around the top of the seal & another coat of oil in the air box. All of the oil is red!
 
#19 ·
If anything dripped off the filter at all while you let it sit you have way over oiled it. You want just enough oil on it to color the filter red. An over oiled filter will hold the oil unless you've got it completely satruated.

You want to spray a very light coat of oil on it and let it sit not so that the excess can run off but so that the oil can soak throughout the filter. If it doesn't soak throughout the filter so that the color is uniform add a little bit more to the lighter areas.

If all you have is a drop in K&N I'd question weather the filter or the air box is the restriction causing the gauge to suck in.

You should NEVER blow compressed air through a filter. Especially a paper filter like the Donalson filters everyone likes to run. It tears the fibers and opens them up larger so that dirt can get in.
 
#21 ·
K&N Drop in filters are terrible for our trucks, they can actually not seal around the edges of the box, also the oiled filters in general are for RACE applications, IMHO, not for long term protection. (the oiled filters only filter efficiently for part of the cleaning cycle, (After they are a little bit dirty, and until they are too dirty,, per say) The 6637 is a great filter for our rigs. Or the Ford AIS if you don't want the "Noise" from the open element.
 
#27 ·
also the oiled filters in general are for RACE applications, IMHO, not for long term protection. (the oiled filters only filter efficiently for part of the cleaning cycle, (After they are a little bit dirty, and until they are too dirty,, per say) The 6637 is a great filter for our rigs. Or the Ford AIS if you don't want the "Noise" from the open element.
That's not really true. It depends on the type of filter you are using. K&N filters in general don't filter real well after being cleaned a few times. Especially if you don't service them properly. Once you can start seeing holes through the filter media they need to be replaced.

However AFE makes some great oiled gause filters that filter as good or better than the paper filters. And if you start talking about oiled foam filters much like what's found in most dirtbikes and ATVs and a lot of street bikes they have a much greater filtering capability than any paper filter. They just don't flow as well.

Oiled filters do a better job of catching the dirt because the dirt and dust particles stick to the oil. As the air weaves in and out of the filter media the dirt and dust can't make the sharp corners and run into the oil. They may need to be serviced more often but they do a better job of filtering in any application race or street. The key with them is proper service and getting the oil worked evenly throughout the filter. Most people I've seen service them just spray some oil on the outside and call it good wich will dramatically reduce the filter's ability to filter properly.

Paper filters by nature filter by having very small passageways for air to go through. This makes them less efficient for airflow and will only allow them to filter down as small as the holes in the media. In an on road application you don't get a lot of dirt and debris in the air so these types of filters seem to work OK. The best way to get enough airflow with these filters is to just make them big. The bigger they are the more air they will flow and to flow enough air for our engines they need to be BIG. That's why the filters everyone uses are so much bigger than say an AFE or K&N. They have to be to be able to flow as much air. Donalson rates these as a medium dust filter which is good for our relativly low dust environment.

However if I lived somewhere where it was very dry and dusty I think I'd look for a high dust type filter. I believe the AIS would fit that bill nicely as I recall.
 
#26 ·
I like my tymar...if the filter is good enough for a tractor in the fields it's good enough for my truck....imagine the amount of dust a tractor gets compared to our's
 
#30 ·
Ok, let me rephrase my statement(s). When I oiled my filter, I passed each pleat once & only once. I never went back to cover any missed or uneven areas on the filter. When I was finished, there was about 1/4 of the can used. The remainance I found on the bottom of the garbage can was 2 drips. 2 drips is over-oiling? With all sealing areas(top & bottom) bone dry? I had also turned the filter over to make sure if there were excessive amounts of oil that made it to the mesh, would drip out....nothing. Over-oiling? C'mon, let's get real. By no means am I trying to start an argument. But I only found 2 drips, no saturation on the seals or anywhere else for that matter, & I'm finding the top of my airbox saturated in K&N oil. Believe me, almost every vehicle I've owned has had a K&N air filter. I had gotten one for my 1st vehicle waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back in 1997 & that was my 1st lesson in recharging oil-bath air filters:)doh:). For the past 11yrs., I've been recharging each K&N filter for 3 Fords, 1 Mitsubishi, 1 Dodge, & 1 Chevy & have never had any issues like this. The filter's getting canned no matter what! Instead of waxing intellectual for days & days about this, let's lay this thing down to rest. There are all ready too many threads bashing K&N & I keep reading the same stuff over & over. My mind is made up: my girl just called & said my S&B intake is @ the front doorstep. I need to get the F out of Toronto, pick my truck up, go home, install the kit, & nail the K&N piece to my infamous "Wall of Shame" next to the Six-Gun tuner, Big Hoss module, & TransCommand. I apologize to everbody in this thread. Thank you!
 
#31 ·
lol this thread made me laugh.
 
#33 ·
I wasn't trying to start a fight at all, and I wasn't bashing K&N at all either.
No need to apoligize to anyone.
 
#36 ·
No, Southpaw, I AM sorry. I didn't mean to come off like I was suggesting you were starting a fight. I just meant 'getting into an argument' & 'K&N bashing' about the thread itself, in general, with conflicting opinions. I'm just realizing, with my rig anyway, I shouldn't have bought the filter in the 1st place. #1: Banks said it was 'their' filter & then I get the box & it says "Made by K&N for Banks". I thought I was getting something different, but ended up with a K&N piece with 'Banks' stamped all over it. #2: back when I got the filter & made the discovery, I didn't care because I thought it would work great considering it was K&N. Then I found out the hard(& expensive:doh:) way that all K&N types are NOT created equal for all applications. Now I'm frustrated & also stuck in Toronto with a brand-new S&B intake waiting for me & I can't do anything about it! Everything cool? Now come here & give me big kiss:kiss:!
 
#34 ·
Nah Chris that isn't what I'm talking about. I know that you didn't mean to bash anything...just giving your input. Its all gravy here on my end. Its just funny how every intake thread turns into something like this lol.
 
#35 ·
Well, you won't hurt many peoples feelings bashing K&N for our motors. ESPECIALLY the drop in filters. (Like your running?) They have been notorious for not sealing well around the edge of the box,, (Weather the ELEMENT filters well or not wouldn't matter for squat there, right?) And I guess some can agree to disagree, I truly feel for longevity the oiled filters are not as good as a good large paper one. But it's only my opinion. (Since there is proof that the oiled ones do NOT filter with the same consistency throughout their cleaning cycle)
 
#37 ·
(Since there is proof that the oiled ones do NOT filter with the same consistency throughout their cleaning cycle)
I'd like to see that proof if it is actually available. An oiled filter is no different than a paper filter in that as they plug up with dirt and dust they start flowing less and less air. If properly serviced and maintained they will filter as well or better than any paper filter.

This is a general statement for oiled gause filters. They are not all built equal. Some of the very thin ones do not filter as well but others like the AFE pro guard 7 that has more than one layer of filter media will flow more air and filter better than a compreably sized paper element. Especially if you have size restraints on how big the filter can be a gause filter will fit the bill much better.
 
#38 ·
Not wanting to start anything here but I'm with this guy^. That is always what I have thought and been told.
 
#39 ·
S'all Good Radar....

You can forget the kiss though.
 
#40 ·
...fine....:rolleyes:.....:hehe:
 
#41 ·
I feel that for oiled filter performance, there is a trade off of filtration vs. flow. Even K&N shows the
low/variable numbers.. K&N Air Filter Efficiency Testing Even a well maintained
oiled filter will most of the time be less efficient at filtering than paper according to K&N

Leave the oiled filters to the racers..
 
#43 ·
For starters where does the link you posted say anything about paper filters vs oiled filters?

Secondly you are basing your entire opinion of oiled filters off K&N filters. There are MANY different types and manufacturers of oiled filters that build much better filtering filters than K&N.

Foam filters are oiled filters and are a MUCH better filter than a paper filter. This is because the oil grabs and holds the dust. Even particles that are smaller than the pores in the filter because the particles can't make the corners along the passageway that the air does. So it runs into the oiled foam and sticks.

Foam filters are very different from the very thin gause filters like K&N that don't have enough depth to trap the dirt.

This is also why you don't see paper filters in hgh dust applications such as motorcycles and ATVs. They just flat don't filter as well. You do find them a lot in low dust conditions such as automobiles where they drive mostly on paved streets and aren't driving in a thick cloud of dust being kicked up from the car in front of them.
 
#42 · (Edited)
Ehe AIS/Zoodad flows all the air my truck needs. My silicon levesl are at 2 this proves the AIS is a excellent filter.

NCH
 
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