Cheaper Jeeper
Full Access Member
Well, I guess I'll be the naysayer here, but I use K&N filters and like 'em. I've run one in my Jeep since I bought it with 169k on the clock and 40k miles later it doesn't seem to have any more indication of engine wear than the day I put it in. And that is 40k worth of hard miles too - a lot of it in really dirty, dusty, muddy, off-road situations. No change in oil consumption or any other indications of accelerated wear.
The second reason I like the K&N is that the performance increase was small but noticeable - both by the ol' butt-dyno and in gas mileage. Quicker acceleration AND 1-2 mpg are hard to argue with IMO. If you've ever played with the K&N display at the local auto parts store - the one with the ping pong ball and the interchangeable paper and K&N filters - it is pretty hard to say the K&N doesn't flow more air. As long as it is oiled and maintained, I believe that it will do as good or better of a job at filtration - even though the gauze is more porous than a paper filter because oil attracts and traps dirt. If you doubt that, look at the bottom of your engine and tranny!
Many people around here are too young to remember the old oil-bath filters that were standard equipment on a lot of cars years and years ago. They did a great job of filtering out the dust and dirt - but since they were messy and the dealership couldn't sell you a filter with a 1000% markup for them, they were phased out in favor of disposable paper filters by the auto manufacturers a long time ago. Was that because the paper filter was better, or was it because it was more convenient - and so that the dealerships could make a buck selling you a new filter every few thousand miles? Remember, the service & repair center is THE number one money maker in most dealerships, and way back then, the dealership was the #1 source for parts.
The third reason I'm sticking with the K&N for my truck is that it is what came in my Banks turbo kit. When it comes to what is best to use with their turbos - in terms of both airflow AND filtration, I lean pretty hard towards trusting Banks and their engineers. More so than opinions on the internet or advertising by K&N or their competition. No offense intended towards any one here or anywhere else. All of our opinions are equal here, but Banks engineers designed the system so I have to trust their judgement on this one.
The last thing I like about the K&N is that long-term, they save money. If your paper filter is $11, and the K&N is $80, and a $10 oiling kit will allow you to clean and recondition the K&N 8 times, for the $90 initial investment for the K&N and the oiling kit you'll break even after only 8 filter changes - or 48K miles if you're doing it every other oil change. From then on it is a couple of bucks to clean and re-oil the K&N every time - vs. the ongoing cost of $11 a pop for a new paper filter every time. The $9 difference every 6k miles over the 200k-400k life of one of these engines adds up to some serious coin - numbers don't lie....
The second reason I like the K&N is that the performance increase was small but noticeable - both by the ol' butt-dyno and in gas mileage. Quicker acceleration AND 1-2 mpg are hard to argue with IMO. If you've ever played with the K&N display at the local auto parts store - the one with the ping pong ball and the interchangeable paper and K&N filters - it is pretty hard to say the K&N doesn't flow more air. As long as it is oiled and maintained, I believe that it will do as good or better of a job at filtration - even though the gauze is more porous than a paper filter because oil attracts and traps dirt. If you doubt that, look at the bottom of your engine and tranny!
Many people around here are too young to remember the old oil-bath filters that were standard equipment on a lot of cars years and years ago. They did a great job of filtering out the dust and dirt - but since they were messy and the dealership couldn't sell you a filter with a 1000% markup for them, they were phased out in favor of disposable paper filters by the auto manufacturers a long time ago. Was that because the paper filter was better, or was it because it was more convenient - and so that the dealerships could make a buck selling you a new filter every few thousand miles? Remember, the service & repair center is THE number one money maker in most dealerships, and way back then, the dealership was the #1 source for parts.
The third reason I'm sticking with the K&N for my truck is that it is what came in my Banks turbo kit. When it comes to what is best to use with their turbos - in terms of both airflow AND filtration, I lean pretty hard towards trusting Banks and their engineers. More so than opinions on the internet or advertising by K&N or their competition. No offense intended towards any one here or anywhere else. All of our opinions are equal here, but Banks engineers designed the system so I have to trust their judgement on this one.
The last thing I like about the K&N is that long-term, they save money. If your paper filter is $11, and the K&N is $80, and a $10 oiling kit will allow you to clean and recondition the K&N 8 times, for the $90 initial investment for the K&N and the oiling kit you'll break even after only 8 filter changes - or 48K miles if you're doing it every other oil change. From then on it is a couple of bucks to clean and re-oil the K&N every time - vs. the ongoing cost of $11 a pop for a new paper filter every time. The $9 difference every 6k miles over the 200k-400k life of one of these engines adds up to some serious coin - numbers don't lie....
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I don't listen to the "K&N Hype", what I listen to are my oil sample reports, that come back with glowing reviews and my fuel milage and power is better than with a paper filter.
