This link is about comparing air filters, many different brands. What he wants to debunk is the marketing hype that makes people (myself included) buy air filter elements that are oil soaked.

I am in NO WAY affiliated with this website and have no dog in the hunt. As I said a minute ago, I use one of the air filters that he seems to claim is junk. But I thunk you guys & girls may be interested in the stats this website claims to have established.

Looks like our good ol' AC Delco is a kick-butt brand name in this type of thing.

 

the first test like this that I saw long ago was here:

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/cms/in...d=58&Itemid=66

the links at the bottom seem broken, use the ones in the column at left.

Same as above, no affiliation with the tester or test, but it seemed interesting.

FWIW,
Tom

 

I've worked in retail parts sales, since day one (started in 1983) I saw light through K/N filters and thought it was a bad idea. I work at a FORD dealer as a service writer and most K/N style filters I see are exteremly overdue for service. What good is that? The oil from the filters ruins MAP sensors, as I've diagnosed and repaired when I was a professional Automotive technician. I have also sold turbos to unlucky customers whose filters have let dirt knurl and ruin the inlet turbo vanes, causing the turbo to stick. The dirt goes straight through the filter and hits the turbo vanes at high speed, when it hits the outer edge, it flattens and thins the point of impact, causing the outer diameter to be increased just enough so that it touches the inner turbo housing,causing the turbo to stick. This is a $2800,00 not-covered by warranty really bad day. My stepson's Tucoma had a persistant P0171 code (lean condition) due to a oil contaminated MAF sensor. Most people are going to be upset when diagnosis, parts & labor to repair the MAF their K/N costs several hundred dollars, and by the way, we also put a OE air filter back in it. The new supercharged Shelby Mustang comes with a K/N style induction system, but has a paper element. Personally, I say don't even bother, your engine (or turbo) is just too expensive to risk using a K/N type filter.

 

I have noticed that the K&N style filters do tend to collect a lot of dirt, but is that a good thing or a bad thing? Could you imagine all of that dirt going into the engine with a paper style filter.