Hello, what air filter brand do you all suggest for 1971? Is 15k miles a good time to replace? Thanks

 

When ever it starts to look dirty. Mileage doesn't mean much. Where you drive makes a huge difference. As per brand. Any good paper type.

 

Oe still available, as cheap as they are…change as often as you like

 

Find the K&N filter to fit your air cleaner….14” open, factory 270 HP base engine, etc. One time purchase, clean and re-oil as necessary. One and Done!

Steve O.

 

Not a chance. K&N Air filters are made of cotton gauze and Synthetic rubber. These things do NOT last forever.
I work Harley's for a living. Have for 50 years. K&N Air filters are extremely popular in that world so I have a ton of experience with them.
The performance guys like the K&N because they flow more air. While this is true. It's also true your engine can only suck just so much air. So, while the K&N may flow 2 or 3 times more air than a standard paper filter. The engineers didn't design the air filter in your car to flow less air than your engine can suck. Did they?
It is also extremely true that K&N's flow much more dirt! As one who service's engines on a daily basis I can certainly attest to the amount of dirt in the throttle body's of K&N equipped engines.
Paper air filter = no dirt in throttle body.
K&N air filter = LOTS of dirt in throttle body.
Then factor in K&N filter cleaner. And K&N filter oil. These are not free.
Then factor in labor to wash , dry and reoil.
Now if you have a open K&N consider that the cotton, much like a white cotton T shirt will get stained. You will not be able to keep it looking new.
(one of the biggest complaint area's in the Harley world). So, if you want it looking new all the time. You will be buying a new one once a year or so.
Even if that isn't a concern I can tell you that the cotton does slowly rot away. And these will not last a life time, while allowing dirt into your engine.
So, I run a good quality PAPER type filter on all my engines. Including my Harley and my Corvette.

 

Any brand of paper filter will be just fine.
You can even choose what color, if that matters.
I considered the K&N brand, it's $99.00 plus the cleaning kit.

 

That's a really good point, look how many Paper filters you can purchase for the price of 1 K&N with a cleaning kit.
And they don't flow dirt.

 

Thank you

 

Thanks

 

WIX filters are affordable and good quality. K&N's are expensive hype, IMO. FRAM filters are the bottom of the heap, again, IMO.

 

Just as a data point, I recently bought a stock dual snorkel for my '71 270hp base coupe. I used a Fram filter for this application, but it holds the lid off the base by about an 1/8". In other words, it's about an 1/8" too tall. It's the right diameter and is not being held up by the formed features of the base or lid.
So, the search for the proper one continues...

 

and you can’t drive when you’re cleaning and oiling it, a messy job. I got rid of all my k&ns. Zero performance advantage comparing clean filters.

 

 

Thanks everyone, I’m leaning towards paper, just need to find the right one that has some quality and durability.. most of them seem so cheeply made for vital part of engine.

 

Thanks everyone, I’m leaning towards paper, just need to find the right one that has some quality and durability.. most of them seem so cheeply made for vital part of engine.

 

Thanks everyone, I’m leaning towards paper, just need to find the right one that has some quality and durability.. most of them seem so cheeply made for vital part of engine.

 

my search also still continues. Thanks everyone, I’m leaning towards paper, just need to find the right one that has some quality and durability.. most of them seem so cheeply made for vital part of engine.

 

Thanks everyone, I’m leaning towards paper, just need to find the right one that has some quality and durability.. most of them seem so cheeply made for vital part of engine.