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Old Jun 15, 2006 | 06:41 PM
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Default Blackwing air filter

I have heard that Blackwing says that you can only use their oil (as if they didn't buy it elsewhere), to re-oil the air filter after cleaning it. But is that just a ploy to sell more product?

I have K & N oil and wonder if that wouldn't work just as well?
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Old Jun 15, 2006 | 06:58 PM
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Originally Posted by SMFCPACFP
I have heard that Blackwing says that you can only use their oil (as if they didn't buy it elsewhere), to re-oil the air filter after cleaning it. But is that just a ploy to sell more product?

I have K & N oil and wonder if that wouldn't work just as well?
I strongly caution you against it. It never ceases to amaze me the areas that people feel the need to rebel in. Is the $15 for the Blackwing kit gonna make that big of a difference. Sure, you could probably get away with it, but what if you're wrong? This is your motor you are messing with. Will it be worth it? I have seen dozens of posts like yours over the years and twice as many people saying "don't do it". I'm not sure if anyone ever really tried it or knew that it wouldn't work but I for one was not willing to take the risk. Good luck to you.

Paul

Last edited by talon90; Jun 15, 2006 at 07:19 PM.
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Old Jun 15, 2006 | 07:09 PM
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Originally Posted by SMFCPACFP
I have heard that Blackwing says that you can only use their oil (as if they didn't buy it elsewhere), to re-oil the air filter after cleaning it. But is that just a ploy to sell more product?

I have K & N oil and wonder if that wouldn't work just as well?
lol, why dont you try it then keep us posted.
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Old Jun 15, 2006 | 09:59 PM
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Originally Posted by talon90
I strongly caution you against it. It never ceases to amaze me the areas that people feel the need to rebel in. Is the $15 for the Blackwing kit gonna make that big of a difference. Sure, you could probably get away with it, but what if you're wrong? This is your motor you are messing with. Will it be worth it? I have seen dozens of posts like yours over the years and twice as many people saying "don't do it". I'm not sure if anyone ever really tried it or knew that it wouldn't work but I for one was not willing to take the risk. Good luck to you.

Paul
The Blackwing filter media is very different from K&N's. I have no idea if there is a difference in the basic oil that each company uses, but like talon90 said, it's inexpensive.
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Old Jun 15, 2006 | 10:58 PM
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Just looking at both, I thought the media was similar, I would have used the K&N oil also... guess I'll have to find some of the Blackwing oil, too.
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Old Jun 15, 2006 | 11:43 PM
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I'm fixing to be in the same boat. Where is the best place to get the Blackwing oil?
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Old Jun 15, 2006 | 11:53 PM
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Man now I have heard everything....oil is oil.

Its like HP saying you can only use their cartridges in a HP printer. They are selling ink so they want you to buy their ink.
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Old Jun 16, 2006 | 01:56 AM
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Originally Posted by jlbruggeman
Just looking at both, I thought the media was similar, I would have used the K&N oil also... guess I'll have to find some of the Blackwing oil, too.
The Blackwing has a synthetic fiber media, while the K&N is a type of cotton gauze
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Old Jun 16, 2006 | 03:33 AM
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Originally Posted by wamara
The Blackwing has a synthetic fiber media, while the K&N is a type of cotton gauze
Yes, indeed! Most air intake filter systems implement a cotton media based air filter (K&N, Volant, Halltech, RM Racing, Granatelli, etc.). And, as per these manufacturers (including Volant) you can use a K&N cleaning and re-oiling kit for these cotton based media air filter brands. Conversely, the Donaldsen Blackwing Air Intake Filter was designed with a synthetic media based air filter. And, as advised by Donaldsen (and without getting into chemical detail), it is recommended by them that you use their specialty re-oiling kit specifically designed for this specific type of filter media.
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Old Jun 16, 2006 | 05:59 AM
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Originally Posted by talon90
I strongly caution you against it. It never ceases to amaze me the areas that people feel the need to rebel in. Is the $15 for the Blackwing kit gonna make that big of a difference. Sure, you could probably get away with it, but what if you're wrong? This is your motor you are messing with. Will it be worth it? I have seen dozens of posts like yours over the years and twice as many people saying "don't do it". I'm not sure if anyone ever really tried it or knew that it wouldn't work but I for one was not willing to take the risk. Good luck to you.

Paul
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Old Jun 16, 2006 | 06:10 AM
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Originally Posted by talon90
I strongly caution you against it. It never ceases to amaze me the areas that people feel the need to rebel in. Is the $15 for the Blackwing kit gonna make that big of a difference. Sure, you could probably get away with it, but what if you're wrong? This is your motor you are messing with. Will it be worth it? I have seen dozens of posts like yours over the years and twice as many people saying "don't do it". I'm not sure if anyone ever really tried it or knew that it wouldn't work but I for one was not willing to take the risk. Good luck to you.

Paul
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Old Jun 16, 2006 | 12:33 PM
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Originally Posted by edensknight
Yes, indeed! Most air intake filter systems implement a cotton media based air filter (K&N, Volant, Halltech, RM Racing, Granatelli, etc.). And, as per these manufacturers (including Volant) you can use a K&N cleaning and re-oiling kit for these cotton based media air filter brands. Conversely, the Donaldsen Blackwing Air Intake Filter was designed with a synthetic media based air filter. And, as advised by Donaldsen (and without getting into chemical detail), it is recommended by them that you use their specialty re-oiling kit specifically designed for this specific type of filter media.


as cheap as I am, it's easy to just buy a cleaning kit. I do my filter once or twice a year, so 3-4 times now, and I'm not even half way through the kit, it's not like it cost a lot of money and it lasts forever.
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Old Jun 16, 2006 | 02:01 PM
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Originally Posted by ValiantSailor
Man now I have heard everything....oil is oil.

Its like HP saying you can only use their cartridges in a HP printer. They are selling ink so they want you to buy their ink.
Your kidding right? Each maker has their own oil for a reason. I would advise against running BULK OIL from MALL WART in your C5...Ah what the heck, GO FOR IT! It's the same as Moble 1
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Old Jun 16, 2006 | 03:15 PM
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Thanks for the information. If I were going to keep the car, I would buy the Blackwing reoiling kit, but since I am getting a new Z06 shortly, I will just leave the filter alone.

Despite all of the good information, nobody has actually used the K & N oil on the Blackwing apparently to see if what Blackwing says is true.
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Old Jun 16, 2006 | 04:58 PM
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I've heard that the K&N oil will just discolor the Blackwing. When I have used the K&N oil on their filters it has a red color to it, to enhance the colors in their own filters and make them look new again. If you use that red oil on a Blackwing, that nice blue color would probably go purple or black. Just my .02.

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