Poor filtering doesn't immediately lead to a blown engine. Particulate will sand blast the air pathways. Embed debris to the piston materials and head/deck. Deeply Score cylinder walls. Ruin the piston rings. Accumulate in engine oil, circulate creating blockages and altering flow orifice and engine circulation. Particulate interferes with oil behavior and increases engine wear.

The damage done over time is irreversible. You cannot machine or fix an engine thats been embedded materials from poor filtration. I've inspected over a thousand imported JDM turbo engines and seen what poor filtering causes- I have to throw those engine longblock away. Nobody can use it and nobody would want if they saw inside it. The ideal high quality high mileage engines always have OEM filters and OEM pcv systems.

It doesn't happen the day you removed the filter. Some of those engines have 120,000 to 200,000 miles before the damage is so severe it cannot be ignored. How many corvette owners will hit 120,000 miles and when? Its like smoking. You start smoking today and nothing bad happens. Looks its fine, I'm smoking, no problems. But if you saw a picture of the aftermath 10 or 20 years from now comparing with and without smoking you would never start.

 

If you're interested in science, rather than marketing and anecdotes,here's a good article showing how well the K&N performs, and how well it doesn't.

https://pdf.sciencedirectassets.com/...3e995973&cc=us

Here's another: https://www.nicoclub.com/archives/kn-vs-oem-filter.html

It's also pretty easy to over oil the filter, and suck oil into the intake, which does nothing good for the MAF.

 

I agree and have made the same comment elsewhere..there are 2nd and 3rd order of effects in changing out a designed item. The next mod for a Blue filter should be an oil catch can...you will probably need one.

 

Yes and it is ironic that added friction from increasing line length exacerbates the oil problem, rising crankcase pressure even farther, pushing more oil out of the engine and into piston rings. Those are the engine that in ten or fifteen years the rings are seized, engine smoking cyl walls ruined, and on tear down they will say the piston has some problem draining oil which created deposits that ruined the cylinder wall by seizing oil rings with sticky tar-like carbon conglomerates. When in reality the piston design is the same for all those type of engines whether 2L or 6L, it wasn't the design. It was the PCV system, crankcase pressure caused all the problems. Catching oil instead of addressing the true issue of crankcase evacuation (setting pressure to 1 to 2"Hg) Low pressure pulls oil out of seals and allows rings to drain oil.

 

Have always been surprised that GM didn't do something to bump the C8 Stingray HP a tiny bit to get it just over 500, so everyone could say 'The Stingray has over 500 HP'.

 

Yep bet the Marketing guys told engineering several times to go make another Dyno pull!

 

After going through all the work to get to filter, might as well replace it no matter condition.

 

I just changed from the factory to the attack blue at 13k miles and the factory showed 19% life left, filter was not that dirty, I did reset the monitor and good to go.

 

Yep, for those that have only replaced air filters where there was a wing nut on a cover on top of the engine, they are in for a big surprise! Even my C7 was easier.

This is a 20-page Doc on replacing my C8 air filter: http://netwelding.com/C8_Air_Intake.pdf
Has references to filter particle capture measurement etc. A Few of Many Pics below.

SIDEBAR
Yep, those keeping their Corvette for 100,000 might have a concern about what the OEM filter captures. In addition, the ISO 5011 quoted as the definitive test of how good an OEM type paper filter captures particulates is bogus. Under the parameters of the ISO test, the user may select the grade of test dust used. That is why two companies make OEM replacement cheap air filters can say AND SHOW theirs is better using the same test! Details in the report. Also, when our local ASME Section toured the WIX filter plant that was in our area a member asked why they used paper. The WIX engineer conducting the test said: Because it's cheap!

In addition this is a quote from and Ask Tadge Post on Air Filters: Note in Bold Red is a key reason for OEM cheap paper!
"We engineer all Corvette intake systems for minimum restriction and to meet many other requirements that aftermarket companies do not. We do not routinely test aftermarket induction systems or any other aftermarket parts for that matter. We have our hands full designing, building and testing our production hardware. Although simple in concept, induction systems play an important role in many vehicle performance areas.
Aside from the exhaust, there is no greater noise source on a performance vehicle. Induction systems generally have many tuning elements that ensure the quality of the sound emanating from it are pleasing and harmonious with the exhaust note. These tuning elements also dampen the sound energy to help with pass-by requirements. Aftermarket companies don't have to worry about it, but as the OEM, we must guarantee that our products are quiet enough to be driven at full throttle by a microphone by the side of the road and meet certain decibel levels. There are pass-by laws in many states and pretty universal around the world. Although most people think of air flow into an engine as fairly continuous, it really is not. The opening and closing of valves and reciprocating nature of internal combustion engines means the air flow is really a series of pulses which make measuring the exact flow challenging. Intake engineers spend a lot of time optimizing the system to get excellent signal quality out of the MAF. In addition to efficiency, or fuel economy, the precise metering of air and fuel is directly correlated with tail pipe emissions, an area of extreme scrutiny by government agencies for we manufacturers.
The air filter itself is the focus of many discussions on low restriction. Its job is to keep foreign material out of the engine. Here again, there are many trade-off decisions balancing restriction with filter life (service interval) and filtration quality. Sacrificing either of the latter two improve the former. We tend to be conservative to make sure that our engines are very durable, so that does open up an opportunity for aftermarket system. As with many of the questions on this forum, all vehicle design is a balance of trade-offs. We do what is legal and right for the vast majority of customers. Aftermarket companies offer products that strike a different balance that might appeal to some folks."

Yep regardless of what replacement filter you are going to use have it ready NOT just going thru all the work JUST To INSPECT! If you have a wing, put a cover over you'll be bending over to reach the bottom of the truck 1st then air filer housing. It you have a "High Wing" hope one of your neighbors is an NBA Star!


Have to remove all attachments in trunk.


Lots of screws, I have a magnetic holder!

When all screws and clips are removed the trunk liner is placed on the ground.




Be sure to us two hands when removing the bottom 4 screws, two you can't see. the bolts are long and if one drops you might have to remove the bottom Aero panel to retrieve. Yep have to bend over the back to use two hands, one to hold the screw when it finally is free! Now you can remove the OEM filter, shown here.


As Tadge said in his Ask Tadge Post: A key reason GM uses a more restrictive paper filter is to reduce sucking sound at WOT! The 14-inch-diameter 5-inch-high K&N filter in my Street Rod at WOT makes about as loud a "Sucking Sound" as the 8.2 Liter engine with long tube headers going thru 3-inch diameter stainless pipes and Bola straight thru mufflers!

 

[QUOTE=V Vette;1608550422]After going through all the work to get to filter, might as well replace it no matter condition.[/QUOT
That is what I just did. On my '21 I just got a little over 8,000 miles and it said it was time to change the filter. I was surprised but ordered one anyway. I pulled the old filter and it didn't need to be replaced. I did go ahead and replace it. because it was so much work to get to it. Next time I probably will just do a reset. I don't see how a filter can age out. I am not driving in dusty conditions so I am not worried about extending the time.

 

I did mine last month. '20 with 13k. I was surprised how much was in the filter and ducts to it, even some leaves.

 

I'm continually astonished at how people say "so much work". Yes, it's a 10 min. job and you need some tools... but it's by far not an ordeal. Do people not own power tools?

 

It is always best to follow care instructions listed in the Owner's Manual to keep your Corvette running at peak performance and avoiding any damage due to poor maintenance. If you'd still like to inquire on this low mileage air filter replacement question, we advise voicing it to your local Chevrolet dealership as they are the experts and can provide clearer answers.

 

This didn't work so good for people that asked their dealer questions about DCT maintenance.

 

Glad I don't have a high wing.