Check out this study lifted from a GM forum. Kind of makes me rethink my K&N investment.

http://home.usadatanet.net/~jbplock/ISO5011/SPICER.htm

 

That doesn't surprise me...I mean if you think about it, how can you have more flow and more dirt being taken out??? The oil in these filters are pretty good at catching particles of dirt, but if you hold a K&N up to the light, you can see through it. If you hold a paper filter up to the light you can't. I, however, just ignored this and got me one anyway. I have had it for years.

 

I have the K&N on 2 vehicles, whenever I clean them i always check on the inside of the tube to see if there is any accumulations in there and have yet to find any. I can say however that the FIPK that I've added on my Jeep GC (gone now) and my Ram both offered some noticeable gains over the stock setup. Will I go back to a paper filter... never. I have a K&N on my BMW and it rocks!! I think my motors take more abuse from me than anything that can pass thru the filter...

BTW John... nice truck... looks like mind did once upon a time...

 

I think the thought behind the "Performance Intake" idea is the fact that the current intake path is strange. It is large then it get smaller then it opens up then it goes though the little hole into the airhat where it actually gets filtered and let into the motor. I have no doubt that a K&N intake will flow WAY more air than a stock intake. I have used many "drop in" style of filters and I dont think it matters at all what you have in there. However a friend and me cut open the bottom part of his airbox on his camaro z28. we still had the regular paper filter in there and there was a large "seat of the pants" improvment.

I also believe that a K&N does not filter as well as a paper filter. I used to have a Jeep that went to Moab on a regular basis, the red dust would cake the paper filter, then I got a intake system and then I would notice a light coating of red dust on the TB blades. However I feel that the performance that you get from it small reduction in filtering is worth it, but again that is my .02 worth.

As to the study that was posted above, I agree with the results, what I am trying to say is that I will argue to the last breath about a paper drop in outperforming a CAI or open element intake.

I happily step down from my soap box

 

I'd also add that the cooler air from the front of the car will help no mater what. Paper or foam, it would still show some gains becuase of the denser air. I had to come up with a solution for a pinging problem and performance chip in the bmw and part of the fix was to insulate the intake tube, shield the intake air from the engine compartment and insulate the shield. all this prevented any heat soaking of the intake tube and added a noticeable bump in power. I also applied this to the ram as well... as well as the other improvements I did to the bmw... if they work there (bmw) they should work on the truck... and my truck does pretty well...

 

Most performance mods involve some sort of tradeoff. As I've said before, I believe that if there was some miracle product to gain MPG's or HP without creating a huge expense or messing with the EPA that the manufacturers would implement it or design their own. Experience has proven this to me time & time again. As far as the K&N- I have a drop in which I will keep in the truck but will probably keep a closer eye on its cleanliness.

BTW- Thanks Steve. IMHO nothing beats a clean white Ram. [8D]

 

Thanks for the information.

I too have a drop in K&N, never saw any significant dirt on it when I went to clean it. For all of the effort that's involved with cleaning/reoiling the things and the lack of performance that the article mentions, it's going to be replaced with paper filter.

 

The K&N was only supposed to stop the big stuff from getting into the engine, and it does that. The smaller particles should blow throught the engine, or get trapped in the oil. I've had good luck with the K&N and will stick with it. If I took my vehicle offroading, or lived at the end of a dirt road, I may have some serious concerns about filtering.

 

I have a K&N on all my vehicles, except my mustang. I have had one on my truck since nearly brand new. I have cleaned it about a dozen times or so. I live on a dusty road so I have to do it. Just recently I put a Volant CAI on there. Did not notice much improvement until about 200 - 300 miles later. Then I put a homemade ram air intake on the Volant...I noticed it then.