New K&N Air Filter - Nice Surprise

[TerryW]

Geez, such a simple change and the effect was very noticeable. My 2.3l ecoboost ranger is immediately quieter and smoother accelerating from a stop. You can easily hear and feel that it is breathing with much less resistance. Can't wait to upgrade the hot side pipe next! and then the down pipe and then the tune. Yee Haw!

Sponsored

 

[Muscleford]

Be sure you keep that K&N clean and oiled.

 

[fusseli]

Be sure you keep that K&N clean and oiled.

Every other oil change is about what I do.

Don’t listen to the rampant misinformation on K&N letting stuff through. There are UOAs to prove otherwise, and Ford Performance wouldn’t be giving them out with warrantied tunes if there was an issue in this application.

I think the popular K&N bashing comes from decades past where people improperly install the filter in their application so the air cleaner seal sucks in dirt from behind the filter not in front of it.

 

[Stevedbvik1]

Every other oil change is about what I do.

Don’t listen to the rampant misinformation on K&N letting stuff through. There are UOAs to prove otherwise, and Ford Performance wouldn’t be giving them out with warrantied tunes if there was an issue in this application.

I think the popular K&N bashing comes from decades past where people improperly install the filter in their application so the air cleaner seal sucks in dirt from behind the filter not in front of it.

20 years in the turbocharger sales and service says differently for me.

 

[a6m5]

I drive on dirt on regular basis & have Ford Performance tune with K&N air filter. This is a concern!

 

[JohnnyO]

I got one about a year ago. Had a K&N on my old Sport Trac for 12 years and 200,000 miles, no issues. I'd clean and oil it once a year. Depends a lot on where you live and drive though.

 

[Stevedbvik1]

I got one about a year ago. Had a K&N on my old Sport Trac for 12 years and 200,000 miles, no issues. I'd clean and oil it once a year. Depends a lot on where you live and drive though.

My experience with turbos that ran with oil type air filters was that at best they draw the filter oil into the compressor side inlet and over time contaminate the compressor wheel and then the intercooler gumming things up. Seen it hundreds of times. If not maintained properly then it would lead to thrust bearing failures also seen as many times. On a naturally aspirated engine it’s not as much as an issue.
For that reason I will not put an oil type air filter on any turbocharged vehicle that I own. There are plenty of dry high flow air filters available (like the AEM) that don't lead to this type of issue.

 

[Rp930]

In sandy or dirty conditions filtering is less than ideal. Run it for 5k miles or so and check the grit on the backside of the filter. My K&N bashing comes from experience. No more for me. The one that came with the Ford tune is sitting on a shelf collecting dust. I will probably toss it soon.

 

[WSD42]

I have used the drop in K&N in the past with no issues on turbo and natural aspirated engines as well. However, in recent years (15) I have used the Complete CAI systems and oil free filter kits. The drop in filter may not seal properly. However, both my 2019 Ranger Lariats have the Roush CAI Oil Free filters. Have had good luck so far either them. Have seen some SOP (seat of the pants) power gains and it opens up the exhaust a bit too. I do run Ford Racing by Borla and a true Borla cat back exhaust on them. Since K&N offers the oil free filter, I would go with it. Nothing against them, just got a good deal on the Roushs. I have a K&N CAI on my 2021 Expedition (oil free)...wife loves it!

Many owners with the oiled filters may need to clean their MAF sensor from time to time with a MAF specific cleaner. The oiled filter will let a little oil through and may throw a code. Experience hear on that. My 2 cents.

 

[Grandaccess]

It just stands to reason if its breathing better all that extra air is not getting filtered as well, I am not going to take a $65k risk for a cool sound?

 

[fusseli]

My experience with turbos that ran with oil type air filters was that at best they draw the filter oil into the compressor side inlet and over time contaminate the compressor wheel and then the intercooler gumming things up. Seen it hundreds of times. If not maintained properly then it would lead to thrust bearing failures also seen as many times. On a naturally aspirated engine it’s not as much as an issue.
For that reason I will not put an oil type air filter on any turbocharged vehicle that I own. There are plenty of dry high flow air filters available (like the AEM) that don't lead to this type of issue.

sure, if they are improperly oiled. Oil only goes on the dirty side not the clean side.

 

[Stevedbvik1]

sure, if they are improperly oiled. Oil only goes on the dirty side not the clean side.

Oil draws through the filter even when perfectly oiled ,minimal but still present. Seen it so many times over the years. Our shop stopped installing them unless the customer expressly demanded it. Repair orders were duly noted. We’re talking a couple of decades and 100’s of turbos worth of experience with this situation. We always asked if they were running an oil bath filter when we saw dirty comp wheels.

 

[Cmar]

The trick to remember is that all oiled filter types be they cotton gauze or foam, have much bigger holes than the dust, they are surface filters, and rely on the tacky oil to grab and hold the dirt. Once the oil is saturated, then they just don't work anymore, ie they fail OPEN.

A paper filter on the other hand is a depth filter, the holes are a variety of sizes, mostly smaller than the dirt they are supposed to trap, and there is a greater thickness of filter material for the dirt to to traverse. As they begin to block up they actually get MORE efficient, until they become too restrictive, and should be cleaned or replaced. So they fail CLOSED.

Manufacturers design their paper filters to be at their best about mid way through the use cycle, for average use, so people who change their filters every 5 minutes, unless they live in an exceptionally dusty area aren't doing their engine any favours either. The filter needs to block a bit to be at it's best.

 

[Joeiconic]

K&N and Amsoil strike me as similar products. Heavily marketed and half the people believe they’re grossly overhyped and half believe they are the best you can buy. I tend to avoid products that are so controversial.

 

[Cmar]

K&N and Amsoil strike me as similar products. Heavily marketed and half the people believe they’re grossly overhyped and half believe they are the best you can buy. I tend to avoid products that are so controversial.

I have used one in the past, but only because it was for a Japanese import car that a K&N for a different model happened to fit. Otherwise the paper one was always a mission to track down and priced at a premium. So it was cheaper, and it was a mechanically injected diesel with no MAF to contaminate. So I could oil it heavily and be reasonably confident it trapped most of the dirt. Otherwise for the Ranger paper is easier, cheaper, and better, and Rangers are so common here you can buy bits anywhere.

Sponsored