The proven facts of k&n

ok I'm sick of people bagging good products like they know it all.. people carrying on about letting dirt through, either don't service their filter properly or just read the hype on the net. They are race filters, used in Baja, fink, many desert races, trophy truck, koh you name it they run it, yes they're a performance filter and hence breath better but when used correctly they are great, if you choose to let the filter go 5000ks and it dusts your engine cause you didn't do the maintenance - that's your fault not the product. But if your worried, throw a paper filter in for real dusty conditions, correct use and correct maintenance will give you a good service life, I have ran K&N for over 60 000 ks, original engine, original turbo - used in some bloody harsh conditions, including following 6 cars through the dust for 2 days. I challenge any arm chair warrior out there to disprove my comment (id like to see them try)

EVLSTX said:

ok I'm sick of people bagging good products like they know it all.. people carrying on about letting dirt through, either don't service their filter properly or just read the hype on the net. They are race filters, used in Baja, fink, many desert races, trophy truck, koh you name it they run it, yes they're a performance filter and hence breath better but when used correctly they are great, if you choose to let the filter go 5000ks and it dusts your engine cause you didn't do the maintenance - that's your fault not the product. But if your worried, throw a paper filter in for real dusty conditions, correct use and correct maintenance will give you a good service life, I have ran K&N for over 60 000 ks, original engine, original turbo - used in some bloody harsh conditions, including following 6 cars through the dust for 2 days. I challenge any arm chair warrior out there to disprove my comment (id like to see them try)

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Fully agree and support you mate! Too many keyboard warrior flogs who heard bad things about it from their cousins friends dads mates misses brothers stepsons mates uncle.

FWIW....
4wd magazine did a comparo on the performance vs stock filters dry and wet including k&n. They tested air flow volume and amount and size of particles through each one.
Very little difference between them.

I've run k&n for years n gave up bothering with them after I sold those vehicle's.
Worth a read. Sorry I don't have that mag anymore to tell you which one. It was s few years ago now.

It's a bit like the CAI story.
The benefits are like 3% when tested on a dyno.

each to there own
I run a k&n in my fpv turbo, love it, breathes great and gives a great induction noise
would I go to the trouble, expense and maintenance to put one in a diesel 4wd...no fkin way
waste of time and effort for f/all gain in a 4by

^ +1 here. I cant see how you can improve on the paper filter in the nav. They are cheap, can be bought anywhere and are easier to replace that cleaning and oiling a reusable filter.
In performance and universal applications though, the K&N are the go to filter as they are a good quality item and a known quantity in a market full of chinese shite.

Its on 4wdaction.com.au called all chocked up from 2012
There are a few others if you Google air filter comparison

Therein lies the problem.

The product is fine if used exactly to directions. A great many of us let this or that slip "for a little bit longer, I don't have time today, we'll be home soon enough, I'll have a bit of spare time next week, I'm running late for something right now can't do it, forgot the oil, it's raining blah blah blah". We've all done it.

Paper filters are not only a known quantity, they're forgiving for the 10,000km service interval and they will trap fine particles without having to be careful about how much oil you put in it.

K&N filters aren't bad filters. More correctly, they aren't going to be good for you if you aren't good to them - if you don't follow directions precisely. In the D40 that means never over-oil it or your MAFS will be gone (there's $400 you didn't have to spend). Don't under-oil it or you'll allow dust to enter the engine (what's a rebuild worth again?).

If someone asks me for a recommendation for a filter, I'm going to say paper almost every time, because unless you're accurate and regular with your servicing, a K&N filter is NOT forgiving. As pointed out, in severely dusty conditions, paper elements are recommended anyway - because in those conditions (for example, a convoy on the CSR), you'd really want to be cleaning a K&N every day or two.

Filter oil isn't needed in great quantity and a litre of it will last a while and only occupy a small space, so saying that it's difficult to maintain on an outing like a CSR run is bunkum - what's difficult is ensuring that the owner does it, and continues to do it, as often as necessary.

Paper takes that risk away, so I hope you'll forgive me if I continue to recommend paper over K&N - it's for the engine's sake.

They are all good points Tony, BIG GUS has converted back to paper filters as well he has commented to me the paper filter most definitely helps everything suck better. Even I can hear the difference through his snorkel. I am running a K&N filter and seriously considering converting back to paper myself.


Cheers
Geoff




"GO THE NAV V6's"

I've just recently put a DNA filter in my Triumph (similar to K&N), massive improvement, and I think it is easier to notice the improvement on a motorbike.

http://www.dnafilters.com/

75 grc said:

they are all good points tony, big gus has converted back to paper filters as well he has commented to me the paper filter most definitely helps everything suck better. Even i can hear the difference through his snorkel. I am running a k&n filter and seriously considering converting back to paper myself.


Cheers
geoff




"go the nav v6's"

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like geoff said mine has a very noticable power increase since going back to a paper filter,had the k&n in for 5yrs and was happy with it serviced it every 5000k's just over all the mucking around cleaning them,i agree with sparra though they are great for what they were originally designed for-racetracks and high performance street cars,not real flash in dusty conditions just clog up to easily,would not use them in a 4x4 again.for the price and quality of paper filters these days they are a far better option.

I run the standard paper filter in the nav and works great but in the road bike I use the k&n filter.. Works great and gives more intake noise but you can't feel the difference because anything less than 10% you won't notice..

Used K&N for years in everything from Toranas Commodores and finally the Nav. I am a tinkerer so maintenance isn't a prob. Quick clean of the MAFS 500 to 1000km after cleaning filter takes 2 secs and gets rid of the oil on MAFS problem. However have now changed Nav to Uni filter. Easier and quicker to clean. Carry a spare clean set of foams which take 2 secs to change and seem to cope with the dust a little better. A million trail bikes can't be wrong. Still clean the MAFS though. I like to fiddle.

you have to remember that the air filter box causes more restriction than the filter will ever do. theres a thread on the patrol site where they fitted a SMALLER filter and gained more power. thats because the airbox is to small for the size of the filter and doesn't allow air to travel in it very well. smaller filter allows air to travel better in the box despite the filters flow rate being less than stock.

tweak'e said:

you have to remember that the air filter box causes more restriction than the filter will ever do. Theres a thread on the patrol site where they fitted a smaller filter and gained more power. Thats because the airbox is to small for the size of the filter and doesn't allow air to travel in it very well. Smaller filter allows air to travel better in the box despite the filters flow rate being less than stock.

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you are spot on there tweak'e, that's exactly why mine is sucking air like never before, i also have a pre filter bypass so it's even better than standard.

Do you have pics big gus?

BIG GUS said:

you are spot on there tweak'e, that's exactly why mine is sucking air like never before, i also have a pre filter bypass so it's even better than standard.

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Yeah, any pics?

I have been trying to formulate a plan to bypass all those rediculous pipes, loops and baffles....

I will take a pic tomorrow and post it up,i got it from forefront industries, don't know if he does them for the d40 but well worth the money for the d22 especially if you have a snorkel.

I've always used k&n in all my vehicles and motorbikes. Wouldn't use anything else!

BIG GUS said:

I will take a pic tomorrow and post it up,i got it from forefront industries, don't know if he does them for the d40 but well worth the money for the d22 especially if you have a snorkel.

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Brian have you got a picture????

G

POCOYO'S V6

The good old comparison. I've run kn filter in both the nav and my bt50. In the by i noticed gains and response, not so much in the nav. Induction noise was more noticeable and maybe smaller gains. But after the weekend following HJ around at Mt Mee the kn was choked, but it didn't let any dust through. Switched back to paper filters now and as they are cheap to replace and take less then half the time to change over in comparison to the kn filter I'll be sticking with the papers.