[Vita]

i want to know what anyone knows about our options for air filters.

i found the K&N e-1009; and

the AMSOIL AF1135 are direct replacements.

i know PSI said they use a HKS foam filter, but i've read that they don't filter debris as well, and i'd prefer not to use a filter that'll let too much crap into the blower.

the problem with the amsoil is that they are foam, but claim results better than K&N for flow and filtration. is this true? hard to tell because it came off their sales website (one of them).

K&N is a time tested trusted brand, and i've heard nothing but good about AMSOIL's oils, but never knew they made filters until now.

my problem is i want an air filter that fits the stock location but attaches with a clamp because i'd like to allow more air to cycle around the filter. is this a waste of my time? i don't know, but another reason i am looking into this is a ram air setup would direct air right to the filter, and water as well...

with a filter that leaves more room in the airbox, water could settle and drain out the bottom, while more turbulence can be created around the filter, never leaving it trying for more air.

i am thinking of using one of the above filters (drop in's), a K&N extreme top filter that is smaller (don't know if it's a good idea to make the stock filter smaller, but the K&N intake filter is quite a bit smaller anyways), or the HKS foam filter (can't seem to find out which one would fit, or where to buy a real one since the ebay ones are like $5 and i can't see someone affording to sell a high quality filter for that price).

any advice would be extremely helpfull at this point, as i've got some parts coming in and would like to have a filter to toss on at that point. the amsoil filter is only like 26 dollars, and the K&N lists at 55, but i can get it cheaper (finding out today what it'll cost). so i might get one of each of those to see, but don't want to waste too much money.

also, since the stock filter is so damn big, is it even likely that ANY water could be sucked up, since it can draw it's air from the whole thing and it's highly unlikely that it could become completely submerged. if it's not a concern i don't know that getting a more expensive filter is even worth it.

ahhh, so many options, but which is the most effective solution when considering filtering capabilities and air flow...

 

[Vita]

well, i found a really good comparison on the 'net. this guy seems totally unbiased, and i like how he did the comparison. looks like the amsoil and K&N are pretty much the same, with the K&N filtering a tad bit more dirt. but even compared to a stock drop in, there is little difference after 500 miles, but keeping a K&N on your car for the lifetime of it, it will see more dirt than the stock filter.

my problem is, will water ruin a stock filter? will water get into the K&N?

i'll have to take my chances on this one i guess, and will likely order the K&N again...

here is the comparison link

pretty thourough if you ask me, i think everyone should read this as general knowledge...

 

[jmichna]

Vita,
That is a good article, and it did yield some results surprising to me. It is a real shame that he couldn't do a residue weight test on his backup filter instead of the color comparisons. There are some pretty obvious color differences, but we still don't know quantity of dirt particles let through... "twice as dark" might only be a difference of five percent more dirt... no way to tell from his study.

If he were to repeat the test, he could pre-condition (say 1 hr @212°F) the secondary filter, then weigh it clean. Now run his test conditions (a certain route followed for ~500 miles), pull the secondary filter, condition it same as pre-test (1 hr @ 212°F), then weigh it. The difference between the initial (clean) weighing, and the second (after test/dirty) weighing, will be the dirt that passed through the primary (tested) filter. A lab balance that reads to 0.1 (or better) milligrams would probably do the trick... he might have school connections that could help out here.

 

[Vita]

that would probably do much better, but i think for doing it in spare time he did pretty well.

but from what i saw, the differences were negligible.

do you think the stock filter or a drop in would allow water to pass through if it can get air from the rest of the surface?

 

[jmichna]

Do you mean as if you opened up the airbox to the elements? I suspect that if the filter element got wet, very little in the way of (liquid) water droplets would get through... I'd expect the intake air to just become very humid until the filter element dried out. On those filters that use oil to prep the filter elements, I'd expect even less water to get through.

 

[Vita]

hmm... i think i may size the filter down a bit to allow for more turbulence in the airbox itself, so when water does get up there, it's more likely to just drain out the bottom than get into the filter element itself. there's not much leeway when it comes to the drop in K&N as far as room around the filter, and i'm sure a smaller filter with about the same surface area K&N uses isn't going to be too small.

i don't recall that i mentioned it, but i'm rigging up a ram air setup. hence the questions...

 

[jmichna]

My recollection was the E-1009 took up about the same room (depth-wise) in the airbox as the stock a/f. It's been a couple months since I put it in, so I might be a bit fuzzy, but they seemed about the same.

Are you going to do ram air from a hood scoop, or pull air from a wheel well?

 

[Vita]

it's drawing air from the drivers side grill opening. in the process of making a collector right now, just have to wait on tubing to lead to the collector. should be a cheap alternative to a CAI, and provide more air than the engine can handle taking in

edit: sole reason is at the track, the K&N cai, and i assume any aluminum/metal intake piping got really hot, almost to the point where you don't want to touch it. i'm following PSI's lead that the stock setup is good enough, just need to minimize restriction with the filter.

i'm thinking adding a smaller filter that allows air to be more evenly taken from the box would yeild similar gains as ANY aftermarket intake system. i'm working with that to make this ram air setup..

 

[Vita]

well, this is the filter i'll be using RX-4140

i think it'll do the job nicely, while allowing more leeway for water to be drained. it's on order, so hopefully i'll get it before next weekend when i plan to have everything assembled for a prototype...

 

[haunter]

I wouldnt worry, a little bit of misty water isnt going to do much, and they dont mind water, I have hosed my K&N off before when it had grass all over it, still feels nice and oily

 

[Vita]

I wouldnt worry, a little bit of misty water isnt going to do much, and they dont mind water, I have hosed my K&N off before when it had grass all over it, still feels nice and oily

good to know. if the new filter i list above doesn't feel "smooth" while driving, i'm going to go to the drop in. i can't help but love how the car drives with the stock airbox in. might not hear the whine, but it feels as powerfull, if not more torquey. even with the stock filter...

can't wait to rig up this ram air, should be good for a freeway terror!

 

[Signals]

Just to see how it would work, I attached the filter that came with the K & N CAI kit. It's in the stock location, but is too long to fit inside the airbox. So I removed the airbox from the car with the entire top lip (where the lid attaches with the 3 screws) intact and cut out the entire bottom and about 1/3 of the side from the airbox itself. The filter is still in the stock location inside the (partial) airbox and is shielded from any engine or transmission heat but still gets plenty of cool air from under the car. Running good so far and no check engine light this time!

 

[Vita]

what'd you do, force it over the opening?

 

[Signals]

what'd you do, force it over the opening?

If you're talking about the filter itself, then yes. I really didn't have to force it on too much. It stretches enough to fit. The hardest part was finding a bigger hose clamp to fit around it. The 3.5" clamp that came with the filter doesn't quite fit.