Is a K&N air filter worth it?

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Old Jun 19, 2006 | 05:41 PM
  #1  
LightZero's Avatar
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Is a K&N air filter worth it?

Is it worth it to have a K&N air filter? I don't really know if it provides any gains over a different air filter, even if they are small, or if there really is any difference between a K&N and something else.
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Old Jun 19, 2006 | 06:31 PM
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How can someone else determine if it's worth it to you? Yes, the K and N does what it advertises.
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Old Jun 19, 2006 | 06:44 PM
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I prefer them cause i can just clean it and reuse it
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Old Jun 20, 2006 | 05:39 AM
  #4  
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Originally Posted by LightZero
Is it worth it to have a K&N air filter? I don't really know if it provides any gains over a different air filter, even if they are small, or if there really is any difference between a K&N and something else.
you're not going to see much measurable gain from the drop in, but in my personal opinion i believe it's worth it. you could always do a before and after dyno if you want to prove/disprove it.

i personally prefer to use them over paperfilters because they do a better job. i have one on my icebox intake as well.

SSTS
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Old Jun 20, 2006 | 07:54 AM
  #5  
JMAL's Avatar
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atleast you can reuse it, if you clean it a few times, its paid itself off. and its obviously a better filter element then a paper one. check amazon . com i got mine for 28 bucks back in fall.
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Old Jun 20, 2006 | 05:41 PM
  #6  
MikePA's Avatar
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Originally Posted by fsttyms1
I prefer them cause i can just clean it and reuse it


If it really provides gains, as K&N claims, that's a bonus.
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Old Jun 24, 2006 | 10:46 AM
  #7  
Siffer's Avatar
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Hi, I have bought a new K&N air filter for my 2000 TL. It came pre-oiled and in a
sealed K&N bag. I dropped it in and immediately noticed my engine ran a little rough, and it seemed a little sluggish on the highway.

I figured it was because it was still getting used to it, and the filter felt heavy from oil. I drove it for 4 tanks of gas, and was only getting 280 miles per tank, instead of my normal 320 miles.

Although I still believe K&N air filters are good filters, but for the 2000 Acura TL, it seems to be too thin. If you compare a K&N filter to the stock one, the Depth of the stock air filter is about 4X deeper.

You will notice that they do not show pictures of this model of airfilter from a sideview.

Also, the stock airfilter (Denso or Honda) are on an angle inside the airbox, unfortunately the K&N's are on no angle.

I would still recommend K&N, just not for the stock TL airbox, might be better pair one with an alternate intake.

Anyone notice this? or did I get gyped?

Cheers,
Siffer
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Old Jun 24, 2006 | 02:31 PM
  #8  
JMAL's Avatar
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Originally Posted by Siffer
Hi, I have bought a new K&N air filter for my 2000 TL. It came pre-oiled and in a
sealed K&N bag. I dropped it in and immediately noticed my engine ran a little rough, and it seemed a little sluggish on the highway.

I figured it was because it was still getting used to it, and the filter felt heavy from oil. I drove it for 4 tanks of gas, and was only getting 280 miles per tank, instead of my normal 320 miles.

Although I still believe K&N air filters are good filters, but for the 2000 Acura TL, it seems to be too thin. If you compare a K&N filter to the stock one, the Depth of the stock air filter is about 4X deeper.

You will notice that they do not show pictures of this model of airfilter from a sideview.

Also, the stock airfilter (Denso or Honda) are on an angle inside the airbox, unfortunately the K&N's are on no angle.

I would still recommend K&N, just not for the stock TL airbox, might be better pair one with an alternate intake.

Anyone notice this? or did I get gyped?

Cheers,
Siffer
4x deeper? mine was just about the same. make sure you got the right model.
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Old Jun 24, 2006 | 05:25 PM
  #9  
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Siffer may be on to something

I have a K&N in my 02 TLS and noticed the lack of an angle. I asked K&N about it and they said it was tested and designed for the car (BS). I feel that the car is allowing more air in thus causing the computer to add more fuel. This could be the cause of lower mileage.

Now, my question is that if that is the case, is a k&n filtered engine running richer or too rich? As we all know, we want our engines to run as lean as possible so that the fuel will burn completely. What do you think?
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Old Dec 23, 2006 | 02:27 PM
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If you bought the correct filter for your car it had specific fittings cast into the rubber edge-where the hold down bolts go thru the filter and into the base- a precision fit.

You should buy a spray can of airflow meter/ mass airflow sensor cleaner- do not use carb cleaner for this job. When re-oiling a K&N you use very little- so there may be an issue with an overfill on new ones that which can be fixed at home

There may have been some oil from the filter that did not get burned off the sensor wire during its normal cycle.

Spray and wipe as directed. Could also be time for a can of seafoam.

K&N is designed for each application AND thickness is not the issue, Particulate capture size, airflow speed and total airmass are increased over stock PLUS when very dirty- they still flow more than most paper filters

K&N also STRAIGHTENS the path of the air exiring it, where paper filters present an unstructured burbling airflow.
The way to optimize the abilities of the K&N is to add a Tornado air device (65$).
Several CAI makers incorporate a similar design into their tubes.
The Tornado takes all that smooth flowing fast air, swirls it using the Venturi Vortex
Theroum- which increase it more and swirl-mixes the fuel and oxygen molecules for best atomizatoin and combustion!
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Old Dec 23, 2006 | 02:32 PM
  #11  
01tl4tl's Avatar
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And remember that the new airflow will lower mileage in direct relation to your desire to operate above 3500 rpm and spend much of the time in VTEC.
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Old Dec 23, 2006 | 04:04 PM
  #12  
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those tornado devices are garbage, do not buy one.
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Old Dec 23, 2006 | 06:18 PM
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Everyone has an opinion
If you have not actually tried a Tornado in your current ride, then you have no grounds to say it is garbage.
Since the product comes with a 30 day money back guarantee if you dont get at least 1 MPG better- usually more, and is available at most auto parts stores, what is the harm with someone trying it for themself?
We are talking basic physics.
If the idea was bad, why are other companies follow, look at the green filters, they have a "special cap" with "spiral cone" and an intake tube with the same.
I dont like the lookalike one on the ebay- get a real Tornado
On my tow vehicle a truck with smallblock chevy 350/350 Edelbrock manifold and 600 carb, K&N air-
I put the Tornado in- it feels like it is fuel injected on throttle, climbs big steep hills with trailer easily
Removed Tornado, lags off line, wont go 55 up same hill with trailer
Overall mileage change 1.3-2.0 MPG increase using Tornado with trailer/without

I will being doing some new test with TL - its old mileage numbers were low I believe- due to the slipping of the transmission. The new trans is on its first tank of fuel and first few hundred miles this weekend.

sbuswell_ I am wondering- did you use a Tornado and not like it? Was it installed facing the correct direction- that will make it not work

If you want to talk airflow, aero dynamics, positive and negative pressure ratios etc, I have been a pilot since I could see over the dash at 10 years old and worked with race cars almost as long, built cars, design airplane air inlets and engine cooling---
01tl4tl
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Old Dec 24, 2006 | 01:43 AM
  #14  
Leo Type-S's Avatar
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Originally Posted by fsttyms1
I prefer them cause i can just clean it and reuse it
yes. what he said. it's worth it in the long run over anything else.
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Old Dec 24, 2006 | 08:28 AM
  #15  
sbuswell's Avatar
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my belief is anything that creates turbulence to the air before it reaches the IM is a bad thing and will cause more stress to the TB and not allow for optimum A/F mixture. I could be wrong, but I know this topic on the tornado device has been discussed before. I have a CAI by the way so a tornado is not going to work for me. I would never mount anything in the intake tubing after the filter anyway. What if a piece breaks off, gets sucked passed the TB and into your engine. That is disaster wating to happen. But if it works for you, great. It's just not going to be put on my car.
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Old Dec 24, 2006 | 12:11 PM
  #16  
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Well, there is the problem. You are working from BELIEF and I am using science
The devices I speak of SMOOTH AND SWIRL the airflow, which is good.
Turbulence is bad- I agree- to a degree- we used to smooth polish the intake ports, now we swirl/crosscut polish them to achieve that same swirling effect as described above- go figure

Many CAI tubes do use a similar device

Let the public decide for themselves
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Old Dec 31, 2006 | 02:46 PM
  #17  
SKIN-E1's Avatar
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Cool Silly

You Fellas Make Me Giggle Like A Little Kid. Sounds More Like Talk Of The Flow Of Testosterone Than It Does Air And Fuel.
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Old Jan 7, 2007 | 12:16 AM
  #18  
MurkyRiversTL's Avatar
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All I know is that air is good and without that we wouldn't be here. Cause we have to breathe........ hope I helped.

Oh and I work on planes too.
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