air filter options

[mmaattppoo]

For what it's worth I'm giving a Volant-Donaldson Powercore filter a shot in my 2010 JKU Sport with the Rugged Ridge XHD snorkel (http://expeditionportal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=141669).

I haven't had this filter in long enough to see how well it performs in the long run. So far my crude measurement of restriction using a Wix filter minder shows that the Donaldson and stock filters result in similar restriction when attached to my snorkel.

 

[Pilat]

How do people feel about uni filters (oiled foam) on a modern vehicle with sensors?

 

[Hilldweller]

How do people feel about uni filters (oiled foam) on a modern vehicle with sensors?

I used to use them on a couple of my motorcycles and had to clean the carbs enthusiastically about every 10,000 miles.
AFE interests me since they come stock in some exotics. I'd really recommend oil analysis though. Maybe it's because I work in a gc/mass-spec training lab ---- I don't like to argue a point unless I have some hard stats...

 

[herecomestony]

Got Airraid Air Filter for my wife's jeep. Bought it from 4wheelonline.

 

[Antichrist]

One thing about K&N filters, aside from letting in more dirt, is that if you use them off-road it voids the warranty.

The best setup I ever had was a toyota factory snorkel with Donaldson centrifigal pre-filter....ugly as sin but amazing.

Pre-cleaner is the way to go.
In addition to the Donaldson, there's also
http://www.centriprecleaner.com/ (centri would have to have a really compelling product since their web site really sucks)
http://www.sy-klone.com/
http://www.enginaire.com/
I'm sure there are others, but you can probably find local dealers of at least one of these in your area.
Check heavy equipment dealers, that's the most common type of dealer who carries them.

For the OP, looks like AC Delco might be your best bet for a filter.
http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/kn-vs-oem-filter.html

 

[ckupq]

To be clear, I'm not 'set' on the AEM filter, I'm a skeptic, which is why I'm requesting input from those who are actually running the AEM dryflow filter media. The ISO 5011 engineering test results that I attached the link to show some promising filtering effectiveness (99+%) and capacity (240+g @ 10"H2O restriction) of the AEM dryflow media in comparison with other aftermarket filters. Maybe that is not any better than the OEM paper - I dont have ISO 5011 results for that filter.

I have not 'ignored' my filter at any time causing the dust to pass through the filter media. My maintenance habits on my vehicles have been described as 'OCD' by those who know me.:sombrero:

Blowing out an air filter extends the interval of 'plugging' of the filter, it doesn't really increase the filtering effectiveness. In fact, most air filter elements become more effective at filtering as the dirt builds up.

Thanks for the input.

I had an AEM brute force kit on the Sierra for about a year. I went back to the stock box because I was having some warranty work done and didn't want them to hassle me about it.
I didn't notice a difference in mileage or performance. Sound yes, performance no.

 

[Pilat]

I used to use them on a couple of my motorcycles and had to clean the carbs enthusiastically about every 10,000 miles.
AFE interests me since they come stock in some exotics. I'd really recommend oil analysis though. Maybe it's because I work in a gc/mass-spec training lab ---- I don't like to argue a point unless I have some hard stats...

Thanks, Hilldweller. I was thinking of using it on a modern EFI car, if I ever get around to buying it (it has a BMW N62 4.8L engine).

 

[Stumpalump]

I used to use them on a couple of my motorcycles and had to clean the carbs enthusiastically about every 10,000 miles.
AFE interests me since they come stock in some exotics. I'd really recommend oil analysis though. Maybe it's because I work in a gc/mass-spec training lab ---- I don't like to argue a point unless I have some hard stats...

They use them on exotics because AFE filter oil is synthetic oil and it won't hurt sensors. K&N oil is vegetable oil diluted with alcohol to make it flow out of a spray can. If you don't let a K&N dry for 24 hours then the vegetable oil/alcohol vapors get pulled thru and onto sensors. The AFE oil is staight 10 weight synthetic oil with color added. No need to thin it and so it does not turn to vapor. Their filters are really thick with multiple layers as well. 5 layers is available for most common. Pro guard 7 layer is the best filter you can buy out of all brands from what I've seen in the dunes but sizes are limited and are large.

 

[motoz]

I use a Uni Filter on my vehicle. It is a twin element foam filter.
In my opinion it is far superior than the paper element OEM filter. We have a so much talc like dust on the Outback roads and the paper filters just clog then the air sucks past the filter into the intake.

I think its counter productive opening a sealed system daily to blow out a paper filter with air. You run the risk of adding contaminants into the system every time you open the lid. I personally have never had any issues with over oiling the filter and getting oil onto the MAF sensor.



This in the filter element at 10,000kms



the second stage looks clean as.

 

[Pilat]

Thank you for the explanation, Stumpalump. I will look up those filters.

And thank you, Motoz, it looks like unifilters are perfectly fine, and works as they are supposed to. The argument about taking them out and blowing them have me convinced that even if one were to carry enough spare filters, you run the risk of introducing a whole lot of nice and gritty silica into the engine if it clogs up too often.

And I know for a fact that unifilter makes a filter that fits the engine in the car I'm contemplating.

 

[Stumpalump]

I think its counter productive opening a sealed system daily to blow out a paper filter with air. You run the risk of adding contaminants into the system every time you open the lid.

Ding! The reason dirt bike racers blow thru so many engines is because of just this. They open up that nasty air box befor every moto to clean a filter. Leave it alone and spray more oil on it and that engine will last. One grain of sand on a valve seat or stuck in a ring will do a lot of damage. Another reason I use panty hose pre filters. They are the best prefilter material because the ones offered by filter manufactures are too fine.

Do not discount what panty hose can do on any filter. They screen all large particles including grains of sand. They are very flexible and one pair has all kinds of shapes to work with. Sand, bugs and grass bounce right off leaving more room in the filter for the silt. I cleaned mine a week ago but found the pile in the drive way where I knocked the dirt out of it. It is clumpy now but it looked more like fine cement mix when I tapped it out. Notice that nothing larger than the finest grains of sand and silt got thru the panty hose and onto the filter. The hose were a mess so I tossed them. Sorry for the worthless pic of the oily clumsy silt but you get the idea.

 

[SageSam]

I replaced my stock air filter with an AEM dry flow a couple months ago (2014 F150). Like you I spend a lot of time on dusty two-tracks in CO/UT/WY and heard good things about it and had a Amazon gift card, so I figured why not. Much to my surprise, I've not only gotten better throttle response (horrible on 150's without a tune) but unbelievably, I've also picked up ~1 mpg.

Seems like a winner to me so far.

 

[codesertrat]

After considering the options, I have ordered an AEM dryflow air filter to go in the stock airbox at this time. After some email correspondence directly with AEM, they have verified that their filter is achieving 99+% efficiency using ISO Fine dust in the ISO 5011 test. All others, including K&N and OEM, are only achieving those type of efficiency numbers using ISO Coarse dust, and will not divulge any test results for ISO Fine Dust.

I'll see how it goes.

A snorkel with centrifugal pre-filter will certainly help expel more dirt before it gets to the filter and limit the total mass of dust that the filter has to handle, extending maintenance intervals. I may add this in the future.

Thanks to all for their opinions and responses.

 

[charlieaarons]

I strongly agree with a previous poster's suggestion to do oil analysis before doing anything and then after at least 5000mi of any change. Si levels are what you want to watch. You can buy a Fumoto drain valve so you don't have to drain the oil to test it.
It was very reassuring to see my Unimog's oil Si level to rise only 2 ppm in almost 18000 mi with a factory air filter that had already been over 20K mi thru Australia. Of course it has a factory snorkel....

Charlie

 

[Antichrist]

After considering the options, I have ordered an AEM dryflow air filter to go in the stock airbox at this time. After some email correspondence directly with AEM, they have verified that their filter is achieving 99+% efficiency using ISO Fine dust in the ISO 5011 test. All others, including K&N and OEM, are only achieving those type of efficiency numbers using ISO Coarse dust, and will not divulge any test results for ISO Fine Dust.

According to the link I posted AC Delco (99.93%) and Baldwin (99,72%) were tested to ISO 5011.