To K&N or not?

ChesterCRD · **Posted:** Wed Aug 13, 2008 10:39 am

Back when I first got my CRD I noticed that it seems to dirty air filters more than the gas vehicles I'm familiar with. So I went out and bought a couple K&N drop in filters which I used without issue for about 20K miles. (nice to have one to replace with while the other dries out, I change at each oil change). Anyway, I read some things about the K&N oil being bad for the turbo, poor filtration of small particles, and just general badness about K&N filters, which caused me to stop using them.

So, my question is whether K&N filters are equal to paper filters for filtration and what people's opinions are concerning use of them with our CRDs.

Thanks,

Chester

Sir Sam · **Posted:** Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:05 am

If you decide not to run the K&Ns anymore I have some old dirty socks you could stretch over the intake tube that will do the same job, and do it cheaper.

DarbyWalters · **Posted:** Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:12 am

The K&N drop in does not add more surface to get more air in...it is just more pourous material that lets more particles thru. For racing it is not a big deal...engines get rebuilt more often. paper will filter out more particles than the comparable K&N. I use the Amsoil EA...they have more surface area n(deeper pleats and more of them) AND the filtering media is a tighter mesh. It also last for 100,000 miles I believe.

Part Number:EaA201

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:28 am

Duplicate

Joe Romas · **Posted:** Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:28 am

Back when Mt St Helen blew her top K&N advertised their filters were the only ones that didn't clog :roll:

So thinking a little further, where did the volcanic ash go :?:

My guess is it went in the engines :shock:

I found there's a lot of difference in the amount of filtering area between brands of filters, just count the pleats. I ended up getting a Amsoil reusabale filter.

Joe

ChesterCRD · **Posted:** Wed Aug 13, 2008 11:44 am

Sir Sam wrote:

If you decide not to run the K&Ns anymore I have some old dirty socks you could stretch over the intake tube that will do the same job, and do it cheaper.

Wish I'd heard of the SirSamSock offering before I bought the K&Ns! :lol:

RTStabler51 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 13, 2008 12:27 pm

I've run them in multiple vehicles and done oil samples that show that everything is hunky doory. Lost is the only website I've been a part of that screams the sky is falling with KN filters.

kntrygurl · **Posted:** Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:40 pm

i know this don't mean a whole lot, but i was told by the dealership not to run the K & N, only to run mopar products. I know they just want to get more of my money, but since they put them filter in at no charge, i am using it. My k&n is sittin in the shed at the house.

BlackLibertyCRD · **Posted:** Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:55 pm

I used K&N in the last few vehicles I owned and never have a problem. Always ran good and not use oil and quiet with good oil pressure. I run over 100,000 miles on them with the CRD now at 53K.

gmctd · **Posted:** Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:55 pm

If you run K&N on the strip, dry is fine because there's no traffic ahead of you to stir up dust (unless you're in the losing lane, of course!)

On the street they need to be oiled to attract the particles the denser paper filters catch - since it's a static sorta thing, the interstices can be wider than paper, and so will allow more air flow, with the oil handling the entrapment chores.

Paper? Foam? Oiled foam screen? It's a matter of convenience, and how anal one is about following messy procedures - fyi, I'm from a time when all vehicle filters were oil-bath type, from lawnmowers, doodlebugs, Service-cycles, right on up the ladder - paper filters were the new kid on the block, and some grizzled old mechs of yester-century thought they'd never last

Uffe · **Posted:** Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:32 pm

I heard running with NO air filter is even better than K&N in plugging your engine up with particles and bad stuff!

kdlewis1975 · **Posted:** Wed Aug 13, 2008 5:56 pm

I ran a K&N for a while too. I didn't see a perceptible increase in mpg or anything. After reading some of the negative stuff about the larger pore size on the net, I decided to go back to paper. When I removed the K&N I was running, there was a pine needle that had impelled through it...literally half and half on both the "clean" and "dirty" side. ...so at this point, paper ones will work just fine until I check out the ones from Amsoil in the future since you guys report no problems with them.

Khaki-KJ · **Posted:** Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:23 pm

I was running a K&N and I switched to the Amsoil filter. There was less hesitation with the Amsoil filter going up hills and under moderate to hard acceleration. I used to run a K&N on a 1989 5.0 Mustang. I never could get it evenly oiled and it messed up the mass airflow system. The Amsoil filter is slightly cheaper than the K&N and the new filters are a dry filter, just drop in and drive. One other point, you will have to buy the oiling kit for the K&N, which is about half the cost of the filter itself. The oiling kit is good for about 3 to 4 re-oilings if I remember correctly.

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:49 pm

Until I saw the Light, through the filter that is. An engine the size of our CRD will trash it's self on one teaspoon ( not heaping) of dirt. When this happens you will be lucky if you can get by on a new set of rings, but you may need the wet sleeves and pistons as well. If you decide to pour some Slick 50 into the cylinders to temporally seal up the rings so you can trade it off, please have the respect for members and post your VIN so we can steer clear or buy it cheap at the auction and rebuild it.
The Slick 50 in the cylinders trick is what I used to do on old VW Diesels for last semester College Seniors who had to get by until their first pay check after graduation.

cxturboboost · **Posted:** Wed Aug 13, 2008 10:01 pm

AFE with Pro Guard 7....

The only filter approved by Cummins Engine Company. Passed all there tests. They are expensive, but I switched out to the V6 box and dropped one in. Do the research--

Pete

bugnout · **Posted:** Wed Aug 13, 2008 10:54 pm

cxturboboost wrote:

AFE with Pro Guard 7....

The only filter approved by Cummins Engine Company. Passed all there tests. They are expensive, but I switched out to the V6 box and dropped one in. Do the research--

Pete

V6 box takes the same filter as the CRD box, What was the part number for the AFE filter?

dieselenthusiast · **Posted:** Thu Aug 14, 2008 12:16 am

The AFE Pro Guard and Amsoil are the two best filters on the market.

ChesterCRD · **Posted:** Thu Aug 14, 2008 7:57 am

Thanks for all the info everyone. I think I'll be leaving the K&Ns on the shelf for now...until they eventually end up in the trash anyway.

cxturboboost · **Posted:** Thu Aug 14, 2008 6:59 pm

You can go to their web page and look at every vehicle they offer. They are huge into diesel. I learned about them when I was a Cummins dealer.

Pete

warp2diesel · **Posted:** Thu Aug 14, 2008 9:21 pm

I ordered AFE with Pro Guard 7 filters for both my CRD and my Wife's TDI.

Any one want to buy a used K&N that fits a '99 TDI New Beetle :?:

Really Cheap :?:

To K&N or not?

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