K&N air filter?

[spstimie]

Anyone run a K&N crankcase vent filter as a nitro air filter? Can it be done? Looking at the one in the link.

62-1110 - K&N Crankcase Vent Filters, Vent Filter

[venomcrawlerdud]

i run one on my savage 25 and it seems to run good. i dont use the same style but its the same brand. you will have to make a custom air clean pipe to the motor thou

[wolf16731]

K&N filters are alright, so long as they aren't used in a dusty environment. They don't filter too well at that level, even with a pre-filter.

For offroad use, a good quality foam filter with a pre-filter is your best bet.

[Rocket Tire Services]

Well, I have never personally used the filters that you speak of, but I know that we will not, nor do I recommend anything else when racing Cars/Karts, dirt, and asphalt.

[spstimie]

I have a K&N in every street vehicle I own and the one in the link fits directly into my air intake. The bolt and nut will even secure to my filter stay arm. My biggest concern was using it on dirt. I would have to clean it(a lot), but we already have to clean the foam filters anyhow. Thanks.

[wolf16731]

Well, a group of my riding buddies and I always used K&N's on our ATV's. We used them primarily for the added power and how easy they are to clean. We always ran a pre-filter sock as well. One thing I noticed is that we were all doing more engine related repairs than I thought was normal (definitely too various to list). At one point changing the oil I noticed there were some grains of dirt in the drain pan. I figured out that the K&N's, even when cleaned maticulously and very regularly, don't filter very well in the offroad environment we rode in. So I made the switch to a company called Twin Air who produces very good quality foam filters. I get the same power increase that I got from K&N, and they are still fairly easy to clean. My engine has been running very strong for 4 years, while the doubters of my group who stuck to K&N's name are still doing their engine repairs.

Now don't get me wrong, I love K&N. They are the only one I will use in my daily driver, a 2000 Dodge Ram 1500, it has been running one ever since I got it in 2008 and has never had any engine issues. It is just that you have to realize that a K&N filter is not the "be all, end all" filter for every situation.

[Rocket Tire Services]

Where you guys spraying what K&N recommends as a filter spray before riding?

[wolf16731]

Yes we did and still do. It sucks that the kit they sell can be expensive (with the cleaner spray and the filter oil spray, all that good stuff), but it works well. Its just the fact that the filters will let in small particles of dirt every now and then when bombarded by a constant flood of dusty air from the offroad environment.

[Rocket Tire Services]

Hmm, that's weird. IDK man, We run our car motors about 5-6 races without a rebuild and the engine builder has never said anything about dirt buildup or scratches in the cylinder wall. Kart motors we run probably 12 races before getting rebuilt, and there's never any dirt in them either. However, we were told by K&N since we started running them to spray them, and wrap them in news paper and let them sit at least a day before racing.

[wolf16731]

When I am talking offroad, I mean offroad. When we ride, we usually have 10 or so machines on the trail in a convoy of sorts at the same time. If the trails aren't wet, a lot of dirt and dust gets kicked up by the tires pretty quick. Especially when behind the "middle of the pack" mark. A lot of times there is so much dust in the air that it reminds you of a tan fog. More than once I have actually used a bandana to cover my mouth and nose so I could actually breathe. This is the kind of stuff where you are actually coughing the dust out of your lungs for a day or so afterward, lol. When I bash with my Savage, it tends to get pretty dusty, so I never could trust myself with a K&N type filter there.

[CheapTwin]

I had a Key Chain filter in use few years a go, it's heavy for its size and it needs an adapter. I think any two stage foam filter is a lot better...



...but foamies aren't K&N

[Rocket Tire Services]

Have you ever seen dirt late model racing? Its pretty dusty, LOL. But, I understand, I mean you have had problems, so hell I dont blame you for switching.

[wolf16731]

Yes I have, I was a volunteer mechanic for a Mini Stock, Pure Stock, and an E-Mod. That stuff does get dusty and I am not sure how the K&N filters get through all of that, but they do surprisingly. Probably because they are cleaned out more often, maybe? I don't know. I know for long race days we would normally switch out air filters every couple of races or so. On our 4wheeling rides, we normally drive all day so maybe that is why?

[Rocket Tire Services]

Originally Posted by wolf16731

Yes I have, I was a volunteer mechanic for a Mini Stock, Pure Stock, and an E-Mod. That stuff does get dusty and I am not sure how the K&N filters get through all of that, but they do surprisingly. Probably because they are cleaned out more often, maybe? I don't know. I know for long race days we would normally switch out air filters every couple of races or so. On our 4wheeling rides, we normally drive all day so maybe that is why?

Damn, never even thought about that, you are probably right, we change ours after every time we come off the track.

[Alien13]

There's a difference between a small/big block engine in a late model or even a motoX compared to a nitro engine. On such a small scale, a dirt particle is much more dangerous. I've seen dirt go through a K&N filter on an A-mod, and the hell it can cause to a carb. I'd wouldn't put that on a nitro engine.

[jbeck8176]

To each his own... Ive ran K&N on everything from my Subaru WRX and VW GTI to my 2000 400ex race quad (No motor repairs) and Yamaha Rhino. But some people have had issues. Ive heard it, seen it, but have never had them happen to me. The part of a K&N people miss is that the dirt acts as a filter too. Ive only cleaned my 400's filter twice. Usually I just beat the dirt out of it, oil her up and slap it back in there!