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Is a K&N air filter worth it?

i dont know about old chevy trucks, but i know that K&N makes a nice difference on new cars with real intake tubes and filter boxes, so it probably does make at least a little bit of difference on our trucks.
 
They may make a little more power, but they also don't filter as well. Personally I'd stick with a good AC paper filter and change it regularly.

Rene
 
I run Wix exclusively.. Out of convenience, and it's a killer filter.. Can't wait to run the 6"..
 
K&N's perform better but the cost in most cases isn't worth it as they are a mess to clean and oil and in my opinion that's not worth 2-3 hp. Fram has a line of heavy duty filters for around $7-8 as opposed to $5-6 that have twice as much pleating and rival K&N's on filtering capacity and I can change it yearly when its dirty for the next ten years at the price of one K&N.
 
Well i donno what to say but I love mine and wouldn't really want to run anything else its a little pricey but wait for a sale or find a friend that works at a parts store. i like the oiled filter k&n due to its ability to hold water back and ive seen it do it on many trucks up here on carbs and tbi. Also for me its alot nicer to clean it and see what its catching than have to deal with the part store monkeys lol
 
I do enough servicable filters on the dizels at work... :doah::wink1:
 
AC or Wix,depends on what store I happen to be at when I need to buy one.
 
Testing has proven that the oiled K&N's let more, larger particulates into the engine than paper filters. No way around that, the only way to make more power is to reduce restriction, filtering is restriction. For some the worse filtering characteristics/serviceability are worth the (again tested) 5HP or so gain. Just have to decide if it's for you.

In the test I saw (might still be able to find it via google, it was some diesel forum where they tested a few filters on top of the line test equipment) AC Delco filters were near the top for filtering and for flow.
 
Good read............http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/airfilter/airtest3.htm

Personally I like K&N. I live where it is very dusty. K&N have saved me a lot of money by Not having to buy filters all the time and taking a hit on MPG because of a clogged paper filter. I have been using K&N filters since the 1970s. Never had a problem with them . Certanily never lost an engine because of one not filtering.
I am not going to recomend K&N or Not recomend K&N. it depends on what you want and what works for you.
But
K&N works for me.
 
I've seen the article on the air filter test and while interesting, the results are somewhat questionable. I do automotive testing for a living and the results of that test would never fly for an official industry or government test. The biggest issue is that you need to perform multiple tests on multiple test samples to prove the repeatability. Testing one part one time, and comparing it another single part you test one time proves absolutely nothing.

Anyway, I run a K&N replacement filter in my DD '03 Chevy truck. Can't say I really noticed any power difference but I didn't buy it for that. I bought it because in the long run it's much cheaper and it would pay for itself in a year or two versus having to keep buying disposable filters. A regular paper filter for my truck was $20, and the K&N I think was only $50-$60.
 
George_Pimpdaddy said:
Well i donno what to say but I love mine and wouldn't really want to run anything else its a little pricey but wait for a sale or find a friend that works at a parts store. i like the oiled filter k&n due to its ability to hold water back and ive seen it do it on many trucks up here on carbs and tbi. Also for me its alot nicer to clean it and see what its catching than have to deal with the part store monkeys lol
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X2

I run a K&N open element 14x3. I really like it. Although it supposedly doesn't clean as well, I did notice a power difference over paper filters. Also as mentioned, they can help hold water back. For one trail run 2 years ago I took out my K&N and put my stock air cleaner assembly with a paper filter. The first hole I hit I water locked the engine the worst I have ever water locked it. I had to take out the spark plugs to get the water out of the cylinders. Also the paper elements absorb water while oil repels it. Plus once a paper filter gets wet, it won't filter as its supposed to and you have to replace it. If a K&N gets wet, just dry it out and throw back and keep going.
 
WIX for me

i had a cummins with a K&N and when i pulled it off to service it, there was all the oil in the tube on its way to my turbo. no thank you, i switched back to a dry filter and never noticed a power loss or mileage loss.
 
smalltowncowboy said:
WIX for me

i had a cummins with a K&N and when i pulled it off to service it, there was all the oil in the tube on its way to my turbo. no thank you, i switched back to a dry filter and never noticed a power loss or mileage loss.
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Probably used to much oil on the filter. :doah:
 
I won't run a K&N filter. I used to. I have seen too much information to ever buy one again. I see alot of newer cars and trucks running those open element air filters. Nobody seems to take into account that when you ditch the fatory filter setup, your open air filter is now sucking in hot under hood air. That alone will easily erase any performance gains of less restriction from the air filter. If you don't run a hood, its not so bad, but you still have stuff getting through the filter.
 
I like the K&N I had on my K10 I live and drive where it is alot of gravel dust. I typically changed air filters ever 2 or 3 oil changes.

My buddy with an 02 GMC 2500 got one of the intake tube kits and he claims he gets 2-3 mpg better. not hard to see buy looking at his old air intake it was constrictive as hell
 
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