Which air filter is best?

[Huney1]

About time to replace air filters on our cars and wondering what brand you folks are using. Have you read any comparison tests? Thanks but I pass on the K&N.

[shorod]

I actually use the K&N filters on most of my cars. Considering how long they last, they pay for themselves pretty quickly. My nitro-powered R/C cars use a similar concept, as do many recreational vehicles intended for dirty/dusty conditions and they seem to work well. If it's good enough for my nitro engine running 30-40,000 rpms on a dirt track, I figure it can filter out what my real cars will experience.

I'm not a fan of Fram filters. For oil filters, I tend to stick with Purolator or Wix. When I'm not using a K&N air filter, I use Purolator air filters too.

I don't really have any scientific research to back up my preferences though.

-Rod

[97TaurusGuy]

I only use NAPA Gold filters in all of my vehicles. Filters are basically just a personal preference. Different people will say different things about different filters. For example, the previous post mentions Purolator filters. I personally refuse to use a Purolator filter. I find they are cheap and just dont work nearl y as well as the NAPA ones that I use. People will give you different reviews on Fram which I feel are junk. I also feel Taurus' dont need K&N filters. If you replace your filter as you should regular filters will suite the job.

[Huney1]

I went Googling looking for comparison tests and found this very interesting link
about lubrication and oil filter efficacy. http://www.shoclub.com/lubrication-o...n-oilpart3.htm
http://www.shoclub.com/lubrication-o...n-oilpart2.htm

"How long does it take to run oil 20 times through an oil filter?
Assume 3000 rpm in OD at 80 mph ~ 5.67 GPM oil, 4 quarts per gallon, 6.7 qt oil capacity ~ we empty the oil pan every 17.7 seconds when we book down the interstate at 80 MPH playing "I Love LA" in overdrive or 5th gear."


I think the Taurus holds about 4.5 qts so that means we empty the oil pan every 12 seconds! I always wondered what the flow rate was with our oil pumps and I guess it must be about the same on all American cars.


http://www.shoclub.com/lubrication-oil/lubrication-oilpart1.htm
"One old rule of thumb is that an engine needs 10 psi of oil for every 1000 rpm. So an engine with a 6800 red line needs 68 psi of oil at redline."


"The SHO V6 pump is rated at 12.1 GPM at 43 PSI at 6400. Since output is near linear for the positive displacement internal gear, one could approximate this as 2 GPM per 1000 rpm. Pump specifications for the V8 are absent but assumed to be similar if not slightly greater."


"One could also see the problem with oils heavier than the recommended 5w-30 weight. Pumping 15w50 through a tight engine is like pushing a barrel of molasses through a microscopic hole. Expect high effort (HP loss) and starved bearings. Remember the rule - A revving SHO engine can empty the oil pan every 7.5 seconds at red line on a continuous basis? The quantity flow essential for proper cooling and lubrication can not be maintained with thicker oils and the HP drain of the pump would be much higher."



Ford TSB showing engines that should use 5W-20 oil. http://www.shoclub.com/lubrication-oil/5w-20.htm
http://www.ford-trucks.com/tsb/fullt...php?tsb=02-1-9



If I succeed in finding article on air filter comparision I'll post 'em, but the above link from www.shoclub.com was to good not to share.

[road_rascal]

I've been running a Fram air filter in my '99 since I bought it in 2001. Several UOA's show low particle counts so I'm sticking with it. I don't use Fram oil filters BTW...

[Huney1]

Maybe I'm being over cautious because we don't drive in real sandy-dirty conditions and hardly ever go down a dirt road. I went in Advance Auto and all they had was Purolator and it was just before a storm hit so I got one.

I don't see why you couldn't take the garden hose spray nozzle and gently backwash the paper element and wash out most of the dirt particles, let it dry good overnight and re-use it. But that would be to practical and they're probably designed it so you can't do that.

[shorod]

Originally Posted by Huney1

I don't see why you couldn't take the garden hose spray nozzle and gently backwash the paper element and wash out most of the dirt particles, let it dry good overnight and re-use it. But that would be to practical and they're probably designed it so you can't do that.

Well, along those lines, when we ran across a customer's car with a dirty air filter, if they said they didn't want us to replace it, we'd get out the air hose and nozzle and blow through the filter backwards to at least get some of the dirt and crumbs out of the filter. Sometimes I was amazed how much of an improvement that made.

Originally Posted by road_rascal

Several UOA's show low particle counts so I'm sticking with it. I don't use Fram oil filters BTW...

I must be missing something here. What does a UOA demonstrate for an air filter? Or are you just making a tie that if their oil filters are good, their air filters must be too? I'm not picking on you here, just trying to understand.

-Rod

[Huney1]

". . . . . we'd get out the air hose and nozzle and blow through the filter backwards to at least get some of the dirt and crumbs out of the filter. Sometimes I was amazed how much of an improvement that made."

I know where you're coming from there Bossman. Have a 12 HP Briggs & Stratton 40" cut riding mower-bagger and you can imagine how much dust it kicks up while lawn mowing. The air filter is standard looking paper type but also has the oil soaked foam cover that goes around outside the paper filter. Every third time I cut I take the foam and wash it good in hot water then re-oil it and seems to do a good job preventing so much dust from reaching the paper filter. Summers here we have to cut every two weeks so every other month I take the paper filter inside and soak it in hot water and dish detergent then backwash it and you wouldn't believe how dirty the water is. I then take a short piece of small rope and tie the filter on it then sling it around and around to sling most of the water out then let it dry overnight then put it back in.

Bought it in June 2003 at HomeDepot and Murray Mowers has since gone out of business, so had to go searching for a new air filter and found it at Sears for $11.99 . . . Say what? Yup, with tax over 12 bucks. But, only get one every three years or so and I change oil every fourth cut and the old Briggs uses very little oil and runs like a top.

Something people don't realize is when you have an engine with no oil filter the oil should be changed every five hours minimum. Not just mowers operating in extremely dirty, dusty conditions, but generators, snow blowers and what have you. Run it 'til it's at operating temprature then change the oil right after shut down so all the metal particles come out with the oil and DO NOT OVERFILL IT! CAUTION: Be careful not to burn yourself!

[way2old]

Here goes nothing. I feel that as often as the filter SHOULD be replaced, as we all know all driving is severe, it really does not have a lot to do with brand names. That is more of a preference much the same as the make of car you like. I personally use Fram air filters and AC Delco oil filters What little cost is associated with the cosrt of changing the filter is a very high preventative maintenance item. So just my personal preference. Also remember, I am just a Hillbilly.

[Huney1]

I definitely agree; Take care of it and it will last a long time and be a pleasure. Neglect it and it will be short lived, expensive and a natural pain in the neck. Like the man said, . . . "You can pay me now or pay me later . . ."

If you don't think I'm a preventive maintenance freak, the wifes air filter had a little over 12K miles on it and I changed it to.

[road_rascal]

When I get the report back silicon levels are low, and Blackstone usually states that air filtration is good. I get the same statement using UNI foam air filters in my motorcycles too, so if too much dirt was getting sucked into the engine I guess that would show up in the UOA. After looking at hundreds of reports on the BITOG board, I feel pretty confident the Fram filter is doing the job.

[shorod]

Okay, thanks for the clarification. I've never had a UOA performed, so I didn't know what the report looks like.

-Rod

[road_rascal]

The half dozen or so reports I have had done on my car, van and motorcycles Blackstone has always includes a note on how the fuel dilution and air filtration looked. If you go to http://www.blackstone-labs.com/ you can see sample reports and some of them show problems (such as an internal coolant leak or bearing failure).