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Are K&N filters any good?

  • Thread starter Thread starter tfb
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tfb

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G'day all,

I need your input here, folks. I've been considering getting a K&N filter for my Kat1100 when the time comes to replace the current Suzuki OEM item, but I want the opinion of the good folks here. (And maybe I'll spark a raging debate into the process, too :shock:)

Now, I must say I've always wondered how K&N can claim that their filters let more air through and still do a wonderful job of filtering, because you would think that more air = bigger filter pores = more dirt, wouldn't you? :-k

So if I use a K&N filter, I might get more herbs pumping out at the rear wheel, but am I sacrificing engine longevity because she's dragging in more crud into the combustion chambers?

Tell me what you think!

Mike.
 
I have a K&N drop-in replacement in my Kat at present,any extra power you would need a dyno to find,re jetting is not supposed to be required, but to release any extra power you will need to.
I do think it is a better filter than stock,it is entirely different in materials to stock.
Dink
 
The K&N's do work very well. You may need to do a little jetting to make them work right. They use several layers of oiled gauze to filter. As dirt builds up in the gauze they filter even better. A light tap to knock some of the dirt off land a little shot of oil and you're good to go. You only need to wash them every year or so.
 
Do not use K&N filters! Go to a site called dieselstop.com and do a search for K&N. They have many accounts of people that have used those filters and have destroyed Power Stroke diesels in Ford trucks. They call it "Dusting an Engine." There are also accounts of people that used them, had oil analysis done, and found high silicone content, (read sand), in their oil. Then after switching back to a paper filter the silicone parts per million went back down. I had one and threw it away! It did make a big power difference in the diesel though, which proves they do breath good, but not worth the price of an engine.
 
Wingnut said:
Do not use K&N filters! Go to a site called dieselstop.com and do a search for K&N. They have many accounts of people that have used those filters and have destroyed Power Stroke diesels in Ford trucks. They call it "Dusting an Engine." There are also accounts of people that used them, had oil analysis done, and found high silicone content, (read sand), in their oil. Then after switching back to a paper filter the silicone parts per million went back down. I had one and threw it away! It did make a big power difference in the diesel though, which proves they do breath good, but not worth the price of an engine.
Click to expand...

This may be part of the problem on the Fords.
http://www.thedieselstop.com/contents/getitems.php3?K%26N%20Filter%20Doesn%27t%20Fit
http://www.thedieselstop.com/contents/getitems.php3?K%26N%20Letter%20to%20The%20Editor
If Southwest Reasearch says they filter as well as paper you can put your faith in them.
 
K&N filters do flow more air. They do not filter out particles as small as paper filters do. If you over-oil one (lots of people do) they are even less effective at filtering particles. The oil can also foul some of the sensors used on more modern engines.

Since they can be re-used over and over again they can be cheaper over time.

Unless your paper filter and stock airbox are restrictive, you will gain no power from the change. Remember, only turbo or supercharging (yes NOx too) can force more air into your combustion chambers. A naturally aspirated engine will only pull so much air at a given RPM. If your stock filter is capable of flowing this much then you do not have a restriction.
 
Billy Ricks said:
This may be part of the problem on the Fords.
http://www.thedieselstop.com/contents/getitems.php3?K%26N%20Filter%20Doesn%27t%20Fit
http://www.thedieselstop.com/contents/getitems.php3?K%26N%20Letter%20to%20The%20Editor
If Southwest Reasearch says they filter as well as paper you can put your faith in them.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the links. I hadn't seen that before. Someone should tell Ford about it because they have denied several warranty claims with a K&N filter installed on "Dusted Engines." Could be they are just looking for an out. Not worth the risk in my book, but we all need to decide for ourselves. And there are still the cases of guys that had high silicone PPM in their oil analysis and it went back to normal after reinstalling the paper elements, using the same air box. That's the part that has me concerned. They do flow much better, I can attest to that.
 
Wingnut said:
Do not use K&N filters! Go to a site called dieselstop.com and do a search for K&N. They have many accounts of people that have used those filters and have destroyed Power Stroke diesels in Ford trucks. They call it "Dusting an Engine." There are also accounts of people that used them, had oil analysis done, and found high silicone content, (read sand), in their oil. Then after switching back to a paper filter the silicone parts per million went back down. I had one and threw it away! It did make a big power difference in the diesel though, which proves they do breath good, but not worth the price of an engine.
Click to expand...

Great! Now I get to hear all the horror stories now that I switched over to one. Just to let you know if you buy one for your bike it may not be a direct replacement for the one in your bike.

I just replaced the one in my GS1100G. The stock Suzuki filter is a foam/oil one and it fits over a metal cage that then slides into the airbox. I thought if I bought a K&N filter it would REPLACE the entire metal cage. WRONG! The K&N filter replaces the foam filter on the metal cage.
 
I have one on my 850, and I have no complaints. As per the link above, it should do a better job of removing particulate matter than the stock foam filter.
 
Except for the people who work for K&N, there seems to be a consensus that the K&N filters do indeed flow air very well, but at the expense of filtering capability. Although I have a K&N filter on my bike, I wouldn't buy another one.

Although not a motorcycle filter test, the ISO5011 Duramax Air Filter Test Report was rigorously and independently conducted under controlled conditions and includes a K&N filter. I would accept their results as unbiased.
 
I really have to wonder if there are some strange rumors floating around about K&N filters. Where I work, we just installed a large diesel driven fire pump. It came with a very large K&N air filter from the factory. I doubt there are any concerns for engine durability, if John Deere Company is using them. The larger question is for folks having trouble with the K&N, have you maintained it properly? They are not maintenance free. Ray
 
Hmm, thanks for the input there people. I suspected there might be a fair range of opinion on this subject... and I wasn't disappointed. :)

I found the links to the Ford trucking forums informative and it was good to have some actual stats quoted. Some of the K&N fellas' speel sounded a bit like marketing hype but it was the stats which are of real value. The link to the ISO5011 Duramax Air Filter Test Report was the real eye-opener, in my opinion.

Soooo... will I go out and buy a K&N filter? Not at current Australian prices (I've been quoted around AU$150... ouch), but if an inexpensive item turned up on eBay I might be tempted. Yet from the links and stats above, the benefits aren't that clear. For $150 I can get around 3 or 4 Suzuki OEM paper element filters!

Thanks again one and all, for the links, opinions, input, and advice. Undoubtedly a great forum here at GS Resources. 8-)

Cheers again,
Mike.
 
Boondocks said:
Except for the people who work for K&N, there seems to be a consensus that the K&N filters do indeed flow air very well, but at the expense of filtering capability. Although I have a K&N filter on my bike, I wouldn't buy another one.

Although not a motorcycle filter test, the ISO5011 Duramax Air Filter Test Report was rigorously and independently conducted under controlled conditions and includes a K&N filter. I would accept their results as unbiased.
Click to expand...


WOW! That is an exhaustive test. Thanks for the info. Very interesting read.
 
After reading the test data, I will definitely avoid K%N filters.

Earl
 
Thats a very interesting report!

I will still use the K&N pods I have though, from the report...

"The less efficient filters correspondingly had less restriction to flow. This illustrates the apparent trade-offs between optimizing a filter for dirt capturing ability and maximum airflow".

this seems to be the whole reason I went to the K&N pods.
 
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