Can any one tell me from experience ,which is the best hi flow air filter? ive looked on websites at k&n,unifilter & BMC and they all say theirs is better than the rest--naturally enough.Some info from practical experience would be appreciated.
Greg.
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If its got an engine or tits
Its bound to give ya trouble!!!!
From experience KN are top notch........... Have tried Pod and Panel filters and I was happy with both......
They are dear but I think its worth it.......
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AU XR8, 5 spd manual, Full Tickford Body Kit, Bi Plane Rear Spoiler, Cold Air Induction Kit, TS50 Throttle Body, 2.5 Dual Lukey Exhaust, 17 Tickford Wheels, Series II Headers, KN Filter.
Can't say from practical experience but from the posts on here it seems to be BMC followed by K&N for the best of the pick.
However if you do a search on autospeed http://www.autospeed.com they did an article where the factory filters came out almost as good as the standard ones.
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Proud TQE Operator
1999 Black Manual AU XR6HP
Unichip equipped by Autotech Engineering, Granville
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Yeah K&N are good, BMC is suppose to flow a bit more but both are excellent products.
The autospeed article isn't a really good comparison either (like most of the autospeed stuff). On stock engines and stock snorkle yeah they probably won't give anything but IMO they are a defenite improvement in flow and filtration over the stock paper elements. If you look at total airflow through the filters alone (without airbox or snorkle) then the K&N/BMC filters flow about 4 times more that the standard falcon element.
Anyone used/heard anything wrong with the FinerFilter Foamies?
Yeah had one on mine before I got a K&N. They seem quite good, IMO the design and foam element looks like it might filter a bit better. The only problem is they tend to contain more oil in the filter compared with the K&N and that can be a problem on V8's with MAF sensors (oil can coat the MAF sensor wire giving false readings), but should be fine on I6's.
Foam filters have a higher restriction rate, they are great for dusty conditions but not for maximum performance. And they are a hassle to clean.
K&N are made from cotton, so last a very long time because they are washable and quite easy to wash. They flow slightly better than paper filters, but keep a close eye on the cotton becoming perforated with age (do not use high air pressure to clean).
The new type filters, as used on BA petrol & Toyota engines are very good but difficult to clean, but I have no specs.
I have cleaned all types of filters and I would rather clean a K&N type filter any day.
There is plenty of studies around the place showing that any filtering device saturated in oil will cause some type of restriction. Foam/oil filters were originally developed for dirt racing.
Each test filter was used in the same car, on the same roads for 500 miles. The darker deposits indicate poorer filtration, and lighter ones better filtration. That said, both the cotton gauze type (K&N) and foam filters (Amsoil & Jackson Racing) showed the same levels of filtration. Both performed poorly compared to the fiberous or paper filters (Napa, Baldwin, and Mazda).
So what do these results mean? For one, there is very little pressure drop across any air filter, and the difference between the best (K&N) and worst (paper) is very small. Yes as total power output increases, air flow increases, and differential pressure would also increase. So a K&N probably does yield some power on higher output race motors where every last ounce of power must be squeezed out. On lower powered street cars, it is probably not much of an improvement over paper................
Also bear in mind the K&N is cotton gauze, the Racing Beat is a single stage foam type filter, the Jackson Racing and Amsoil are dual stage foam, and the Napa is a paper filter. So cotton gauze does flow more air than foam as claimed. Amsoil is the best foam filter for flow. The foam filters are a real pain in the rump to service (this just my opinion and not fact). For that reason, I will never ever own a foam filter myself. I've owned several K&Ns and they are easier to service. If you are buying a high performance filter for airflow, K&N is tops in this test.
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