K & N filters..Pro & Cons

[2snakes4us]

Hey everyone, I Installed K & N filters and smooth tubes on both of my Viper 2 years ago and I was thinking about getting a cold air intake on my 09 Ram Hemi truck. I found this link with lots of opinions on K & N filters. there are some great points being made on the blog...enough to make your head spin. if you have the time..check it out . It makes me worry about damage to the MAF sensor.
Can a better air filter improve fuel economy? We'll find out...

 

[dave6666]

When I put the K&N on my '02 V10 Super Duty - just the cone shaped filter, not the whole kit - the intake noise and SOTP feel was there. I would not hesitate to put their entire package on a truck based on that single experience.

 

[MTGTS]

K&N's are great and the company also stands behind their product 100%.

 

[ViperCLKGTR]

I wouldn't worry about it. I have a K&N on my Ram and it's fine plus you do see a jump in fuel economy albeit not crazy jump but 15% from 13 MPG to 14.5 is great for a $200 investment

 

[thompsonracing]

For your Hemi Truck, the best:

http://www.vararam.com/hemi.html

 

[viperbilliam]

The main thing is not to over-oil the filter; that is what will cause problems with the MAF. More is not better!

 

[Matt M PA]

I spent some time with the link listed above..then got bored. One person mentioned that no makers use K&N, etc.

We all know that the 10HP increase for the Gen 2 ACR was thanks to smooth filters and K&Ns. If Chrysler thought there was a concern about filtration with these filters, I doubt they would have installed them. Remember, we started with 450..and got 10. Not a huge percentage increase.

Here's my .02. The filters themselves aren't going to make a big difference. The FIPKs are a bit different. In turbos or supercharged engines there is a better increase. In my former 03 Cobra, it was something like 30HP on a 390HP engine. Yet on my V10 Excursion with an FIPK kit, K&N says an 8HP increase. I can't imagine noticing such a slight increase. (A diesel fares better with a turbo)

My understanding was that the K&Ns filter better than paper, and I'd imagine there would be lawsuits like crazy if the filters did not do as intended.

I did the smooth hoses and K&Ns on my 2000 GTS when it was new. My 96 RT has the smooth hoses, but I have yet to check the filters. (But it's now on my list)

Back on topic...I think the whole CAI thing is over blown, and I wouldn't expect a huge change in any way on the Ram. In fact, in both my Lincoln and Excursion I have installed ScanGuages. In both cases the factory intake temp is always within a degree or two of ambient temp. What would a CAI do?

 

[Asp Man]

Does your Ram even have an MAF? 'cause your GenII Viper sure doesn't! The only sensors downstream of the air filters are the IAT and the MAP. There's nothing to worry about, even "over oiling" the filters (which is pretty hard to do if you have even a minimum of mechanical skill) in these cars. Have you ever looked past the throtle blades after some "driving" and a few hard stops? I'll bet the amount of crankcase oil that the average stock Viper ***** through the PCV system and into the intake far out weighs the tiny bit that gets put on your air filters.

 

[Asp Man]

For your Hemi Truck, the best:

Hemi Ram Air

That's okay, but this is Hemi Under Glass!

You must be registered for see images attach

 

[vancouver-gts]

I had K&N in my Mustang for12 yrs. It has MAF and never had an issue even though the sensor showed some slight residue shortly after cleaning and reoiling it.If one follows the instruction on the K&N filter charger kit using small amount of oil , should never have an issue. I have K&N filter in my Viper .