Is a K&N worth the money?

[willied]

I've been thinking about getting a K&N CAI for my V8 Explorer to get more power as well as better gas mileage. Is it ridiculous to think I could get a single extra MPG if I get one? If that was the case it would pay itself off in less than two years. Do you guys think it's worth it? I'm also thinking about an exhaust and a tune, but the K&N would probably come first.

[swshawaii]

Very unlikely, you don't see K&N making any increased MPG claims either.
HP gains are shown around 5K, you will never see a mileage gain @ WOT.

http://www.knfilters.com/cold_air_intakes.htm
http://www.knfilters.com/kits.htm

[The Electrician]

If you live in dusty area, changing into wet cotton gauze can only harm your engine, cause wet cotton gauze can only filter 10% of cellulose filter.

For V8 Explorer I only recommend synthatic filters like Asmoil #EAA228

[LONO100]

i have the KN 77 on my 4.0L, you dont get much of a boost in HP until you are revving up past 3k RPM. or at least it feels that way. it does make your motor sound much more throatier though.

[davidzog]

If you look at the horsepower graphs supplied by K&N or any other manufacturer, you will note that all real hp increases occur at 4000 rpm or higher...who drives at that engine speed all the time. As far as mpg, it generally stays the same or gets worse....that has been my experience on several cars/trucks. I have found through personal experience that cat back exhausts, throttle body spacers, and cold air intake kits all look neat, may sound cool, and are otherwise totally worthless for normal driving. My son has a 700 hp Mustang with a K&N...at 6800 rpms the dyno syas he gains 4 hp....wow!! Don't waste your money...save it for fuel.

[willied]

Well, that's too bad I guess. I read a lot of good stuff about them, but I do realize the caveats that go along with them.

[CDW6212R]

The oiled gauze type of filters don't filter as much of the finest debris, as other kinds of air filters.

The air filter is critical to the internal wear of the engine. Almost all contaminants that get inside the engine come through the air filter. That's why some people have engines with pitch black nasty oil, versus others having transparent oil.

Look at your dipstick, what does the oil look like? If it is really nasty, and/or not very old yet, then the air filter is probably not doing a good job of cleaning the incoming air.

I highly recommend Amsoil air filters. Their filters filter air very very well, they need no oil, and last four years. Clean them once a year with a light vacuuming.

I had 9200 miles on my first Amsoil usage for my 4.0 SOHC Explorer, and the oil was still full and transparent then. Unfortunately when I checked the oil again a month later, it was black. I wondered why it would be so dirty so quickly, and I thought to inspect the air filter. The air filter was a cone shape, Amsoil, and the clamp had come loose. The filter had fallen off the MAF, inside the air cleaner, allowing unfiltered air in. I changed the oil right then, and installed the air filter more tightly.

Buy the best air filter that you can find.

[willied]

Thanks for the advice. Looks like I'll just install an Amsoil filter next time I replace the stock one.

[The Electrician]

if you want you can install K&N intake with Amsoil Filter

[CDW6212R]

Originally Posted by The Electrician

if you want you can install K&N intake with Amsoil Filter

That should say K&N air cleaner with Amsoil air filter.

The intake is the intake manifold which sets on the heads, a part which has existed by that name for 100+ years. I'd like to shoot the idiots who decided to change the name of the air cleaner to an "intake."

I have a Volant air cleaner in my SOHC Explorer, and an Amsoil air filter inside of that.

An air cleaner is a device made to clean the air, it has an air filter in it. That name has also existed for many many decades.

[willied]

Why would it be air cleaner if it's not the actual part that cleans the air?

[CDW6212R]

Look at any car made in the last 80 years, basically they all have an enclosure with an air filter inside of it. That is the air cleaner, typically it's setting on top of a carburetor and has a round air filter inside. The air cleaner is where the air filter goes. Now EFI cars simply have a plastic container with a flat air filter inside of them. It's still the air cleaner.

[The Electrician]

Thanks for the correction CDW6212R my bad. I should say K&N CAI with Amsoil air filter

intake-manifold is a well known term in the automotive industry, but Cold-Air-Intake or CAI for short is also a well known term.

[chefy]

unlike most other people im a believer when it comes to k&n cai's. i have and 06 with a 4.6 with a k&n intake on i i drove it from minneapolis to madison wi this last weekend. i got 19.856 mpg down and 20.021 mpg on the way back. i average right around 17.1 mpg in the city. i made the same trip last fall before i put the cai on and i averaged 18.53 mpg for the trip and i was averaging 16.25 in the city. i've had k&n cai's on almost every vehicle i've ever owned and not once have i ever experianced any issues with any of the engines.

[willied]

Glad to hear something positive about them.

[V8Pete]

I've run K&Ns in all of my cars, trucks, street bikes, and dirt bikes, for over 30 years. Noticeable improvements in some instances, not so much in others. Had engines go over 200K with no oil usage, no performance decrease, and no discernable wear.

I don't know anything about Amsoil filters, but K&Ns rock.

[yoster]

Originally Posted by chefy

unlike most other people im a believer when it comes to k&n cai's. i have and 06 with a 4.6 with a k&n intake on i i drove it from minneapolis to madison wi this last weekend. i got 19.856 mpg down and 20.021 mpg on the way back. i average right around 17.1 mpg in the city. i made the same trip last fall before i put the cai on and i averaged 18.53 mpg for the trip and i was averaging 16.25 in the city. i've had k&n cai's on almost every vehicle i've ever owned and not once have i ever experianced any issues with any of the engines.

Funny how our results all vary. I get 13mpg in town (2006 4.6L Eddie Bauer 4x4.) But my "in town" is MUCH more "in town" than other people. I.e.: Weeks of NEVER being on a freeway or over 45mph. Stop, go 1/4 mile, stop again. Rinse and repeat for several thousands of miles. If I drive "like normal" - it drops to 12.5mpg.

My freeway results however, are quite good. A 100%, all freeway run, driving right at the speed limit (going very easy,) I can JUST touch 21mpg. That's the best I've ever gotten.. that's stock. Other "all freeway" runs I get like 19-20mph.

The K&N graphs though, according to their website for the 4.6L v8, show a DROP in power until exactly 3000rpm (not 5k.) So, that's somewhat useful, but for me, it will most definitely result in a drop in MPG for my 99% in-town driving.. since I usually PEAK at 3k.

But.. I still might get one.. because I want the truck to sound throatier! And I can't imagine it's going to result in THAT much of a drop.

[banditxp]

first off far as MPG. dont forget the right foot likes the sound of the CAI allot and that hurts the MPG. lol

I just put one on my 08 4.6L and on the highway going 60MPH i went from 22.8 to 25ish. thats a flat road for about 15 miles i did the test.
so far i have been getting an extra 20-30 miles per tank then normal but i also cant keep my foot out of it now that the motor sounds sooooo nice

I have not tested on a long trip yet or at 70/75MPH.

Far as HP you can feel it in the 4,000 + rang and it feels less sluggish in the low end when you punch it.

Now far as how well they clean... lets see, iv put 100K miles on my Bonneville Supercharged and has no problems with a dirty engine, my brother has run them on all 3 of his cars/trucks for well over 200K miles combine and has no problems with dirty engines so i say there safe.