Whats better cone or flat K & N filter, stock or 70mm MAF?

[huntman58]

Okay I have a K & N stock filter and have had it now for years with no problems. I clean and oil it the right way less is better deal. I also picked up about 2 MPG with just the filter change alone. No air box mods at all.

What I was thinking is this

Changing my MAF housing to a 70mm one
Adding a cone filter and removing my stock air box.

Would I see any more improvement doing that do ya think?
Looking for MPG or power, nose is cool yes but not worth it if that’s all one gets.

I do have 2-1/2 pipes with a high flow muffler and cat already on it.
Also an Accel coil and 8.8 wires. I will also be doing the half shaft mod to the TB soon.

Just wanting to know if it is going to be worth the dollars or am I at about the best I will get from this motor. Would love to get 1 - 2 MPG or more better and a bit more power is always nice.
Thanks ahead of time folks

 

[surf]

It is difficult to say whether you would gain enough mpg to make it worth the change. I am running a BBK throttle body, a cone filter and a MAF calibrated for running the open air filter. As an experiment I converted back to the stock airbox to see if my mileage would change. I did not see any significant change.

 

[huntman58]

Well I got 70mm MAF housing from the wreakers today. It came off a 2nd gen Explorer so this is my thought so far

I pulled the ECU fuse first did the change .Dang that air tube is not any to big for that 70mm MAF housing but I got it on it . Put fuse back and drove it about 50 miles so far. I am mixed
Not much in seat of the pants feel and in fact if any thing a bit worse off the line (not racing it just normal driving) freeway seams to be about the same but with a little less passing umpf.

now I do have a miss still that I just can not seam to get rid of so going to change the dang FPR again in the morning being it is acting just like it did when the last one went out .( I should stop being so cheap and by a new one )

Now I am wondering if the stock air box is flowing enough air as it has not been mudded at all just a K & N filter added to it. Soo maybe it is chocking the free flow of air from the bigger MAF?

What do you all think this is driving me nuts?
I am just looking for any tiny bit of power or MPG incress I can get some what cheap but I also want the truck to run a bit better and easyer and if that is all it dose thats okay also.

 

[rickh6155]

I run stock but found that when I clean/recharge the filter I pull the MAF and give it a scrubbing with Valvoline Carb and Throttle Body Cleaner since it collects a fair amount of the K&N suspension oil under normal driving conditions. You might squeeze out another MPG or 2 plus I notice that my torque converter seems to lock up a bit more 'positive' after cleaning.

Rick

 

[huntman58]

Rick thanks
When I oil the filter I wrap it in a bunch of paper towels over night and let them soak up any extra oil I may have gotten on the filter. Old trick from my bike days.
Well I did get almost all my miss taken care off and the truck runs much better. It was not the FPR at all so I have an extra used on here that checks out okay at lest in the vac side as it help 15 for over 20 minuets or there about.
Miss was a small leak in the TB gasket if you can believe that. Found it when I did the half shaft deal. The gasket was soaked on the bottom with some kind of an oil mess so made one out of a cracker box and wala miss is gone and now this truck runs like it should!

Good pick up nice power band again and smooth idle. I did also replace the ECT sensor but that was done before the TB mod and it had made no defiance for the most part.

I still am thinking of now replacing the air tube with a 3" round tube kit I saw on evil bay. It is a one piece pipe with cone filter a K & N or a cheaper one with about $40.00 bucks deference between them one for about $64 and the other for about $100.

 

[TedJ]

I think unless you have a body lift you will probably have a heck of a time replacing the stock intake pipe with a round tube one. They made it flat for a reason (hood & fan clearance). If you can make it work, post some pics so we can see.

Also, I am running a Fram Tough Gaurd air filter. It's disposable and has some kind of oiling but not like the K&N. My dad wanted a K&N in his Bronco and the only thing I have done is swear at it when cleaning it. It takes far too long to service. I'm sure it flows better, but I'm also not convinced they filter as well as a paper filter. There have been endless discussions about this and will always be. I get around 21mpg highway on drives out to PA and such, so I'm happy enough with that and not having to spend half a day cleaning and waiting for a K&N to dry.

 

[huntman58]

Well believe it or not using a card board tube and some chalk it will just clear. I was not going to Swiss cheese the stock air box at first but I went a head and did it yesterday only I used a 1 inch wood boring bit and let me tell you bingo it is and was a choke point! Truck smoothed out a bit more and also with the seat of the pants power gage it picked up a bit more powered also but I know it will also have dropped the MPG now as it is a bit more fun to drive now. I will now down the line most likely go ahead and try the 3" tube change.

The K & N filter thing I swear by them and yes at them also and for the same reasons you do I hate cleaning them and oiling them but the extra miles per gal I get just in the very first trip I made with it (1400 miles) paid for it so now its all money in the bank as filter alone I picked up 2 MPG on the hwy. I have never tracked my in town miles. I went from 15 to 17 with only the filter. Now I may be doing better but I have also noticed I loss about 2 to 3 MPG when I get back here in Calif from my trips.



any hoot any one that read this far if you are trying to get by with out opening your stock air box forget it Swiss cheese it or get an open filter so you get the full benefits of the larger MAF and better filter .

 

[TedJ]

Good idea using the cardboard tube.

What's your opinion on the filtration they provide vs. a paper filter?

One of the things I have always suspected was a design compromise in the explorer is the air intake into the box. To me it looks like they ran out of space with the battery up top and instead had to "make it fit" so they ran it down and under. It's a bad idea for water fording at the least. I think they made it more so that it would fit in the space rather than for performance.

One of the ideas I had once was to relocate the battery to the back and re-do the air intake with parts from a F-150 type setup. They have a big scoop at the top which sucks air in right under the hood gap. It would get it out of the water if you go off-road and also provide a direct line in.

Also, I wonder if your heat riser system (is that the right name for it?) was working properly and allowing fresh air in and not hot air. I've seen varied reports of how well the swiss chese mod works and I wonder if it has anything to do with it. That thing is practically invisible because of how buried it is and I doubt many people ever check it.

 

[huntman58]

All good thoughts there and many I had my self
the heat raiser was working okay and after my hot rod days in the 70's that was one of the first things I check (old habit) back then they ran the chocks a lot and if they rusted up or got sticky your chock also messed up

the intake to the box is small and under the stock set up I always believed it to be well almost to small but with the smaller chocked MAF it worked and our 4.0L OHV's are not monster motor with big needs to start with almost a 4 banger with an extra set of holes.
My thinking is yes a water crossing would be a problem with stock (never tested that out) and even now I think as it’s more open to water if it’s past the oil pan from splash and such. I may pick up another stoke air box at a junk yard and try to make a gasket seal on it that is as water proof as I can then tray a almost snorkel set up. Would rather have one that I can remove when not needed like street driving and then snap on when off road. But for me radical off roading may be a thing of the past for at lest 4 or 5 more years as I am still thinking about giving the ex to the one of the kids or later just building it as a toy for off road and yes still street legal just for fun.
Yup a granddaddy with a crazy side to him.

I want a 5 to 6 inch lift 35 inch tires (MT claws) bad boy articulation and other goodies. Full redneck mossy Oak camo interior and a good flat murdered out exterior.
I am living proof the defiance in men and boys is the cost of our toys LOL
Had a nice old dodge but when the kids came it went away now it’s my turn to play LOL?

 

[GRNMACHINE]

huntman, I have a K&N FIPK cone. Really like it. Noticed no difference in gas mileage, did feel like there was more power. Even better with catback exhaust system from Flowmaster. Been looking to replace the intake tube, can you provide seller name on flea bay? Thanks

 

[huntman58]

GrnMachine this is the one I am looking at is listed under. I like it as it is a one piece deal and with the oil fill tube set up already for the 1st gen ex. the price is not bad at all and it’s for the whole thing.

Do not know how good his filters are but going the Auto zone or Pep boy rout you will spend more building it then this one is to buy and last I saw he was still doing free ship.

I am willing to try almost any thing for a few MPG more or more power better running EX but lower my MPG with out a big power or wow factor and its gone yesterday!
Just wish I had the cash and place to do a SOA lift and then get tires now I know that will hurt my MPG but it’s the wow factor then LOL.


So look up

asmi_autospeedstore

 

[GRNMACHINE]

huntman, thanks for the link. For the price the systems look decent in the pics. He has 100% Positive Feedback as well. I have been looking for the intake tube only for awhile. MAC wants $140 or so just for the tube ( I dont need the filter ). I may order the intake for the 95+.

I agree with you, it is cheaper than building one as well. I built a Spectre intake with parts from Auto Zone for my Pathfinder. Came out very well but figure each piece/bend was about $8-10 and didnt include filter or hoses ( I already had a Jim Wolf "POP Charger" filter installed so I didnt to buy Spectre's). I did enjoy putting it together though and was happy with quality.

Let us know if you order.

 

[TedJ]

I keep thinking of these things

http://www.fernco.com/plumbing/flexible-couplings/qwik-tees-ells

But maybe I've been working around the house too much... :

I'm not sure if they are the right diameter or shape but I keep thinking about that and ABS pipe to make an intake out of. It would be cheap for sure. Just an idea for someone to maybe play with. I think they should have them at most Home Depot, Lowes etc type stores.

 

[huntman58]

thanks for the ideas there Ted I am kind of an old fart that has way to much time to tinker just wish I had a place to do it instead of out side in the weather.

GrnMachine
If I do order it I will give a review of it with Pics and post it here. got to hold of a bit tell my own ebay stuff sells as that is the only way I can do things around here I live on a fixed income being disabled and the wife is now again a full time collage student going for her masters now that her kids are all raised and for the most part on there own or if at home going to collage also. So as you could just picture things get a wee bit tight around here LOL.

I have built this 93 so many ways in my mind and on paper it’s not funny. I have owned it now for over 13 years now and have put most of the 200,000 on it my self. its been a good truck but never did much off roading in it but a bit of getting to hunting camp and stuff like that so the end story is it most likely will be come an off road toy for grandpa or one of the kids will get it as a hand me down .