best aftermarket air filter

[2ndgen2500]

what is the best? is there any advantages to getting one of those ram induction (or whatever they are called) or should i just stick to an in the filter?

 

[duaneparks]

I wish I knew which one was *BEST*.



I really only have experience with the Scotty II. It fit my needs, which were to lower EGT's. With it along with a straight piped exhaust and a PE Comp, I can't get my EGT's above 1100 on level 1 or 2. Levels 3+ I can play with, but still need to watch the pyro.



I've heard good and not so good about all of them. Any aftermarket filter (K&N, AFe, BHAF, etc) should flow more than the stock filter and reduce EGT's, if that's the answer you're looking for.



HTH.



On a side note, how are your experiences with your Kawasaki 650?



Duane

 

[2ndgen2500]

im looking for some more power, a cleanable filter and lower egts.





my prairie 650 is in my opinion the best fourwheeler on the market, i love it, great power, its reliable and has a killer vtwin powerplant. kawasaki stepped up for once and this is the best wheeler i have ever owned. i have owned hondas yamahas and another kawasaki. i will have some pics up soon of some hard core mud riddin and what it looks like with my new 3" custom lift!

 

[rrausch]

I love my K&N in the stock box. They need to be bedded in grease, around the side of the filter and also the stock box needs to be sealed with grease where the top and bottom fit together--(no fault of K&N's)--that done, I've been running mine for 80,000 miles. Cleaned it once. Otherwise I leave it alone. My last silicon number was 3!

 

[DavidC]

Originally posted by rrausch

I love my K&N in the stock box. They need to be bedded in grease, around the side of the filter and also the stock box needs to be sealed with grease where the top and bottom fit together--(no fault of K&N's)--that done, I've been running mine for 80,000 miles. Cleaned it once. Otherwise I leave it alone. My last silicon number was 3!

What kind of grease?. Living in AZ. I need a grease that is not going to melt and make a mess at 112 plus.



Dave

 

[rrausch]

I got a tube of K&N grease, but I ended up just using Sta-Lube Sta-Plex Premium grease. It is a red lithium-base grease. The drop point is 500 degrees F.

I wasn't sure what "drop point" meant so I did an Internet search:



Grease Drop Point

Place your grease on a paper clip or match stick and light it. It will immediately start to burn and will drip. The longer it takes to drip, the better quality the grease and the higher the “drop point”. An example of this critical point is when a wheel bearing starts to get hot and approaches the grease’s “drop point”. The grease begins to run away or leave the bearing. As it runs out, the amount of lubrication is reduced, thereby allowing the bearing to run even hotter and increase the lubricant run out. This cycle will continue until there is no lubricant left and the increased heat results in seizure.

 

[DavidC]

rrausch,



Thanks for the tip and the greasy lesson. Learn something new every day.



Dave

 

[illflem]

Second the airbox K&N for ease and plenty of flow unless you are towing heavy/racing then you need one that draws air from outside the hot underhood like a Scotty. I've either tried or have worked on rigs with most every filter available, K&N flows as much air as the ones costing five times more. As long as a filter doesn't pull down the filter minder your engine is getting all the air it can use. Airbox K&N gets me 80k between services without the filter minder moving.



On the sealing grease I use Sil-Glide brake grease from Napa. Recommend it even with a stock filter as they don't always seal well either.

 

[GAmes]

Last weekend I went to the S. A. Dyno day. First run was with an AFE filter, the second with a K & N in the stock box. The AFE gave me 4 more hp, 8 more lbs of torque and 50 fewer degrees peak temp. If you want a K & N for a low price PM me.

 

[GMocanu]

Originally posted by 2ndgen2500

what is the best? is there any advantages to getting one of those ram induction (or whatever they are called) or should i just stick to an in the filter?

First, don't waste any money on any kind of drop-in filter with the stock filter box. This box is designed to allow enough air into it for a paper filter. Any high flow filter will just use a smaller portion of the filter because the airflow is restricted by the box. I had a K&N filter in the box and one month after I cleaned it I took it out and only the center portion of it was dirty. What you need to do is allow more air to get to your filter.



Second, you need to look at how filters are designed. There are two basic ways to increase airflow. One way (the best way) is to increase the surface area. The other way (the worst way) is to have larger "holes" for the air to pass though. Naturally this also allows larger particles to pass though the filter as well.



Everyone keeps trying to come up with a new and improved way to filter the air you breathe and the air that your engine breathes. Let's face it, how else are they going to get you to give them your hard earned money? It always comes back to the fact that a paper type filter that you throw away does a better job of filtering. I'm in the HVAC business and nothing keeps the ducts in your house (and more importantly your evaporator) cleaner then a pleated throw away filter. All of these reusable filters do not stand up over time and you can never get them completely clean.



Now take your truck filter. These high flow filters compromise filtration for flow. How else can you explain one cleaning in 80,000 miles??? Where did all of the road dust/dirt go? Where did all of the pollen go? Even filters in hospitals, which are much cleaner then our roads, are changed several times a year. I agree that the air that is filtered for our engines does not have to be as clean as the air in a hospital but I think that you can see my point. A high flow filter will allow much more dirt into your engine then a paper type filter will.



I have concluded that the BHAF is the best of both worlds. It filters much better then the high flow filters and it makes up for the lower flow by having a very large surface area. With the large surface area and the deep pleats it should also have a long life. At $40 apiece you can buy quite a few for the price of one of these "canons" and put a lot less dirt into your engine.



These are my thoughts on the subject and why I dumped the K&N for the BHAF. BTW, when I switched to the BHAF my hwy mileage increased by 1 mpg. I contribute that to allowing more airflow to the filter since the BHAF didn't have that restrictive box surrounding it.

 

[fishjack1]

I swapped my K&N (in the stock box) out for an AFE about 5 months ago. The AFE makes the truck louder with the addition of lots of turbo whistle . I did not notice a difference in EGTs between the two but you can open the hood and hear the air moving through the AFE even at idle.



I also have a K&N in good shape if someone wants it PM me as well.

 

[bmoeller]

I used to use a K&N drop-in. I went to the BHAF because of all of the fine dirt I run into during fieldwork. The K&N wasn't catching it all, and didn't want to run the risk of over-oilling it.



As an unexpected bonus was that you can hear the turbo sing a little more too. I also have a heat shield on the turbo (in my sig below). The filter stays nice and cool that way.



As others have said, I still have it if you want it. Will need cleaned.

 

[moparguy]

WHAT a question Anybody bring the gasoline:-{} .



RJR

 

[Futures1]

I agree ;o)

All those reply's are correct. It sort of depends on what you have and what your needs are. Stock Cummins have performed well mile after mile, the factory does the best it can to insure that fact.



If you have a fairly stock engine and simply want a filter which will perform better than the OEM, will do it's job for well over 100 K, is cleanable and re oilable, requires no grease, etc. to insure a proper seal, will instantly provide you with a noticable improvement over OEM, will allow as much air as possible with the stock box. . and will install without modification... Then another option you may want to look at is Amsoil's TS-106 "2 Stage" Air Filter.



Hope this is helpful. . there are so many good products out there. Each serves a special need.

 

[2ndgen2500]

where can i buy a bhaf???

 

[bmoeller]

Got mine at NAPA. #2790 or Wix 42790. Can also get it from Peterbuilt or other big rig dealers.



Here are some #'s that I have written down from other posts, hopefully they are all correct-



Donaldson B105006



Donaldson ECB15006



Cummins 3912986



Cummins 3924541



Fleetguard AH19037



Baldwin PA-2806 (metal housing)



Baldwin PA2820

 

[GMocanu]

Originally posted by 2ndgen2500

where can i buy a bhaf???

At most auto parts stores they can order you one. The Napa number is 2790 and the Wix number is 42790. They are both the exact same filter but Napa wants about $15 more then I got the Wix for at a different parts place. I paid $40.



Easy to put on. Just remove the filter box and connect the BHAF to the hose to the turbo. I put a piece of sheet metal under it using the screws that held the box in place to block any water being kicked up into it from the wheel.

 

[Futures1]

BHAF;

Hi again... Try here:



http://www.drivetrain.com/dodgeairfilter.html



This should do the trick for you...

It's one mean looking filter )

 

[rrausch]

"There are two basic ways to increase airflow. One way (the best way) is to increase the surface area. The other way (the worst way) is to have larger "holes" for the air to pass though. "



Sorry GMocanu, this doesn't hold true in the case of K&N. Paper air filters make the air twist and turn as it goes through the filter. As the air is forced to turn, the dirt particles, being heavier than air go straight and end up in all the little nooks and crannies of the paper element. So the above statement is only true in regard to paper elements.



With the K&N, the oiled cotton gauze grabs the dirt particles without the air having to twist and turn so much, which doesn't slow down the airflow so much.



There have been many threads on this site attempting to "prove" the K&N is a poor choice because of the "holes" in the filter. Those holes however still are covered by microscopic fibers which, being oiled, attract and hold dirt just fine.



I've run one for 80,000 miles and my silicon numbers have ALWAYS been either 4 or 3!

 

[WadePatton]

Absolutely yes, get rid of the AIRBOX--where does the term "box" fit in the world of FLOW anyway? Different filter in the box is only fooling you.



BHAF!!! NOTHING flows significantly more air for twice or 4x the money--save the extra money for important stuff, like injectors!



TDR couple of issues ago had hard measurements on the subject.