Engine/Transmission (1998.5 - 2002) Beware K@N filters.

[ARARAR]

Bought one for my 98.5 about 8 mo. ago. I took it out to clean it after returning from a camping trip where I drove an hour in and out on some extremely dusty roads. As I was rinsing it after applying the cleaned I noticed some shinny specks on the side that faces the turbo. After looking a little closer I found a lot of metal shavings just clinging to the aluminum grill from the stamping process they use to produce them. So, if you buy one inspect it very closely. I talked to a K&N rep and they are providing me a replacement via the parts store I bought it from. Mine is the direct replacement that goes in the stock air box.

 

[TFucili]

It's the fine particulates that a K&N won't stop that you really need to worry about. You will "dust down" your engine.

 

[Cummins12V98]

Stick with the FleetGuard filter Geno's sells for your truck!

 

[KrisKringle]

My truck came with a K & N in it. I tried to cross-reference one over here in Germany, but no go. I will be in the States in a few weeks, and plan to bring a couple back with me. I think the term is "dust out." Great video somewhere from Cummins, and I think there was an article in TDR about the comparison over stock vs K & N.

 

[ed9824v]

I have two K&Ns and I really never saw anything get past it but I went back to stock it moves enough air and works fine for a bit over stock motor. all the talk got me concerned.

 

[KATOOM]

K&N is a good company but they're NOT a good air filter for these engines because the Cummins is a charged engine which literally sucks too much air for most air filters. Understand that in order to allow more air to pass through an air filter the media filtration must be reduced. Its that simple..... So in order to retain proper filtration aftermarket filter companies will use a larger filter media with more folds in the filter which increases the media area. This keeps the filtration up while yet allowing more air flow. Its impossible to accomplish this in a stock air box because of the size limitations so when using "high flow" air filters like the K&N, you merely get less filtration, thus the dusty debris inside the turbo tube and blades. Obviously bad for any engine.

In saying that, if you want to keep the stock air box then running a Fleetguard air filter is the best. But just note that the stock air boxes are notorious for leaking seals which allow debris past the filter and they also crack too also allowing debris in the engine. This is why people ditch the stock airbox for air filters like the BHAF you can find at NAPA or any fleet truck parts location. Simple highly effective design which allows all the air required by the engine and all the filtration too. But there are many versions of the BHAF too so if anyone is interested in getting one just make sure you get the larger one which allows the most CFM's. They even have a "marine" version which can get wet but they're expensive.