AIR FILTER STUDY COMPLETED!!!!

[jbplock]

A link to this topic has generated some interesting dialog over at TheBobIsTheOilGuy Air Filter forum...

Check it out...

ISO 5011/SAE J726 test of Duramax Air Filters

Edited by: jbplock

[Mackin]

Yea Mike is a bit uptight.


Mac

[OC_DMAX]

Bill,


Good post. I think the one individual summed it up correctly; each of of these filter types has a specific application where they each have certain advantages. For daily driving it looks like the OEM paper filter is it. For those making bigger HP and who want the turbo to spool up quicker, then maybe the foam/gause type filters are for them. At least the information is available for each person to make an informed decision.


AlanEdited by: OC_DMAX

[Diesel Tech]

Well I've run 12.36 at the track with a stock AC filter that had about 10,000 miles on it and was pretty dirty. Some of the guys were busting my balls at the track because of it so I pulled it out and cleaned the surounding area of dirt and closed the airbox with nothing in it. Next pass was 12.38 same mph! So I stuck the dirty filter back in.

[jholly]

Originally Posted by Diesel Tech

Well I've run 12.36 at the track with a stock AC filter that had about 10,000 miles on it and was pretty dirty. Some of the guys were busting my balls at the track because of it so I pulled it out and cleaned the surounding area of dirt and closed the airbox with nothing in it. Next pass was 12.38 same mph! So I stuck the dirty filter back in.

Sort takes the argument away from K&N. Oh, wait a minute. This was with a stock intake? No wonder. Got to spend the big bucks on the fancy shiny aluminum intake with the wizzy cone filter. Then you will be cooking

Thanks for the post. Between what Spicer found and what you just posted I'm getting happier with my stock intake every day.

Jim

[packfan]

Originally Posted by ronadycks

I have 32,000 miles on the stock filter, and the indicator has hardly moved. I realize it probably is not the best indicator of air flow, but I just take my filter out every 5,000 miles, and bang it on the ground several times to shake out the dirt. then I blow it off from the clean side with an air nozzle. When I hold it up to the sun (to see if I can see light through the pleats) I still see plenty of light. Also, I verify the integrity of the filter for holes, bending, etc..

Nobody answered this guys question!!!! I have the same one. I have 39,000 on the OE air filter and it looks good, and the indicator has barely moved.


Use it or REPLACE IT?????????

[Ray403Dmax]

The owner's manual should have a replacement schedule or two depending on your type of driving. The OEM filters can be purchased cheap enough that there's no reason to keep running a filter with that many miles on it. And banging the side of a filter to clean it will certainly soil the clean side.

[SPICER]

Originally Posted by packfan

Nobody answered this guys question!!!! I have the same one. I have 39,000 on the OE air filter and it looks good, and the indicator has barely moved.


Use it or REPLACE IT?????????

I would follow the manual also, unfortunately I do not know what it says. My suggestion is this......Don't bang it to knock out dirt, you may damage it. Don't use compressed air to clean it, you may damage it, force dirt through the paper, or contaminate the clean side. Try using a vacuum cleaner with a hose attachment on the dirty side of the filter only, and use your fingers at the end of the hose as a guide to keep the hose a centimeter or so off the element.


I do this with my paper lawn mower filter and it works very well.


I have gotten the ORIGINAL data from Testand and I will send a copy to jbplock for compiling. They also sent me ALL of the tested filters back. What a MESS! Dirt everywhere!


After holding an OE AC Delco filter loaded with 500+ grams of dirt I can say that our filters should be good for a very long time before needing replacement. An airflow test is the only true way to know if a filter is no good. I can tell you that I recently met a fellow Dmaxer who had the original air filter at 75k. It looked like a rat was living in his airbox! Loaded with dust, leaves, an a piece of roof shingle! The filter was black! We took it out and his airbox and intake had no dust in it. I had a spare filter from the testing so I gave it to him. Don't know if his truck performed better after that, but he said it has been running fine. Oh, he was on the original fuel filter also! I had one of those too, but did not offer to help with that. No way I am offering to help ,take an ORIGINAL filter off a truck with 75k!. Mine was hard to take off, his is probably welded! SPICER

[ronadijcks]

SPICER,


This whole thing is silly.


How much is an AC Delco Filter? I really don't know, but probably less than $20.00 . We are talking about 35 to 50 thousand DOLLARS , out-the-door for one of these trucks nowadaze.


I am going to throw a new one in, and just do it every 20k miles, along with a fuel filter, and be done with it.


Why even worry about it anymore? Spicer, you did a great job. And the tests are pretty much conclusive, to the point that unless a person is doing major modifications to their engine, then, the AC Delco ( I guess stock ) filter will more than do the job.


A person once said, more air is only good if you can displace it with more exhaust and more fuel (and do it efficiently), hence a "pipe" on a motorcycle and then re-jetting, and then increased AIR (a pipe).


My point is these trucks are not race cars, and yes, it is fun to tweak and eek out some performance. But for those who are looking to break the sound barrior, buy a '69 Chevy Camaro, Corvette, TransAm, etc., rebuild it, and go to town!!!


Just my no sense 2 cents. I am sure I will take my share of 'shots' but, like I said, just my opinion.

[SPICER]

Originally Posted by ronadycks

SPICER,


This whole thing is silly.


How much is an AC Delco Filter? I really don't know, but probably less than $20.00 . We are talking about 35 to 50 thousand DOLLARS , out-the-door for one of these trucks nowadaze.


I am going to throw a new one in, and just do it every 20k miles, along with a fuel filter, and be done with it.


Why even worry about it anymore? Spicer, you did a great job. And the tests are pretty much conclusive, to the point that unless a person is doing major modifications to their engine, then, the AC Delco ( I guess stock ) filter will more than do the job.


A person once said, more air is only good if you can displace it with more exhaust and more fuel (and do it efficiently), hence a "pipe" on a motorcycle and then re-jetting, and then increased AIR (a pipe).


My point is these trucks are not race cars, and yes, it is fun to tweak and eek out some performance. But for those who are looking to break the sound barrior, buy a '69 Chevy Camaro, Corvette, TransAm, etc., rebuild it, and go to town!!!


Just my no sense 2 cents. I am sure I will take my share of 'shots' but, like I said, just my opinion.

Actually, I agree with you 100%. I will say, though, that at 20k miles your air filter is PROBABLY still good unless you drive in VERY dusty conditions. I will also add that 20K is too long for a factory fuel filter. You are risking your warranty.


My contention has always been the misleading advertising by aftermarket manufacturers. I just picked up a copy of TRUCK TREND magazine by Motor Trend, July/Aug 2004. They have the Top 40 new products. On p.51 is the K&N FIPK (Fuel Inj. Performance Kit specifically for the DMAX. The website claims 10% more HP. The graph from the data shows a 27k mile truck running in 3rd gear. The graph shows an increase in HP over the stock.


Question#1, Was this a new or 27k mile OE air filter?


Question#2, Why is the HP gain ONLY in the middle of the RPM range? In other words, the graph shows a HP gain in the first 2/3rds of the RPM range, but at the top RPM's when air demand is HIGHEST the HP between the stock and K&N are the SAME!!!!!!!!!!!


It is SO F*****G easy to skew ANY data in your favor!!!!! I never had a beef with K&N. Amsoil and UNI were the "favored" filters on this site and I once owned an AMSOIL. It was the claims of THESE filters that put the fire under my butt. K&N, however, is bigger and richer. Now I know why....They lie and deceive better than any of them!!!! SPICER