AIR FILTER STUDY COMPLETED!!!!

[Mr X]

Great test job, beautiful reporatge.

[dentman4054]

man thats awesome thank you very much!!!!

[StraitDiesel]

That was some good information and reading, thank you Arlen and Ken for taking the time to get this test rolling and finished!

Dan

[gunbunny]

A big thanks to Arlen and Ken!!

[Pony Driver]

it certainly appears that ac delco make the most efficient air filer...

who makes the OEM filter?

[03duraHDmax]

I can't imagine a reason why somebody would run anything but the AC Delco.. Yet I'm sure many run aftermarket filters.

[RUNNINHORN]

shared this with a few folks today, and here was one of their responses--


"The pages he linked to showed that the K&N filter flowed significantly better, 2-3 times better, than the AC-Delco filter. On the other hand, the AC Delco filter stopped more "dirt," than the K&N filter. Nothing surprising there. You'd expect the more restrictive filter to flow less air.

What makes tests like this less informative than you'd think is the unmentioned aspects. If the "dirt" they used is a mixture of particles of different sizes, "ranging from less than 2.5 microns to greater than 80 microns," it would be usefull to know the makeup of the dirt that made it through each filter. It is unclear to me whether the K&N filter lets through the larger particles mostly, which would be a real issue, or the tiniest of particles mostly, which would be of little concern. One would assume the paper filter would stop all but the smallest particles, but I really don't have any idea what makeup of particles makes it through the K&N.

In addition, how do these tests relate to real life? How does a given amount of "dirt" compare to the actual particulate matter one encounters under the hood of a vehicle on the road? How does a cfm of 350 containing said dirt equate to miles travelled on real highways and dirt roads? Are the differences in filtering efficiency significant, or do they represent the extreme end of performance under conditions never seen IRL?"

[Bronco]

YOU KNOW WHAT STARTED THIS ALL??????????????????????????







A visible layer of dirt/dust particles on the inside of the intake tube whan using aftermarket fileters. Wipe the layer of dirt off, reinstall ACPAPER and no more dirt ever.


When you install a 30 HP tune in the engine can you feel the power increase? YES.

When you install a K&N filter and intake tube can you feel the increase? NO.

So is it worth using filters that let dirt in the intake tube to acheive a HP gain that can not even be felt by the SOP dynomomiter? NO.

If you are a serious racer, install your free flowing filter at the race track or sled pull. Remove when finished and reinstall your ACdelco for all those dusty miles.

[harleycb]

This study used the standard AFE filter if I'm correct - Would love to see the difference with the newer ProGaurd 7 filter..............

[Fordiesel]

Howdy, I'm new here. (well, I used to lurk on "the diesel page" 4 or 5 years ago if this is the same site). Anyways, a link to Arlen and Ken's airfilter study (courtesy of JpBLock and Spicer) led me to this forum.

A link to the study, and a link to this thread, was posted on "the diesel stop." There, a longtime member and site advertiser named Bob Riley, who sells the Amsoil filter at his "dieselsite" internet store, challenged the methodology used in this test, as follows:

Just curious, but does anyone know if the foam filters were oiled with the correct oil, or where they dry. The test didn't specify that I could see. I've seen tests myself, and I don't beleive for a second the dirt passing through them unless they were run dry. I would rather have a foam filter on my truck rather than my AFE if I could have one large enough, but looking at those tests, you would wonder. Bob

Essentially, Bob is tacitly suggesting that the tester at Testland was incompetent... by questioning how or whether the K&N, Amsoil, and other filters were tested with the correct type and quantity of oil.

Personally, I would assume that someone employed at an air filter testing facility, who tests air filters for a living, with access to a $285,000 machine, who does not have a personal interest in any of the products tested, but, owning a diesel truck himself, has a personal interest in learning the true outcome of the results on an equal and fair footing... would be able to figure out how to install a K&N just as easily as a consumer who buys the product off the shelf would. Personally, I'd give the tester the benefit of the doubt.

BUT, since the question was raised, and since there is no text in the study report that acknowledges or mentions whether the instructions included with the oiled filters were followed, is it possible to follow up with the tester to get some assurance that this was done?

I think to even ask this would be insulting to the intelligence of the tester, but as has been pointed out, there is a lot of marketing, and ultimately, a lot of money behind the use of certain aftermarket filters... so it is to be expected that someone with a vested interest will find something to challenge or cloud the validity of a test like this.

Nothing against Bob... he is a great guy (and I say this from personal knowlege), and has been very helpful over the years to many people seeking to have fun with their diesel trucks.

But the value of this air filter test to the consumer is that it puts this "fun" in proper perspective... alerting folks in a scientific manner to the potential costs of this fun in longevity and reliable performance. It corrects the balance of single sided information from the advertiser, and puts the power of informed decision making in the hands of the consumer.

I'd hate to see the results of this test undermined by the cloud of doubt suggesting that this generous, professional, air filter tester was supposedly so inept that he forgot to oil the filters. So, if the question raised could be unequivocably answered, that would be most helpful in putting an end to this objection.