ok guys ive got a serious question.....i had someone tell me i will get more dust and dirt and grit in my motor if i went with a filter is this true??also are K&N filters notrious for gumming up and causing your throttle body to stick and sometimes it'll stick wide open... is K&N pretty much one of the least effective air filters out there...just from being a member of this site i see alot of you guys must run them whats your pros and cons of them....before i forget i cant afford the whole intake kit i was just gonna see about getting the filter..before i buy one id like some advise from you guys.....thank you alan

 

Hey alan, and welcome to F150online!

A simple search for 'K&N air filter' will yield you dozens of threads concerning this very issue. To sum them up, there are many benefits of using a K&N air filter:

(1) You never will have to replace an air filter again. K&N has a million mile warranty on them, and the only maintenance you need to do is clean it with the K&N cleaning kit every 30,000 miles.
(2) Some have experienced increased HP.
(3) Some have experienced increased MPG.
(4) Some have experienced a better engine sound at mid-high RPMs.

Basically there is nothing you can do wrong by putting one in. It is better than the stock paper filter, and due to the fact that you will never have to replace it, it will save you money in the long run. That is reason alone to get one. And if you get better MPG and an increase in HP, the more the better!

 

Just be sure when it does come time to clean it, when you re-oil the filter, don't put too much oil on it. That's where people can have problems with what you mentioned, but if you follow the manufacturer's instructions, you won't have any problems with it. Hope this helps.

 

With a K&N air filter you will see a minimal if any performance increase. The negative side is that oiled filters can cause problems with MAF sensors. I've been down that road and it wasn't from over oiling after cleaning.

 

i have had a K&N filter on every vehicle i have owned since i started driving all my dirtbikes and quads too, 14 vehicles total most of them with MAF sensors(not the dirt bikes or quads) and have never had a problem with the MAF sensor being contaminated, i think you might have over oiled it and just didnt know or it was just time for the MAF to go, just my experience

 

And to be really honest with the naysayers on this forum............

Consider that if you seriously ever *did* get your MAF dirty enough to make a difference, you simply pull your intake open. lift it up so you can look into it and you will see your MAF sitting there smiling back at you with its two teeth.......errr........wires..............then you do the following..........

Spray that sucker w/ non-residue brake cleaner.....(it'll say *non* residue on the can)........wait a minute or two........then spray it again.......(go ahead & get liberal with it).......and then put it all back together and go mow the lawn or something. When you come back, simply start your truck and drive. End of ANY potential problem you might have.

 

From my experience the drop in filter works great i havent had a single problem with it.

 

There are a few pretty detailed tests documented on the internet that address K&N efficiency/performance.

http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/airfilter/airtest1.htm

1) There's nearly no difference in flow between all of the filters (from Fram to K&N). K&N flows SLIGHTLY better--not enough to do a thing.

2) K&N lets in more dirt. Calling it dirt is really too strong of a word. K&N admits their filters are only 99% as effective as an OEM filter, but really doubt that 1% means much in the way of particulate matter.

3) You'll never buy another oil filter. That's the only reason to buy one.

-Fatz

 

Found this site on another forum.

http://home.usadatanet.net/~jbplock/ISO5011/SPICER.htm

 

i ran a k&n on my 97 and never had a problem with it. I had a k&N drop in on the L when i first bought it. When i decided to go with a cold air intake kit the only reason i didnt buy the k&n was i didnt like the plastic intake elbow that comes with the kit so I went with the Air Force One with stainless power tube. Im pleased the the AF1 and its bout like the K&n but larger being both are reachargable.

 

thanks for the replies guys.....i will get one here soon and try it and ill keep you informed..so my maf is right inside my intake if i was to open it up and change filter...so when i do buy it i can just open it up take old one out drop in the k&n and go..no attaching anything or makeing modifactions??know how often should i cllean it??should i take it out after awile and inspect it ?? or just let it go untill i clean it???if i have problems with the maf after i oil it should i just leave the filter sit out till the oil dryes?? know after reading some post you guys said something about better engine sound at mid rpms whats it gonna sound like?? what about my mpg how much better will that get...i know it wont be alot but i am looking for maybe a little bit better mpg...i sucked seafoam throu brake booster and that helped alot...know im looking to do something else like the k&n air filter...i want to change plugs on this too where are they evem at?? ive looked all over it they arent in the side like im used to...lol..id like to do it myself but im not sure how to..im gonna buy me a book or something so i can learn how to do repairs myself.....thanks for the tips guys.. alan have a good labor day....

 

Are you awhere the filter is cleaned by spraying on a cleaner then rinsing in clean water until as much dirt comes out as possible then let dry then do the oiling.
It's not a fast process if your in a hurry. You can't put the oil on a wet filter.
The oil used does not dry up. It's very close to being ATF fluid.
The service kits are about $12 a shot.
How do I know............I do it every week on a dirt track sprint car.
My opinion is you won't get any performance increase on a road engine.
I use an 02 F150/4.6 to pull an enclosed race trailer at more than 11,000 lbs gross weight and would not run one..
On a race engine that collects dirt at a very high rate makes the K/N types the only practical ones to use for that application but not on a road engine.
That's my position from both sides of the coin at the same time.

 

I put a drop in K&N. It works great. There is better throttle response and it sounds awesome. I did notice a slight increase in power and mpg. Of course after the modification it was hard to keep my foot out of it. Here is a post to do a modified air box. A perminate mod and a tempory one. I did the tempory one until I finally converted the whole thing. GO FOR IT!
https://www.f150online.com/tech/airbox.html

 

kn doesnt filter as well there is a new style filter that is a multy layer sponge material. that u clean the filter whenever u cant read the label on it the company is called True Flow and they are the only company on the market currently who makes a higher flowing filter then KN but still filters better then paper filters.
http://www.airintake.com/noframes_filterfacts.htm

 

You know. I'll bet it really is. They claim otherwise, but a rose is a rose. Same with their cleaning fluid. I'm convinced it's nothing more than watered-down dish soap.

I've run them on motorcycles for years. In the old days the first thing you did was rip out the airbox and put on individual K&N filters before you could do anything else.

If longevity is any sort of concern, I've had the same set since 1986 and they look as new as the day I bought them. I think there's a lifetime or million mile warranty anyhow.

-Fatz