Objectionable

I've searched the threads and have found some discussion on K&N air filters. I've seen positive responses and some responses that say they aren't good on a supercharged motor because the let too much dirt and grit pass through.

If you use one, what are the positive points. If not, why not.

Thanks.

mikey boy1

There are no draw back to a K&N filter. They are far superior to stock filters and do not let any dirt pass.. They will also dramaticly increase the airflow to the engine, naturally increasing da HP! Going to get some for my e63 when the stock ones are donezo. They are also reuseable because they can be washed when they are dirty!

ejsheltra

They let more air pass because the openings are larger and therefore also let more dirt pass. The oil coating on the filters eventually finds itself on your MAF and will foul it. The goo that it p[uts inside your intake and the dirt that sticks in there looks like !#*^. That is a pricey repair versus the cost of a good paper filter change. The OEM paper filter is designed to flow more air than your motor can use. Be smart and stick with the paper filter from MB. It is money well spent. I have pulled motors run with K&N and the insides do not look good in comparison to a good paper filter. I change mine with every second oil change and for $20 bucks or so it is small change to keep an expensive car healthy. You want your own proof dyno your motor with K&N versus a standard MB paper filter and see the HP difference for yourself and then deicde if what you have gained is worth the trade off. I used to believe the K&N hype and used them and swore by them. Not any more. Good luck.

Objectionable

My logical side says that if K&N developed superior HP with no downside the AMG engineers would already have this type of filter in place given the small price differential.

kipper215

+1 on that!

Yacht Master

K&N, is old 1920s oil bath filter technology, really who wants an oily rag on the intake. The modern paper/poly filters got us out of the cleaning filters days.

Most K&N users got hooked by the marketing, and don't know the history of K&N or the original application of the early products (it was not automotive).

Nice clean easy to change OEM filter @ 1/4 the price of K&Ns........





Got rice

uberwgn

K&N = rock catcher

Air Marshall Eldritch

K&N have been lab tested and shown to allow more grit through than OEM paper.

Everything you said is completely opposite of reality.

speedpeddler

Ditto. Wouldn't put one on anything now and I've used them since the 60's.

Sunir

How about BMC filters? Anyone have anything to say about those...are they similar to K&N?

Max.H

Any thoughts on AFE?

prodigymb

I actually ordered an 80mm HKS mushroom filter and am going to try to just put it on the throttle body inlet without the airboxes......basically like the red renntech sl55. i will try to get together with a local member to do IAT logs to make sure they are ok. i would also like to try to adapt the oem opening in the hood to feed the HKS filter

MRAMG1

Sorry guys, but I Like and USE K/N's on EVERY car that I have EVER owned since 1984. NEVER had a single problem, NEVER had a single MAF issue, or for that matter I have never even heard of one, aka urban mith

I have used them on engines with more than 300,000 miles, no problems, and I have torn down a race engine, aka road race with 77,000 miles and NO signs of wear, thanks Mobil 1

Dynoed a few several years ago, worth a few ponies, check the W203 section as this was recently done, along with the C63 section.

Do they let more dirt through, well yes, but at a level that DOESN'T matter, aka too fine to hurt a darn thing. So this isn't worth debating.

Cost higher intial yes, overal NO.

Take your pic boys and girls, but my money will be on K/N's

See yeah

PS: I do not work for or receive any revunes from K/N. Just one TOTALY happy customer for life.

Almost forgot about BMC's which I currently have on my S600. Expensive, but nice. Personaly I would have bought the K/N's but at the time they were not availabe.

ChicagoX

Our cars have no MAF.

K&N makes a good filter, used on all of my cars for 20 years with no issues.

Green filters melted, HKS filters let chunks of rocks through.

The only issue I've ever seen was with user error - way too much oil.

Sunir

I heard the BMC are good...are these oilable filters like the K&N's as well??

AFE makes bith an oilable filter for race and for street; but they also have a "pro-dry" filter which is a no oil application; I don't know if they have this for v8K MB engines though...

uberwgn

PerisanGodFatha

for a little more money I say get yourself BMC filters...

Sunir

Where's the best place to order them from? Are they an oil based filter like the K&N drop ins?

MRAMG1

Yes, they are oil based. I bought mine off of Oxygen, nice guy, aka Chris. Drop him a PM and he will hook you up.

See yeah

TTMotorsports

+100000

Road Racer

Here is an interested link about air filters, specially showing the thruth about K&N filters... I used K&N in all my cars too, and this really worries me.

http://www.duramax-diesel.com/spicer/index.htm

Sunir

What's interesting is the restriction to flow curve vs. the filtering/dirt plots...looks like there is an inverse relationship to the two; K&N seems to have let in more dirt but flows better; so the real issue is the airborne contaminents; is the dirt/dust particles small or insignificant enough that the differences in values (in this case between AC Delco and say K&N) are negligible??

ML500K

good info ~ was glad that i replaced my oem amg filters instead of getting k&n's

jturkel

just dont use Greens

CWW

Yeah, that's pretty much what everyone's been saying about K&N all along.

They flow better, but let in a crapload more crap. It's a trade-off. I'd prefer to have half as much crap sucked into my motor, and am willing to give up the minimal 10hp gain or whatever, in order to do it.