I had a K&N on my old forest service truck because the stock filter is almost $40, so it seemed like it was the obvious choice. I pulled it out after less than 500 miles because there was light dust on the "clean side" of the air box. Also if you over oil these filters the mist will compromise your mass airflow sensor. K&N good on the drag strip to keep moths out, not good off-road. I was told that I need a dry pre-filter sock by a local off-road shop, how do you do that on a stock air box? Pass.
I've been running K&N air filters in all of my vehicles for the past 30 years. All of the Lexus and Toyota engines never used any oil, even past 212,000 miles, but my Honda Accord Coupe starting using oil at about 70,000 miles. Hmmmm. Could it be the manufacture and not the air filter? All vehicles used the same maintenance schedule with synthetic oil.
@@m.newman7722dude wasn’t knocking k&n. He was saying it doesn’t work for his specific use case. Oiled filters take way more care and feeding off road.
@m.newman7722 Highway cruiser with minimal dust, K&N is okay. I'll bet if you took an oil sample, though it'll be out of spec for silicates. It's not a question of if these filter allow more dust into the engine, but how much more do they allow in. And for how cheap air filters are, 30 dollars a year I'd rather have better filtration than 11 hp. Especially when I drive my car on the interstate.
He dropped the dust on top of the filter, with gravity assisting in pulling the dust down through the filter. That is not how contaminants enter an actual filter in a car. Air particles are entrained in the airflow into the filter as the air passes through, usually flowing from the bottom upward in modern vehicles. Any electrostatic treatments a filter may have to trap additional dust are negated when the dust is just dropped onto the filter, and filters that are oiled can have local areas of dust saturation where the filter momentarily dries as a large bolus of dust temporarily "soaks up" all the oil. This test duplicates actual conditions much more accurately, and closely mirrors the test protocols used within the filtration industry. I like PF and have long been a fan, but not all of his tests mimic real world conditions. His motor oil tests miss nearly all of the important bits about motor oils, for example. The bearing test is indicative of metal on metal contact under high pressure, which is not supposed to happen in an engine. Those tests will favor oil formulations high in zinc, and while that will give you an idea of what might be the best oils for flat-tappet engines, it ignores the rest of what makes an oil good or bad. Modern oils have limited zinc to protect emissions components, and that's not a problem for any cars with roller lifters or overhead cams. I don't fault PF for this; he does not have the laboratory it would require to be able to test the rest of the stuff. He is very entertaining and I watch every one of his videos, and I just bought another infrared thermometer the other day because of his tests (it was $9!), but the methodology for the air filter test was flawed. There is a reason that the filter companies don't test that way.
Love this video! The visuals are incredible ,they've got me geeking out over air filters! Never thought I'd be inspired to change my air filter, but now I'm eager to upgrade for better airflow.
I use a WIX in my HiHY . Very stiff construction compared to others. Easy to vacuum out. I change oil every 4K miles and it looks clean, this is on an engine with 150K miles. I change air filter after 20K miles.
I gave up on "performance" air filters and WIX is always my go-to brand, too. I'm convinced you can't get high airflow and high filtration at the same time. I just get a WIX filter and change out frequently...
Would love to see you compare stock air filter contamination levels vs these. K&N and similar have always let more dirt in from what I've seen, especially when not oiled etc.
ANOTHER great video! Love the content. Side note, it would be awesome to see you guys test some racing oil filters! Throw in a Fram Racing & Ford Racing! Goes great with this performance filter video! 😊
@@BrandRanks The cotton filters such as K&N need the air coming in to pulse like an engine does, so you need a rig that will do that. Without the fibers receiving air pulses, the dust will go through. Just a straight flow of air without pulses is an unfair way to test these type of filters. Please watch this video "K&N air filters undeserved curse lifted!" Then build a new rig, or modify yours and see what really happens.
@@Sagina1999 I manage a fleet of construction pickups. One of our drivers put a K&N in his work truck because he was "tired of having to clean his filter all the time". We had no idea he had replaced his filter until his truck went into the shop for a turbo replacement (at way lower miles than we normally see a turbo fail). The mechanic sent us pics of the intake completely coated in dust. Then he sent me a pic of the K&N. That turbo replacement was thousands of dollars, not to mention that the engine probably won't see a full life either. We only get about 3 months out of our paper filters but it's still much cheaper than major repairs. It is now our company policy that anyone who makes unapproved modifications to a company truck can lose their job for it. Pulse or no pulse, they do not filter dirt as well as a good paper filter!
Awesome love your videos .. I have more brand ideas for performance filters, PRL, AFe, BMC, Green Filter, KAK, DNA Motoring, HKS Super filter..... And for the regular filter you can do dealership filter like Honda, Toyota, etc.
I started using K&N filters way back in 1972 on my Honda 750. Used them all the years since on every vehicle I owned until 2015. That’s the year I bought a Polaris RZR side by side. It was a 2010 model. The very first thing I did was add a K&N filter. I had been to two different Polaris dealers who both mentioned off hand to never use a K&N filter. I thought they were full of bs and even recommend that my brother-in-law put one in his RZR. After a couple of rides his RZR stopped idling. We took it to the dealer and they found that the intake tract was all dusted up and the throttle body had to be replaced. I checked my RZR and found dust in the intake. We both switched to oiled foam filters and never had any more dusting problems. My brother-in-law also had been using K$N filters in all his vehicles for years. We have never used them in anything since. Hard to believe after all those years I found out the filters were sub par.
Great video, as an AEM user I feel this is the clear winner because of filtration which is more important than a few hp extra. Was happy to see AEM excel in filtration. Cheers
AEM is definitely better at filtering and it gained power and increased mpg on my dyno run, V6 VTEC kicked in YO 😉 OEM Honda air filter 245whp and AEM 257whp
But you know what did better than the AEM in filtration AND had less differential pressure? Every single filter in the stock-type filter test. Every one. I don't know why BR didn't put those test results in with the new ones, but if you think filtration is most important, then none of the performance filters are the best choice. I have AEMs in both my Mustangs, but the stock panel filter replacement in the newer one is coming out in the next few minutes. The conical style on my other one is still larger than the stock filter element, which will reduce the pressure differential, and it's on a CAI that can't accept a panel filter one way or another, so that one will remain.
@@tid418I don't know why any of the performance filters manufacturers haven't made a filter media that works as well as OEM paper while still being washable. It seems that they prioritize air flow over filtration. I'll probably be removing my AEM intake and going back to stock after seeing these tests.
@@JamessLuner-wi2qs I have used my AEM for over 3 years in all type of conditions snow rain off road high pollution areas railroads etc. etc. and the AEM has performed stellar in the cleaning department. Zero dust or any dirt on the clean side of the air box. Like new condition. Best part my mpg went 2mpg up
We take our Jeep off-roading in southwest Colorado and into Utah. It can get very dusty. I someti es clean and oil the filter every evening. Once we were gone for thtee weeks. I don't want to carry two dozen new filters. It's easier and cheaper (yes, I'm a cheapskate) to use one K&N filter, and clean and oil every night or two. So, that's a big advantage. Nice video. Thanks.
I had a 2020 Ford Ranger with the 2.3 liter. I got a performance tuning kit directly from Ford. The kit was a reprogramming of the computer and a K&N air filter. It's interesting that the manufacturer had no problem with the K&N. This was an easy way to get a great power boost and keep the warranty.
Missed on not including the values from the last video with traditional filters. Particle counts on those were about ~12000 vs. the ~18000 for these performance filters.
david vizzard proved that there is something most filter testing rigs cant do.which yours dont do either.is individual intake pulses the cylinders create when an engine is running.if you dont believe they exist.put a vaccum gauge on any intake port of a 4 stroke engine.these pulses viberate the fibers in the K&N in an actual engine more so than any standard constant vaccum testing stand.hence why they generally test so badly.this was not K&N saying this but david vizzard himself.
ive used K&N for my previous cars and current one and they worked well. drove them into the ground with these filters. but its not just dust. i often clean out leaves, small sticks, fluf, etc. so it still needs to be cleaned. Thanks for these tests!
The vehicle owner doing their own light maintenance such as changing out their air filter should always be sure that any recommended replacement filter actually fits the same as the OEM. As a technician at a dealership I have thrown many K&N filters into the garbage because of large air gaps around the perimeter. I grew very leery about using these filters because of it and having uncertainty about ability to filter small particles as well as a paper filter with a lot more pleats than the K&N.
@@heystarfish100 These filters seem to shrink after a couple years or service, require labor and recharge kits to maintain, filter poorly, and ruin MAF sensors. You're putting them exactly where they belong. The cons outweigh the pros or every car manufacturer would have adopted K&N filters years ago.
Love the content and the metrics your channel provides. I would love to see how other performance filters like Injen dry filter, AFE Pro 5R oiled, and AFE Dry Flow would perform; also ITG and HKS foam filters. Does a prefilter help or hurt in any significant way (restrictiveness and filtration)? Thanks again for your videos!
Hahaha what I was referring to was that both "oiled" filters KN performance and Spectre. But I did mess up several times while practicing hahaha too much oil filter testing😂 thank you for watching
I've been using K&N air and oil filters for over 20 years . I have them in a 2011 RAM 5.7 Hemi with 280k miles and in a 2012 Subaru Impreza with 142k miles. Not a single mechanical engine issue. I'm sold.
They both did the test wrong, though. The engine pulses, which supposedly makes the cotton fibers scrub the air. ua-cam.com/video/_yYmj-G2R4s/v-deo.htmlsi=frnDFPrNUFSBSdy4
@@JeffGeiser-f9u Ooo there ya go, i'm guessing they just did it for testing purposes for the consumer, I get anxiety when shopping but for the Garage jack video example* i'm sure i do want a safe, easy, way to lift my car, i now know to buy a 3T double hydraulic than the single 1800kg.
I had to run a K&N on my Jeep because I couldn't find anything else that fit so I checked on it frequently to make sure it was oiled enough to keep the intake clean.
AEM did indeed filter better than the others so it's a safe bet. Thank you for the suggestions, we'd like to test come filters as well. Thanks for watching
I love your testing methodology! Thanks for all the hard work. That said, I have two bits of feeback: improved labeling, and (in this particular case) repeat testing on filters that are designed to be re-used. First, could you label the graphs more completely? The particulate graphs had sections in blue, green, and orange but they weren't labeled, so it was hard to tell what I was looking at. Also, toward the end of the video, you showed a comparison of the results, but only showed limited portions of the data at one time. It would be more helpful if you could display a single large table/graph that shows all the testing results for these (and prior) air filter tests. You did something similar for your oil filter tests, and similar channels like Project Farm do that at the end of their videos, too. Second, since this video covers air filters that are designed to be washed and re-used, I feel it should inherently be part of a complete test of those products to wash and re-use them in order to see how their qualities hold up over time. Thanks again!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this feedback we really do appreciate it. The graph labels were really small at the top, but I will increase the size for next time and agree a table at the end with the previous filters would be useful we just recently changed tables and graph software because it used to take so long just to animate those. We were planning on doing a video regarding cleaning the reusable filters as well as passing compressed air on non reusable filters to see the impact kinda like a myth busting video. Thank you so much again, your support and feedback is amazing!
For a while I used K&Ns and found they not only let a lot of crap thru the filter but if your MAPF valve is near the Air Filter, Oil from the K&N contaminated it. Please check out Project Farm's Video on the K&N. I've used Wix Air Filters for some time and been very happy with them and would gladly sacrifice the minor performance increase for greater engine protection.
Great work. Only thing i wish you would have shown the Purolator stats across the board like you did with the hp. Especially the filtration numbers. Ive watched all your videos, but no way i would remember the numbers
It did indeed filter the best so makes sense you have all those miles, but it's also most likely because you take great care of it. Thanks for watching
And that's why I don't use anything K&N.....They were probably lobbying for the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act like Fram was. P.S. K&N bought out AEM, so that's probably why they're not any good anymore. I use to use AEM in everything, but not anymore. Right now I use Greenfilters, but I don't know really how good they filter.
I've been using Spectre air filters for a long time now. Great filters at unbeatable prices. I will say their cone filters don't have the same quality as their panel filters. The cone filters usually need additional silicone applied around the pipe connection for a proper seal. Otherwise, they're great too!
You should have included a "standard" paper air filter for comparison in all of these tests, especially for the filtration test. The whole point should have been whether these so-called "high flow" filters are meaningfully better than the typical fram/purolator OEM style filter.
I had mine in for one oil change and my MAF was coated in oil/dust (from going off road) and my intake hose had oil coating with dust. It basically spits oily dust through it. I always advise people not to use them, especially if they go on any dirt roads. It allows more air which means more dust and small particles. Good for the track but not good for any adventurous person
My K&N cleaning kit was about $15 the last time I purchased the kit more than 12 years ago. Now, the price has somewhat increased but still far below $50, and I still have plenty left, and thus, it will be perhaps another 5 to 7 years before I will need to obtain another cleaning kit. If you paid $50, I know of someone who got royally ripped off. I clean the filter about every 30,000 miles. Other than a Honda Accord Coupe, all of my Toyotas and Lexus vehicles have never used any oil, up to one vehicle that lasted 212,000 miles before a young lady rear ended me and totaled the car.
Awesome, great video. Thanks for the effort. No more k&n performance. The aem is made by k&n you would think it would be the same as the select. I believe specter is made by k&n also?
Thank you so much. Glad you enjoyed! I've seen conflicting things regarding Spectre being owned by K&N I just know they were in a lengthy legal battle against each other. Thanks for watching and supporting us!
I have used k&n for over a decade but I almost never buy a used car that has a k&n filter installed. K&N may not be the best but they are good if properly taken care of. The problem is the k&n is either not cleaned regularly or of they are then they get over oiled. If the owner can't properly take care of something as simple as an air filter then you can almost guarantee that the whole car is probably not properly maintained. As far as k&n performance I might use it at the track but for every day use the normal k&n is what I will always use.
I just want to say that the 6 months interval for the stock air filter is bs and you know it XD most manufacturers recommended somewhere between 10-15k miles. the average person in the usa drives 14k a year. once a year is perfect for the vast majority of people. tho yes still more expensive over time. just bad math
I agree, most recommend 10k to 12k or one year, but that's under ideal conditions. They state to change more often when in dusty conditions. We were just being very conservative with the calculation to drive a point. That's also the calculations K&N uses to justify their savings, for whatever their word is worth😂. Thank you for watching! And supportting us.
spectre is owned by k&n also, when i can, i get spectre but they dont make everything that k&n does also static flow tests dont work on k&ns they need pulsing flow like an engine produces in order for the gauze pleats to rustle and cycle fiberts across the pores in the filter
I wouldn’t say “finally has a competitor”. I had a Spectre cold air intake back in high school (2008). I do not recommend aftermarket air filters/intakes outside of specific performance applications.
Great video! Could you also test other filter brands like Carquest premium, Fram drive, Fram titanium and Fram ultra air that I just recently seen at Walmart and is supposed to be Frams best engine air filter. Would like to see how that compares to the wix and purlator. Can you also test cabin air filters and engine coolant and windshield wiper fluid and brake fluid for future videos? Love your videos, keep up the good work! Also could you possibly go back to oil filters and test by pass filters?
Has anyone just tried adding a second stock air filter box to a car? I think it would make more power than any of these aftermarket filters and save the engine from eating dust.
There have been a number of studies, available on UA-cam indicating that engine vibration while driving, causes K&N air filters, to filter much better. Thus, could a static test of just pure filtering, bias the test results vs on the car air filtering with a K&N filter while driving? Your results are similar to many others over the years, yet all of these tests were with static and not on the car filtering. Just wondering for a friend.
So all these performance filters filter just as poorly and have a similarly low capacity to the cheap filters but unlike the cheap filters they give you more power. Best of both worlds seems to be Wix, Purolator and Fram extra guard. Thank you for all your tests!
You say that dust larger than 1 micron, but how much larger? As long as it's not too large for the engine oil to encapsulate it, it won't hurt your engine. Although you might want to change your oil more often when running a K&N. Personally I've been using K&N oiled filters in every car that I've owned since 1988. Most bought brand new and over 100k miles later zero internal engine problems and no oil consumption or smoke.
I change the air filter maybe every 2 years. I have never noticed the slightest difference in power or fuel economy before and after filter change in a real world application. The car is reasonably overpowered for normal traffic before and after. So IF you are hunting milliseconds on a track... Go for it. If you commute to work and visit friends and family... don't!
I ran a K&N filter on my sedan for about two years maybe three that is the worst filter I’ve ever used in my life. It’ll let more dust and debris through into the intake than any other filter I have ever used. I will never ever use another one.
A performance filter is pretty mediocre on actually adding power. The biggest difference you'll likely notice is the throttle response and lower end torque. Lower restrictions in the intake lets the air speed up more quickly, and more faster. Which is where responsiveness and torque comes from.
When I was younger, got the AEM short ram for the 04 Mazdaspeed MX5. The motor often got dirty and required more oil changes. Now I’m older, these performance filters are useless to me. I rather have a quality Purolator or Wix and have a long lasting cleaner engine. I checked out their previous video. No point of going to performance filter for 3 more HP.
These kinds of videos are exactly why I love this channel. THank you for your work, and please keep it coming.
Thank you for the kind words! We're happy you enjoy the content!
I had a K&N on my old forest service truck because the stock filter is almost $40, so it seemed like it was the obvious choice. I pulled it out after less than 500 miles because there was light dust on the "clean side" of the air box. Also if you over oil these filters the mist will compromise your mass airflow sensor. K&N good on the drag strip to keep moths out, not good off-road. I was told that I need a dry pre-filter sock by a local off-road shop, how do you do that on a stock air box? Pass.
So, you needed an air filter. for. your. air. filter? Um... Yeah. Hard pass.
I've been running K&N air filters in all of my vehicles for the past 30 years. All of the Lexus and Toyota engines never used any oil, even past 212,000 miles, but my Honda Accord Coupe starting using oil at about 70,000 miles. Hmmmm. Could it be the manufacture and not the air filter? All vehicles used the same maintenance schedule with synthetic oil.
@@m.newman7722dude wasn’t knocking k&n. He was saying it doesn’t work for his specific use case. Oiled filters take way more care and feeding off road.
Well yes and no but yea@dennisgreiwe2078
@m.newman7722 Highway cruiser with minimal dust, K&N is okay. I'll bet if you took an oil sample, though it'll be out of spec for silicates. It's not a question of if these filter allow more dust into the engine, but how much more do they allow in. And for how cheap air filters are, 30 dollars a year I'd rather have better filtration than 11 hp. Especially when I drive my car on the interstate.
Project farm showed K&N let a lot of contamination through the filter! There’s no need for a performance filter!
Project Farm's test used invalid methodology. This test is far better.
Running absolutely nothing is better than a k&n filter lol
@@tid418Invalid methodology? In what way?
@@tid418And this year came to the same conclusion...
He dropped the dust on top of the filter, with gravity assisting in pulling the dust down through the filter. That is not how contaminants enter an actual filter in a car.
Air particles are entrained in the airflow into the filter as the air passes through, usually flowing from the bottom upward in modern vehicles. Any electrostatic treatments a filter may have to trap additional dust are negated when the dust is just dropped onto the filter, and filters that are oiled can have local areas of dust saturation where the filter momentarily dries as a large bolus of dust temporarily "soaks up" all the oil.
This test duplicates actual conditions much more accurately, and closely mirrors the test protocols used within the filtration industry.
I like PF and have long been a fan, but not all of his tests mimic real world conditions. His motor oil tests miss nearly all of the important bits about motor oils, for example. The bearing test is indicative of metal on metal contact under high pressure, which is not supposed to happen in an engine.
Those tests will favor oil formulations high in zinc, and while that will give you an idea of what might be the best oils for flat-tappet engines, it ignores the rest of what makes an oil good or bad. Modern oils have limited zinc to protect emissions components, and that's not a problem for any cars with roller lifters or overhead cams.
I don't fault PF for this; he does not have the laboratory it would require to be able to test the rest of the stuff. He is very entertaining and I watch every one of his videos, and I just bought another infrared thermometer the other day because of his tests (it was $9!), but the methodology for the air filter test was flawed. There is a reason that the filter companies don't test that way.
Love this video! The visuals are incredible ,they've got me geeking out over air filters! Never thought I'd be inspired to change my air filter, but now I'm eager to upgrade for better airflow.
Thank you for your continued support! Always here commenting! We notice and appreciate it.
You guys are the best! Love your test!
Been sharing with my car groups your guys awesome videos!
Thanks so much! Really appreciate you sharing our videos with your car groups! 🚗🔥
I just stick with WIX air filter. I hope I make a good choice. I not sure how good it works though.
Make sure to watch our first video on air filter. Wix did very well! Thanks for watching
WIX is the top of the line for non performance filter.
I use a WIX in my HiHY . Very stiff construction compared to others. Easy to vacuum out. I change oil every 4K miles and it looks clean, this is on an engine with 150K miles. I change air filter after 20K miles.
WIX makes the best filters for oil and air in my experience. You’re good.
I gave up on "performance" air filters and WIX is always my go-to brand, too. I'm convinced you can't get high airflow and high filtration at the same time. I just get a WIX filter and change out frequently...
Would love to see you compare stock air filter contamination levels vs these. K&N and similar have always let more dirt in from what I've seen, especially when not oiled etc.
Great idea! We'll keep this in mind for future tests. Thanks for watching.
This is great news you can use, thanks Brand Ranks!!
Thanks for watching!
ANOTHER great video! Love the content. Side note, it would be awesome to see you guys test some racing oil filters! Throw in a Fram Racing & Ford Racing! Goes great with this performance filter video! 😊
Thanks for the support and suggestion! We'll keep it mind!
I’m here for it!!! Love your videos and the info you provide!
Thank you! Glad you’re enjoying the videos and the info! 🙌
@@BrandRanks The cotton filters such as K&N need the air coming in to pulse like an engine does, so you need a rig that will do that. Without the fibers receiving air pulses, the dust will go through. Just a straight flow of air without pulses is an unfair way to test these type of filters. Please watch this video "K&N air filters undeserved curse lifted!" Then build a new rig, or modify yours and see what really happens.
@@Sagina1999😅 can't tell if serious
@@ianm432 Can't tell? Yes, as serious as a heart attack!
@@Sagina1999 I manage a fleet of construction pickups. One of our drivers put a K&N in his work truck because he was "tired of having to clean his filter all the time". We had no idea he had replaced his filter until his truck went into the shop for a turbo replacement (at way lower miles than we normally see a turbo fail). The mechanic sent us pics of the intake completely coated in dust. Then he sent me a pic of the K&N. That turbo replacement was thousands of dollars, not to mention that the engine probably won't see a full life either. We only get about 3 months out of our paper filters but it's still much cheaper than major repairs. It is now our company policy that anyone who makes unapproved modifications to a company truck can lose their job for it. Pulse or no pulse, they do not filter dirt as well as a good paper filter!
Awesome love your videos .. I have more brand ideas for performance filters, PRL, AFe, BMC, Green Filter, KAK, DNA Motoring, HKS Super filter..... And for the regular filter you can do dealership filter like Honda, Toyota, etc.
Green filter USA makes PRL air filters, there is also Green Filter Europe which is different from Green Filter USA
I have 375000 km on my mazda 2, with the K&N air filter and the engine runs as good as new. Thank you Sir for the video.
Wowww that impressive! You must take great care of it. Thank you so much for watching and supporting us!
I started using K&N filters way back in 1972 on my Honda 750. Used them all the years since on every vehicle I owned until 2015. That’s the year I bought a Polaris RZR side by side. It was a 2010 model. The very first thing I did was add a K&N filter. I had been to two different Polaris dealers who both mentioned off hand to never use a K&N filter. I thought they were full of bs and even recommend that my brother-in-law put one in his RZR. After a couple of rides his RZR stopped idling. We took it to the dealer and they found that the intake tract was all dusted up and the throttle body had to be replaced. I checked my RZR and found dust in the intake. We both switched to oiled foam filters and never had any more dusting problems. My brother-in-law also had been using K$N filters in all his vehicles for years. We have never used them in anything since. Hard to believe after all those years I found out the filters were sub par.
Great Video!
Thanks to all involved for a your hard work and efforts.
You are appreciated!
Thanks again! And bring me more please.
You guys are becoming one my favorite car content channel, keep up with the good work 🔥🔥
So glad to hear this! Appreciate you watching and supporting us. It keeps us motivated to keep creating content for you guys! Thank you!
Thanks so much for the support! Comments like this make it worthwhile!🔥🚗
Great video, as an AEM user I feel this is the clear winner because of filtration which is more important than a few hp extra. Was happy to see AEM excel in filtration. Cheers
Indeed it performed better than the others filtering and it's still washable! Thank you so much for watching and supporting us. Cheers!
AEM is definitely better at filtering and it gained power and increased mpg on my dyno run, V6 VTEC kicked in YO 😉 OEM Honda air filter 245whp and AEM 257whp
But you know what did better than the AEM in filtration AND had less differential pressure?
Every single filter in the stock-type filter test. Every one. I don't know why BR didn't put those test results in with the new ones, but if you think filtration is most important, then none of the performance filters are the best choice.
I have AEMs in both my Mustangs, but the stock panel filter replacement in the newer one is coming out in the next few minutes. The conical style on my other one is still larger than the stock filter element, which will reduce the pressure differential, and it's on a CAI that can't accept a panel filter one way or another, so that one will remain.
@@tid418I don't know why any of the performance filters manufacturers haven't made a filter media that works as well as OEM paper while still being washable. It seems that they prioritize air flow over filtration. I'll probably be removing my AEM intake and going back to stock after seeing these tests.
@@JamessLuner-wi2qs I have used my AEM for over 3 years in all type of conditions snow rain off road high pollution areas railroads etc. etc. and the AEM has performed stellar in the cleaning department. Zero dust or any dirt on the clean side of the air box. Like new condition. Best part my mpg went 2mpg up
We take our Jeep off-roading in southwest Colorado and into Utah. It can get very dusty. I someti es clean and oil the filter every evening. Once we were gone for thtee weeks. I don't want to carry two dozen new filters. It's easier and cheaper (yes, I'm a cheapskate) to use one K&N filter, and clean and oil every night or two. So, that's a big advantage. Nice video. Thanks.
Yes 100 percent more convenient for you to use a reusable one. Thank for sharing and for watching!
I had a 2020 Ford Ranger with the 2.3 liter. I got a performance tuning kit directly from Ford. The kit was a reprogramming of the computer and a K&N air filter. It's interesting that the manufacturer had no problem with the K&N. This was an easy way to get a great power boost and keep the warranty.
What most people dont know is that k&n owns spectra filters thats why they do pretty good
Missed on not including the values from the last video with traditional filters. Particle counts on those were about ~12000 vs. the ~18000 for these performance filters.
And this is why I like test in general. Good stuff!
david vizzard proved that there is something most filter testing rigs cant do.which yours dont do either.is individual intake pulses the cylinders create when an engine is running.if you dont believe they exist.put a vaccum gauge on any intake port of a 4 stroke engine.these pulses viberate the fibers in the K&N in an actual engine more so than any standard constant vaccum testing stand.hence why they generally test so badly.this was not K&N saying this but david vizzard himself.
ive used K&N for my previous cars and current one and they worked well. drove them into the ground with these filters. but its not just dust. i often clean out leaves, small sticks, fluf, etc. so it still needs to be cleaned. Thanks for these tests!
Thank you so much for supporting and watching!
@@BrandRanks still waiting on a video about cartridge style oil filters vs can oil filters 😝
Another great video! I'll stick with my Wix air filter given that I live in a rural area amongst farm fields and gravel roads.
Thanks for watching! Wix is a solid choice!
Keep these awesome videos coming!👏 The best on UA-cam....
Thank you so much for those kind words. Really do appreciate it!
The vehicle owner doing their own light maintenance such as changing out their air filter should always be sure that any recommended replacement filter actually fits the same as the OEM. As a technician at a dealership I have thrown many K&N filters into the garbage because of large air gaps around the perimeter. I grew very leery about using these filters because of it and having uncertainty about ability to filter small particles as well as a paper filter with a lot more pleats than the K&N.
Agree. It's definitely important for vehicle owners to ensure proper fit and quality when choosing replacement filters. Thanks for watching!
@@heystarfish100 These filters seem to shrink after a couple years or service, require labor and recharge kits to maintain, filter poorly, and ruin MAF sensors. You're putting them exactly where they belong. The cons outweigh the pros or every car manufacturer would have adopted K&N filters years ago.
Very thorough testing
Thank you very much. Thank you for watching and supporting us.
Love the content and the metrics your channel provides.
I would love to see how other performance filters like Injen dry filter, AFE Pro 5R oiled, and AFE Dry Flow would perform; also ITG and HKS foam filters. Does a prefilter help or hurt in any significant way (restrictiveness and filtration)?
Thanks again for your videos!
YOU GUYS MAKE THE BEST VIDEOS!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!! KEEP THEM ROLLING!!!!!!!!!
10:13 You guys have been testing oil filters way too much. 😉 Love your content!
Hahaha what I was referring to was that both "oiled" filters KN performance and Spectre. But I did mess up several times while practicing hahaha too much oil filter testing😂 thank you for watching
I've been using K&N air and oil filters for over 20 years . I have them in a 2011 RAM 5.7 Hemi with 280k miles and in a 2012 Subaru Impreza with 142k miles. Not a single mechanical engine issue. I'm sold.
ive used spectre from amazon in 2 f150s and 2 v6 escapes, wonderful and not paying for KNs advertising.... tho i have one in my mustang!
@@mos8541 "not paying for KNs advertising" instead you are supporting slave labor in c c p chin a! Good job! All hail the peoples air filter!
Oh, the video I was waiting for, true to your word Brand Ranks. ♥
Thanks for sticking around and watching! Glad we could deliver what you were waiting for!
Woww You and ProjectFarm are just great at all these type of videos! Y'all should really duo up for a few "expensive side videos"
Indeed he is great! Would love to do a Colab with him one day. Hopefully his audience convinces him 😊
They both did the test wrong, though. The engine pulses, which supposedly makes the cotton fibers scrub the air.
ua-cam.com/video/_yYmj-G2R4s/v-deo.htmlsi=frnDFPrNUFSBSdy4
@@JeffGeiser-f9u Ooo there ya go, i'm guessing they just did it for testing purposes for the consumer, I get anxiety when shopping but for the Garage jack video example* i'm sure i do want a safe, easy, way to lift my car, i now know to buy a 3T double hydraulic than the single 1800kg.
I had to run a K&N on my Jeep because I couldn't find anything else that fit so I checked on it frequently to make sure it was oiled enough to keep the intake clean.
Very useful information, any increase in performance or money saved by washing the filter is negated by the engine damage
Indeed I would be careful and maybe just limit use for the track. Thanks for watching
I like AEM because dry flow. Would love see cone air filter from all brands aem, aFe, injen, DC sport, K&N, and etc
Great video
AEM did indeed filter better than the others so it's a safe bet. Thank you for the suggestions, we'd like to test come filters as well. Thanks for watching
Breathe taking results 😮😊
I love your testing methodology! Thanks for all the hard work.
That said, I have two bits of feeback: improved labeling, and (in this particular case) repeat testing on filters that are designed to be re-used.
First, could you label the graphs more completely? The particulate graphs had sections in blue, green, and orange but they weren't labeled, so it was hard to tell what I was looking at.
Also, toward the end of the video, you showed a comparison of the results, but only showed limited portions of the data at one time. It would be more helpful if you could display a single large table/graph that shows all the testing results for these (and prior) air filter tests. You did something similar for your oil filter tests, and similar channels like Project Farm do that at the end of their videos, too.
Second, since this video covers air filters that are designed to be washed and re-used, I feel it should inherently be part of a complete test of those products to wash and re-use them in order to see how their qualities hold up over time.
Thanks again!
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this feedback we really do appreciate it. The graph labels were really small at the top, but I will increase the size for next time and agree a table at the end with the previous filters would be useful we just recently changed tables and graph software because it used to take so long just to animate those. We were planning on doing a video regarding cleaning the reusable filters as well as passing compressed air on non reusable filters to see the impact kinda like a myth busting video. Thank you so much again, your support and feedback is amazing!
For a while I used K&Ns and found they not only let a lot of crap thru the filter but if your MAPF valve is near the Air Filter, Oil from the K&N contaminated it. Please check out Project Farm's Video on the K&N. I've used Wix Air Filters for some time and been very happy with them and would gladly sacrifice the minor performance increase for greater engine protection.
Thanks for the great content
You're very welcome! Thanks for watching!
Reminds me of cold air intake. Most don't increase horsepower LAMAO and people spend 500
I'll still stick to oem because I value protection more than power or efficiency, but good to know if I ever get back into racing 😂
Using OEM parts is always a safe bet! Thanks for watching!
Great work. Only thing i wish you would have shown the Purolator stats across the board like you did with the hp. Especially the filtration numbers. Ive watched all your videos, but no way i would remember the numbers
Aem dryflow here. Always have, always will. Aem since new, and now with 225k still going strong (4.6 3v)
It did indeed filter the best so makes sense you have all those miles, but it's also most likely because you take great care of it. Thanks for watching
And that's why I don't use anything K&N.....They were probably lobbying for the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act like Fram was.
P.S. K&N bought out AEM, so that's probably why they're not any good anymore. I use to use AEM in everything, but not anymore. Right now I use Greenfilters, but I don't know really how good they filter.
Green is best
Interesting how AEMs QC went down after k and n bought them.
You can blow out paper filters with compressed air, or even bump them on concrete if you don't want to replace them every time.
I've been using Spectre air filters for a long time now. Great filters at unbeatable prices. I will say their cone filters don't have the same quality as their panel filters. The cone filters usually need additional silicone applied around the pipe connection for a proper seal. Otherwise, they're great too!
Thanks for the info, we may do a video on cone filters and will be vigilant. Thank you so much for watching!
You should have included a "standard" paper air filter for comparison in all of these tests, especially for the filtration test. The whole point should have been whether these so-called "high flow" filters are meaningfully better than the typical fram/purolator OEM style filter.
Y’all should test an oiled multi layer foam filter. They are standard for offroading and I would love to see if it is better than paper.
Thank you for the suggestion and for watching. Greatly appreciate your support!
K&N has always had competitors. Uni was the way to go for motorcycles.
There's a lot of room in some air boxes. If they just made the filter thicker, it could filter better with more airflow.
I had mine in for one oil change and my MAF was coated in oil/dust (from going off road) and my intake hose had oil coating with dust. It basically spits oily dust through it. I always advise people not to use them, especially if they go on any dirt roads. It allows more air which means more dust and small particles. Good for the track but not good for any adventurous person
I remember seeing this in the past somewhere. The reason why K&N gives you performance gains is because it's basically like not having a filter 😂
My 2024 GMC air filter monitor thought there wasn’t one installed when I first put it in.
Reset it alls good.
Great content .
Thanks a lot! Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video. Im interested to see these tests after washing/cleaning them.
That's a great suggestion! Thanks for watching
The cleaning kits are about 50.00 got to figure that in...
Good point! The cost of the cleaning kits is definitely something to consider. Thanks for mentioning it!
I was thinking 🤔 that in the future cost 💲 😊
My K&N cleaning kit was about $15 the last time I purchased the kit more than 12 years ago. Now, the price has somewhat increased but still far below $50, and I still have plenty left, and thus, it will be perhaps another 5 to 7 years before I will need to obtain another cleaning kit. If you paid $50, I know of someone who got royally ripped off. I clean the filter about every 30,000 miles. Other than a Honda Accord Coupe, all of my Toyotas and Lexus vehicles have never used any oil, up to one vehicle that lasted 212,000 miles before a young lady rear ended me and totaled the car.
I run an oiled K&N. But for the price, that Spectre filter is cheap enough to be a disposable, with all the benefits of a performance filter.
Indeed haha. The Amazon prices were indeed higher though so make sure you check out Rock Auto. Thank you for watching
Awesome, great video. Thanks for the effort. No more k&n performance. The aem is made by k&n you would think it would be the same as the select. I believe specter is made by k&n also?
Thank you so much. Glad you enjoyed! I've seen conflicting things regarding Spectre being owned by K&N I just know they were in a lengthy legal battle against each other. Thanks for watching and supporting us!
I have used k&n for over a decade but I almost never buy a used car that has a k&n filter installed. K&N may not be the best but they are good if properly taken care of. The problem is the k&n is either not cleaned regularly or of they are then they get over oiled. If the owner can't properly take care of something as simple as an air filter then you can almost guarantee that the whole car is probably not properly maintained.
As far as k&n performance I might use it at the track but for every day use the normal k&n is what I will always use.
The best air filter is one that filters the air well which eliminates all of the "performance" filters.
Happy Halloween!
👿💀☠🤡👹👺👻👽👾🤖😺
Thanks for the post my dude!
Happy Halloween! 🎃👻 Thanks for the support! 🧙♂️🍬
I just want to say that the 6 months interval for the stock air filter is bs and you know it XD most manufacturers recommended somewhere between 10-15k miles. the average person in the usa drives 14k a year. once a year is perfect for the vast majority of people. tho yes still more expensive over time. just bad math
I agree, most recommend 10k to 12k or one year, but that's under ideal conditions. They state to change more often when in dusty conditions. We were just being very conservative with the calculation to drive a point. That's also the calculations K&N uses to justify their savings, for whatever their word is worth😂. Thank you for watching! And supportting us.
spectre is owned by k&n also, when i can, i get spectre but they dont make everything that k&n does also static flow tests dont work on k&ns they need pulsing flow like an engine produces in order for the gauze pleats to rustle and cycle fiberts across the pores in the filter
I wouldn’t say “finally has a competitor”. I had a Spectre cold air intake back in high school (2008). I do not recommend aftermarket air filters/intakes outside of specific performance applications.
Great video! Could you also test other filter brands like Carquest premium, Fram drive, Fram titanium and Fram ultra air that I just recently seen at Walmart and is supposed to be Frams best engine air filter. Would like to see how that compares to the wix and purlator. Can you also test cabin air filters and engine coolant and windshield wiper fluid and brake fluid for future videos? Love your videos, keep up the good work! Also could you possibly go back to oil filters and test by pass filters?
Has anyone just tried adding a second stock air filter box to a car? I think it would make more power than any of these aftermarket filters and save the engine from eating dust.
I love this test
Glad you loved it! Thanks for watching!
There have been a number of studies, available on UA-cam indicating that engine vibration while driving, causes K&N air filters, to filter much better. Thus, could a static test of just pure filtering, bias the test results vs on the car air filtering with a K&N filter while driving? Your results are similar to many others over the years, yet all of these tests were with static and not on the car filtering. Just wondering for a friend.
That's a good point, thank you for the feedback, well look into it and maybe throw out a video about it. Thank you again
Wow...the Fram filter has 2X engine protection!!
Whatever that means.
Incredible hair mod on this guy
Thanks! It was on sale at Amazon.😂
So all these performance filters filter just as poorly and have a similarly low capacity to the cheap filters but unlike the cheap filters they give you more power. Best of both worlds seems to be Wix, Purolator and Fram extra guard. Thank you for all your tests!
That's right performance filters do trade off filtration for power, while the other options seem to have a better balance. Thanks for watching!
You say that dust larger than 1 micron, but how much larger? As long as it's not too large for the engine oil to encapsulate it, it won't hurt your engine. Although you might want to change your oil more often when running a K&N.
Personally I've been using K&N oiled filters in every car that I've owned since 1988. Most bought brand new and over 100k miles later zero internal engine problems and no oil consumption or smoke.
More air means better atomization of the fuel which increases power.
I about had a stroke watching the b-roll clip at 1:45 of the K&N filter. Shoot in a higher frame rate lol.
Look at dirt bikes for ultimate flow and dirt filtering. They use oiled foam filters.
Thanks for the suggestion and for watching
There are 3 "d's" in "stanDarDizeD." It's ok if valley girls pronounce the middle "d."
How many times did you redo the dyno for each filter to dubble check values?
there's also the cost of the cleaning/oiling kits to consider with the KN filters
Indeed! Thanks for the feedback and for watching!
4:00 You need to add the cost of the filter cleaning product and the oil for the filter
It must be time to clean my aem filter.
Unless you are racing or trying to make big HP, stick to your regular paper filter folks. Its not worth it
I change the air filter maybe every 2 years. I have never noticed the slightest difference in power or fuel economy before and after filter change in a real world application. The car is reasonably overpowered for normal traffic before and after.
So IF you are hunting milliseconds on a track... Go for it.
If you commute to work and visit friends and family... don't!
Test HKS panel filter! Interesting design compared to paper or “performance” filters
They are junk and breakdown overtime like all foam filters
The replacement part has to be equal or better than the oem part to maintain warranty.i wouldn't call a porous kn filter equal to oem.
That's a valid point! Ensuring replacement parts meet or exceed OEM standards is important. Thanks for watching!
If you want max horsepower just run without a filter. You can't get less restrictive than that.
I ran a K&N filter on my sedan for about two years maybe three that is the worst filter I’ve ever used in my life. It’ll let more dust and debris through into the intake than any other filter I have ever used. I will never ever use another one.
A performance filter is pretty mediocre on actually adding power. The biggest difference you'll likely notice is the throttle response and lower end torque. Lower restrictions in the intake lets the air speed up more quickly, and more faster. Which is where responsiveness and torque comes from.
When I was younger, got the AEM short ram for the 04 Mazdaspeed MX5. The motor often got dirty and required more oil changes. Now I’m older, these performance filters are useless to me. I rather have a quality Purolator or Wix and have a long lasting cleaner engine. I checked out their previous video. No point of going to performance filter for 3 more HP.
K&N is great no matter what anybody says
They are junk. The shittier filtration isn't worth the measly gain in power.
I'm a little wary of filters that has oil. I used to use K&N and it dirtied up my mass airflow sensor. Never again.
We've been hearing a lot about this. Trying to see if we can test this somehow. Thank you for your comment and for watching!
How's the AEM compare on filtration to a standard drop-in paper filter?
What did the factory OEM do in filtration and performance??
Some air filters have a foam layer glued to the paper element, i wonder how this would affect the numbers.
K&N owns AEM filter line
Are there other filters can be tested? ebay, BMC, Greenfilter, S&B...
K&N is still number 1..
can you do regular paper filter.
Make sure to check out our previous video for regular filters. Thanks for watching!
With K&N performance, should I change my oil more often? Just to make sure I am safe.
Don’t waste your money on the washable filters. Most do not keep a car 10 years or change the filter every 6 months.
Indeed! I really think these should be limited to the track if anything. Thanks for watching
Let's GO!
Thanks for watching and supporting us!!
no one really washes or oiled these kn filters lol
Lol That's probably true! Thanks for watching!