How reliable are the drop in filters? How reliable are the drop in filters?
I use the BLITZ LM drop in filter. Whats better non oiled filter or oiled filter?

 

I use K&N, had it about a month. It's supposed to last for as long as your car with regular cleaning and recharging. Also, the Dec. '05 Import Tuner dyno'ed this filter to show a peak +4 HP gain and about +2 TQ gain. Not bad for $40!

 

Interesting. Did they dyno it in a 350Z?

 

I prefer oiled in an aftermarket high flow filter. Dry high flow panels just make me nervous. The K&N is proven; just have to watch that you don't over oil it (can screw up your MAF). I always leave it sit on newspaper overnight after I clean and oil it to soak up any excess; never had any problems with it and it pays for itself over time.

I got a K&N drop-in I'll let somebody have for $30 shipped if anyone wants it; only had it in a couple thousand miles. Good flow and easy to install and clean, I just put in a Popcharger, though, so it's on the shelf...

 

yes but it doesnt provide the sound of CAI

 

Well, people do buy these for performance and not just sound. I think thats the whole reasoning behind them.

 

An oiled filter last longer, helps to increase power and MPG, and is better for your money in the long run.
All you have to do is replace the stock paper filter and, depending on your driving environment, you shouldn't have to worry about cleaning it for a long time.
Basically, in ideal conditions, you should clean the filter every 50,000 to 100,000 miles (3 to 6 years), but if you drive in an area where there's lots of smoke or smog or very dusty then you should check it frequently and clean it more often.
I have a K&N and it works great! Ever since I replaced my stock filter, the MPG increased about 2.5 MPG in the city and about 3 MPG on the highway.
With the increased MPG, I could get about 340+ miles on a full tank, city driving, and 450+ miles highway driving.
Just my 2 cents.
Hope this helps.

 

i wouldn't trust import tuner...manufacturers like hks and k an n give a lot of money to that mag for advertising and exposure...4whp on a drop in filter?

 

Yeah! I've heard of that going on with other mods manuf and their influence on these popular car magazines.
I wouldn't trust them either, but whether these dynos are factual or not, I've definitely noticed an increase in my car's performance, especially in MPG, and I've used K&Ns on every vehicle I own and have previously owned.

 

ditto ......
BTW ......cvt, have you check my reply re: the Ypipe thread ?

 

IMO, the drop in filters are fine, just fine. I didn't believe the hype in the CAI either, so I took on a little project and designed my own. The CAI and JWT conical filters are similar to the K&N filter in material composition, the only difference is in the surface area.

If I did it again, I would just buy a drop in filter that can be oiled and cleaned and call it a day. But sometimes I like to be a dork and experiment with things, guess it's the little designer in me.

Zquicksilver

 

I wouldn't necessarily trust everything I read, either. However, they (Import Tuner) did provide the Dyno sheet in the article, and Import Tuner is not the only source I've heard about some performance increase with a K&N filter.

 

i think my cai provides both performance and sound

40 dollars not bad
but i onno about 4whp
thats a bit much

 

Where do you guys buy the K&N drop in filter? Does the filter come with instructions on which oil to use, how to oil, etc.?

 

K&N Drop-in

That's where I got mine. You can also get the K&N oil. It comes with instructions on how to clean it. The filter comes pre-oiled so you don't have to worry about that right away. Just drop it in and go.

Overall I am satisfied with mine. I can tell the engine breathes easier compared to the paper filter. There is a small but noticeable increase in power. 4hp sounds about right. I like the design of the stock intake but I'm **** about keeping the filter and air-box as clean as possible, so the K&N drop-in filter made sense for me. It's a snap to clean and it offers a gain over stock.

 

We sell the K and N drop in filters, along with the dry Nismo, and Blitz.

However, i noticed on my car (w/stillen supercharger) that when I took my pop charger out, to experiment, and put in my stock airbox with the K.N drop in, that the car lost power. This may be directly due to the supercharger, but I really wasn't expecting the big loss of power.

With this said, it's the only time that I've ever had a chance to compare a pop charger to a drop in filter. Although the drop in filters increase power slightly, I highly recomend at least a JWT pop charger instead, the amount of air that the pop charger can flow is more, which results in better throttle response, and power, slightly more so than a drop in. And for an intake, the JWT is not that expensive....

 

I also use Blitz drop-in filter. Yeah, the thorttle respond is quicker. I thought that the dry type is safer than the oil type since it won't mess up the MAF....stock filter also dry type.