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300 TDI performance air filter - yes or no ???


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Hi all

On my 300 TDI engine i have had the fuel pump tweeked the bosst wound up a bit and a large front mounted intercooler fitted

These 3 mods have made quite a difference i am thinking about getting a performance air filter as well just wondered if anyone had any opinions on these ??

Are they better and worth the money ??

Many thanks chris

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My personal opinion is that, as a general principle, little beats a nice clean standard filter for a good combination of airflow and filtering.

It seems to me that anything that is 'less restrictive' is bound to be less effective at filtering and therefore at protecting your lovingly crafted engine internals.

The above is just an opinion with no research or numbers to back it up, and I fully expect to get shot down any second ;)

Roger

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I have a K&N air filter fitted, more for cost and ease of maintenence ??? A paper filter soon looks knackered.

It means that I don't have to carry two spares when on a trip.

I also think you will find the later type are better than the K&N.

I paide 35 quid for my K&N, 8 quid for the cleaning kit in 2004. I would have used 12 paper filters in that time...How much is a paper filter ?

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I have a K&N for my TD5..... really a lot of money savings.... I have to change paper filter around every 3.000 kms due to really dusty conditions, and here a TD5 Copper filter costs around 10 poumds. My K&N filter costed me 35 pounds, and the cleaning and oil kit around 13 pounds.... that's the price for almost 5 paper filter.... that's 15.000 kms, too much for an unemployed TD5 owner, so my K&N worth.... at least in my case. I can't understand the graph... what is filtration efficiency.....

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I can't understand the graph... what is filtration efficiency.....

the graph is saying -

a genuine filter will capture 100% of all particles that are 4 microns wide or larger. So you dont get ANY 4 micron wide particles into your engine. This is good.

a K&N filter will capture 100% of all particles that are 7 micron wide or larger and will only filter half of the particles at 4 microns wide that a gen filter will capture.. This is bad.

edited to add - how much damage letting in 50% of all 4 micron wide particles into the engine will cause is open to debate. :ph34r:

Edited by nicks90
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So Nick what you are saying is that a K&N filter will knacker an enging in a few thoisand miles

YES OR NO PLEASE.

I believe he said "how much damage letting in 50% of all 4 micron wide particles into the engine will cause is open to debate."

No mention of mileage :)

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I believe he said "how much damage letting in 50% of all 4 micron wide particles into the engine will cause is open to debate."

No mention of mileage :)

And the debate is qualitative anyway - letting more microscopic cr*p into the engine cannot be better, so it must be worse. If you value your engine, making things worse is not the way you want to go.

With things like this I'm in the "LR did for a good reason, however shaky that reason was" camp. So the LR air filter is over engineered? Good!

How much dust do you need to damage a diesel engine?

... tests conducted by major diesel engine manufacturers have shown that as

little as two tablespoons of dirt can dust out an engine within a very short time. Unfiltered

air contains small particles of dirt and abrasive material that are not always visible to the

naked eye.

From here, about half way down.

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I have one fitted to my 300td1, certainly sounds as if its sucking a LOT harder, Bought it on economy grounds, IF I ever went across the sahara, would prob use 2 or 3 paper ones for peice of mind, as the cost compared to the cost of the trip is negligable, but for uk, paper ones are an unecessary extra expenditure. specially if your gonna keep your truck long time. At the end of the day, its YOUR truck, and you do whatever you want to it, but WHY argue about it, beats me. ;)

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The way i look at it, NO performance vehicle from any manufacturer has one of these K&N style filters. If Porsche, ferrari et al could gain some power with NO negative effects, simply by swapping out the filter, they would do it.

I think the real world effects are much worse than that above graph shows.

Unfortunately it seems the original site is down, but heres a link to an archived version of an ISO test of different air filters, including the K&N:

http://web.archive.org/web/20080623204440/http://www.duramax-diesel.com/spicer/index.htm

Its not good reading, and as such, i wont be putting one anywhere near any of my engines!

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I'm interested in how soon that so called damage would occur, in miles or time. Miles prefered.

i dont know and i frankly dont care.

what i do KNOW is that i drive a 2 tonne garden shed with mud tyres and perm 4wd sucking all the power to the road. Adding a 'performance air filter' will not make any noticeable difference to performance or economy. Tweaking the fuelling will!

I like the fact my air filter will capture particles down to 4 microns at 100%. I like the fact i can go into any parts shop and buy a replacement. I like the fact its a standard part in the standard housing attached to a standard snorkel with mushroom pre cleaner (meaning my very over engineered and efficient air filter lasts longer as the precleaner removes most large debris before it even enters the filter housing).

What you arent saying though, is the type of debris that could be 7 microns wide and its effects on the engine and engine wear. different sand and dust and dried mud dust (and volcanic ash :P ) will have different wear properties. maybe - just maybe - the particles entering your engine in africa are not particularly robust and hard enough to cause a problem. maybe in other areas of the world 4 micron wide particles are enough to completely wreck an engine.

i dont know the answer to that, so i'll stick with the safer alternative thank you very much, and i'll recommend others to do the same.

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What you seem to forget is the graph shews clean filters in a lab.....The real world is very different.

My shed is generally 3.5 TONNE....Now carrying three spare filters is a pain.

Where I live the air is very dirty. As I said earlier that's two filters a year at least.

Cost for me is also a factor. As is the life of the engine.

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Just wondering how these particle sizes that the air filters remove, or not, compare with those filtered from the fuel going into the engine?

Maybe the ratio of air to fuel makes the particles in the fuel insignificant, but as fuel is still filtered it must have some bearing on the longevity of an engine.

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If you want more power, it works. If you want to enjoy your engine for a long time than dont bother. K&n filters and the foam type filters are used in motorsport a lot because of the advantages it gives. But for example in the WRC, you're engine only needs to last 2 events, so more wear in the bores due to more dust is acceptable.

If you find this acceptable on your car, go for it, otherwise dont.

Daan

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If you want more power, it works. If you want to enjoy your engine for a long time than dont bother. K&n filters and the foam type filters are used in motorsport a lot because of the advantages it gives. But for example in the WRC, you're engine only needs to last 2 events, so more wear in the bores due to more dust is acceptable.

If you find this acceptable on your car, go for it, otherwise dont.

Daan

Thank you Daan for somebody else telling me that my engine was knackered 80,000 miles ago. What a load of krap. I've had my K&N in since 2004 I've only did 80,00 miles when I had to lift the head. ALL the bors still had the hatchings shewing perfrctly. NO I do not believe that any of these filters will damage an engine.

Just to make sure. The head was lifted at 190,000 miles. The miles the Defender shew now are 212,800. Not bad for a filter that is condemmed out hand

How many WRC events take place in dusty conditions. TWO ?

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