i'm thinking of using k&n air filter on my 97 GS, but want everyone's opinion on it. everyone i've talked to says it made their cars feel more powerful and get better gas mleage. for those who use it, do u keep the filter open or inside the stock air filter casing?

 

you know I never thought about not putting the cover back on, of course with my stock civic airbox it wouldn't stay there during bumps and junk. then again my short ram isn't covered so........ yeah.

 

k&n is one of the best air filters. the apex'i filters are better, but are probably harder to find, and arent that much better. its also alright to leave the airbox off, and just run it short ram. however, you may want to put the box on if its seriously raining hard outside.

 

Anyone have experience with the Comptech filter?

 

I have the comptech sri with the ice box. The filter is a foam filter. The K&N is better in my opinion, in regards to trapping more junk. I would go with the k&n if i had a choice, but im broke so im sticking with the comptech.

 

The Comptech filter is a fine filter. I have one on my Icebox and am pleased with it.

Actually this isn't necessarily true. After doing a recent used oil analysis (UOA), I only had 2 ppm of Silicone in my oil. I've seen UOA's on K&N filters that had abnormally high levels of silicone. The reason silicone levels are important is that are a good indicator of how well your air filter is prevent particles from entering your engine.

 

I made a custom ice box with an aftermarket short ram intake I have the filter sitting in the bottom half of the stock filter box but choose to leave the top half off, as far as feeling faster sometimes its all in your head, it will sound better though.

 

Silicon, right, not silicone?

Silicon is the primary constituent in much of the naturally occurring fine sand and grit that a filter is supposed to stop from entering your engine.

Silicone, with the trailing "e", is the artificial material that is a polymer built up out of elemental silicon (plus oxygen, and occasionally other things).

I have also heard a number of anecdotal accounts which suggest that the K&N oiled-gauze filter has problems with allowing excessive silicon grit to pass by into the intake.

A trick I have heard recommended to test this is to spread a thin layer of a heavy heat-resistant grease on the inside of the intake, downstream of the filter. If you run for 1000 miles or so and then roll the grease between your fingertips, a properly operating filter should have left no gritty feeling behind.

If there is enough grit to be detectable this way, there are serious problems with the filter's efficiency! Silicon, ground finely, is a great abrasive, and will happily eat your bearings and cam faces as it circulates in the engine oil.

So, Timmy, if I am reading this right, you had low silicon levels in your oil analysis while you were using the Comptech/Uni filter? I had wondered if the oiled foam filters had the same weakness that the oiled gauze ones do.

 

knn filters are hi flow.so they are less restrictive. equals more dust and such going into engine. i dont use. get something that is high flow as well as high filtration.

 

My bad, Silicon, not Silcone. I was sort of suprised of my low Silicon #'s because I had always read that Foam filters were some of the worst when it came to filtration levels. Here are the results from my UOA:

1994 Acura Integra LS
154,832 mi

Chevron Supreme 10W-30 w/ Supertech filter
4,844 miles with no add on.
2months on the oil.
Uni Foam Air filter

ALUMINUM 2
CHROMIUM 1
IRON 3
COPPER 4
LEAD 2
TIN 3
MOLYBDENUM 72
NICKEL 0
MANGANESE 0
SILVER 0
TITANIUM 0
POTASSIUM 1
BORON 80
SILICON 2
SODIUM 4
CALCIUM 2212
MAGNESIUM 5
PHOSPHORUS 761
ZINC 931
BARIUM 0

VIS @ 210F 60.7
FLASHPT 400F
FUEL <0.5
ANTIFREEZE 0
WATER 0
INSOLUBLES 0.2