Re: K&N filters/my experiences

[Cookies@xxxxxxx]

In a message dated 3/9/99 2:22:26 PM Pacific Standard Time, owner-bmw-
digest@domain.elided writes:

<< Subject: Which is better K&N or RAM??
 
 Grettings fellow bimwads!  I am getting closer to installing a Jim C. 
 chip and an M3 Exhaust in my 95 325i and am wondering what air intake 
 mod will give my baby better performance.  I have read threads that the 
 K&N's allow larger dust particles into the engine. Now I'm no scientist 
 but that doesn't sound good to me.  Someone also mentioned something 
 about a Ram intake but I haven't heard much about it.  What are the 
 pro's and the con's about it?  Is it actually better than a K&N?  >>

~~~~~~~~ I would not pay .10 cents for a K&N (my opinion). Why? When I used it
for a few thousand miles, I pulled off the air entry hose to the engine on  a
MB 560SEL, and looked inside. Not pretty. Wiped my finger on the fuel
injection air inlet pipe and came away with dirty pink oily crud. This is NOT
what I want in my car. K&N tells you that the filter actually works BETTER the
dirtier it gets!. Why, because (IMO) the oiled foam lets too much air (and
dirt) through, hence the "increased performance".

Car manufacturers spend millions of dollars researching and testing air filter
elements that meet both the stringent requirements of full filtration AND
minimum air restriction. If you ever "unfolded" a factory air cleaner element,
you would find that the "square inches of filtering area" is actually SQUARE
FEET. 

Overall, if you want you engine to not be a "dirt playground" inside, stick
with a factory filter, and toss it every 10K miles and put a new one in (every
7,500 if in dusty or sandy areas).

Randy
cookies@domain.elided
BMW CCA member
............. if anybody with a K&N wants to flame me, just wipe your finger
in the air tube downstream from your K&N FIRST, then see what's on your
finger. :-))

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