Thread: The K & N air filter

There's a thread to be found on google of a 300tdi that required a full rebuild 80,000km and was dusted constantly via K&N...


SierraF. That gauge doesn't measure contaminants (solids) and doesn't show the scratching up the bore by debris which is then expelled at top of stroke..

And if you can't see points of light through a K&N you may need glasses...

You have to be mad to run a K&N..

I think i'm gonna rest my case on this cos it seems that a personal oppinion becomes something blameable here... i dont know how the filters which created problems were serviced cos the oil from the service kit is specially formulated to attract dust and despite of all odds i have no problems with it myself after 150K km...anyway if i'll have such problems in the near future i'll make a pic from inside the turbo or engine and post it here to confirm or infirm your statements because i'm not insisting that K&N is better or worst than others just that i've had no problems myself...at least not untill now

searching the web i've found others pleased with it K&N 33-2788 Replacement Air Filter, Replacement Filters ...off course that i'm aware to not believe entirely those who are selling things ...at least i'm not the only mad man in this world

Because most people sell before the damage is noticeable.

Originally Posted by sierrafery

Lesson learned ...though how much is the silica dust concentration down there cos if it's that bad to ruin an engine in few years after it was filetered even by an unefficient K&N i think that pulmonary diseases are the primary risk not the wear of an engine.. which AFAIK is not the case

Pulmonary disease (silicosis) results from particle sizes that are small enough that they manage to get right into the lungs - past the filtering system in your nose and bronchi (which actually filter in the same manner as the K&N is supposed to - but vastly smaller volumes and velocities). Fortunately, particles this small are quite rare in natural dust - they are primarily a danger from freshly crushed rock, which provides particles of all sizes. These particles are chemically fairly active and either dissolve or agglomerate in nature pretty rapidly.

But there is plenty of dust a little larger in particle size. For example, I have 18km of unsealed road to go anywhere - a lot of this has been graded rather unwisely in the last week (very dry), so when I went into town on Tuesday, a large part of the trip was driving through about six inches of dust with the consistency of talc powder (but much more abrasive!).

Years ago, in Central Australia I can remember finding large potholes filled with dust deep enough to be above bumper height on a Landcruiser, and so fine as to provide no appreciable support (you don't want to hit one of them at speed). That was on a national highway (now sealed, I think).

It is quite common for engines to be 'dusted' due to incorrectly fitted or serviced filters here, even at very low mileages. It can happen in only a few hours operation, it doesn't take "years".

Less of a problem on the coast, but most of Australia is inland!

Worth noting that diesel engines are more susceptible to dust damage than petrol engines, simply because they take in a lot more air (and hence dust) - just remember that a petrol engine has an approximately stoichiometric air/fuel mixture at all throttle openings, but a diesel is always provided with excess air, most of the time a very large excess.

John

Once again, AULRO has provided the information needed. Thank you.

Originally Posted by bob10

Once again, AULRO has provided the information needed. Thank you.

Hi bob10,
Have you considered the UniFilter - a family member has run one in his D2 for just on ten years now... he lives in country Victoria and drives a lot of dusty roads in the high country. He doesn't see dust residue in the top of the airbox or MAF. I'm seriously considering one as my next airbox filter replacement. See the comparison specs on their webpages.

on the uni filter.

be careful what you get, for a while (and I'm not sure if the ystill do) they yad some ranges of filters of differing grades in the same shape for differing filtration requirements.

Originally Posted by bob10

It seems filters 'aint filters, I guess . I'm using MANN air filters atm., Thinking of matching that up with a Donaldson filter. Haven't been out in the dust for a while, hopefully soon.

I don't think Donaldson sell a filter for the TD5 Bob, I doubt they'd make one and more than likely if they did it would be sourced from a company like Mann-Hummel who have some of the best R&D and manufacturing anyway, so why change ?
The reason for that being Donaldson's main market is heavy truck/Ag/mining and US centric with M-H based in Europe.

Those old tests Ben did were for comparison's sake between oiled cotton gauze and cellulose fibre (paper) filters, not brand specific per se.
If we could've sourced a foam filter we would've tested one too.

As Tombie said, double check pleat count and seal fit when comparing filters too and ask is it equivalent to OE spec, cheap air filters are usually cheap for a reason.