[V8] Re: OEM Filters

[S_Matus]

I would have to agree with you about you findings with your filter. Visually!  
 
What is the silicon measurement of you oil? Road dirt is mostly silicon in nature. I would guess that it is higher than 10-15 PPM.  The only way to emperically determine if you are not harming your engine would to get 2 oil analysis reports from your car.  Actually there is another way to check this out, but you would have to tear down your engine to make measurements.  Pull one oil sample from the vehicle with clean oil, and the other oil sample after you run the "Oklahoma Baja". Assuming that the engine is sound and free from any oil related wear.  
 
You could also perform a Wear Particle Analysis WPA on each oil sample.  WPA is a process where oil is drawn past a filter with an absolute micron rating.  Subsequent absloute filters are placed in series with decreasing absolute micron ratings.  Say 20 then 15, then 10, then 5, then 4 . . and so on.  The contaminant size is determined by which filter size it is captured. This does not characterize the particles in the oil.  You need to place the contaminants in a microscope to identify what each of the particles look like.  There are standard charts and pictures used to compare the particles against.  WPA will supply a report of the types of particles found in the engine and the percentage of particles captured by each filter.
 
I personally want a filter that has a Beta Ratio above 300 (99.667% efficient) for dirt/contaminants 4 microns or less and a Beta Stability of 300 @ 50 PSID.  It is dificult to get any performance data from any filter manufacturer. Try asking K&N!  Beta Stability means that the filter will continue to trap that size contaminant (and larger) up to this pressure without a catastrophic failure (blow by or media failure).  The passages between bearings and rotating parts is usually about 10 microns.  That is why I'm setting the spec to 4 microns, so when two particles pass each other they are not binding against each other, thus gouging your bearings/surfaces.  Stability @ 50 PSID, because I do not know an engine that has more than 30 pounds of boost, you want a safety factor.  You can place a diferential pressure gauge across you filter to determine what pressures your engine requires.
 
I welcome your comments, I can suggest a testing lab if you are not already using one.

Thanks,
Scott Matus
2 '90 V8s

QuickAudi at aol.com wrote: 
Sorry bro, gotta put in my opposite opinion on this one.  I've actually run a K&N in a very dusty environment.  This summer I was in Oklahoma and ran down some of their "better" roads.  "Better" roads means these don't have potholes you can throw a cat into and lose it.  Anyway, dust was the king this summer, and I ran through a lot of it.  I cleaned out my K&N this fall.  Results: the top of the filter was black with dirt; below the filter had no dirt on it at all and my MAF sensor was working fine.  I was extremely impressed.


Joel
'90 V8q
'86 5kcstq


In a message dated 1/30/04 1:26:39 PM Central Standard Time, v8-request at audifans.com writes:


caution anyone that is considering to use a K&N to think twice.  Unless of course that you know 100% that your vehicle will never be driven in a dusty environment. K&N was designed to be used at the track in ideal controlled conditions, not on the dusty trails of America.




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