<VV> K&N dirt/air vs oil filters

[hallgrenn at aol.com]

This brings back a conversation I had with an experience mechanic back when I first started driving in a '51 Chevrolet Deluxe station wagon in the '60s.  I had an oil bath air filter and the oil filter option.  As oil filters did not become common as standard features until the late fifties and early sixties, but were options, I asked the mechanic if I really needed the oil filter as the oil bath air filter trapped lots of dirt.  His reply was that the air and oil filters trap different points of entry into the engine and any dirt that gets past the air filter has to get through all the wear points of the engine before the oil filter can get a shot at them.  Why would you let air borne dirt to get into your engine?

Bob


-----Original Message-----
From: Joel McGregor <joel at joelsplace.com>
To: virtualvairs <virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Sent: Wed, Jan 30, 2013 1:46 pm
Subject: Re: <VV> K&N dirt


I've never had the oil tested but I've run K&Ns on motorcycles and seen dirt 
coating the throat of the carb.  It's always extremely fine but it's dirt.  They 
do flow better.
Which brings up a question - how large does a particle have to be before it 
hurts to run it through your engine?  Obviously no filter blocks all particles.
If the dirt K&Ns pass shows up in oil tests then it's too small for the oil 
filter to catch.

Joel McGregor
________________________________________
On Monday, January 28, 2013 6:03:40 PM UTC-8, Gordon wrote:

  Karen,

      I would caution you on the K&N filter.  Many years ago, I had
      a study on K&N filters done by a mining company who had 1000
      vehicles from head office cars which never went near the mine, to
      200T trucks in the pits.  The engineers took oil samples of all
      vehicles before switching 500 of them to K&N and for 1 year
      after.  The results were very conclusive that the K&N filters
      passed larger particles and a greater volume of dirt than the
      standard paper element.  For a few dollars, oil sample kits are
      available from Air Craft Spruce and others.  The only K&N
      filters I have personally tested were on Goldwing Motorcycles and
      when, by oil samples I proved theY increased crud in the oil to my
      friends , we all took them off.   You can find more opinions on
      the NET.  IIRC Emery points out, if you are meticulous about
      cleaning and oil them just right, they provide adequate
      protection.  Most small aircraft engines use a similar style
      filter, but the air is a lot cleaner where they spend most of
      their time and they are serviced every 50 hours.

      Gordon
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