k&n filters

hi i need to buy a new air filter and im thinking about the k&n but i keep hearing good and bad thing about it. i wanted to know what you guys thought before i spent 50 bucks.

cone or drop in? what are you hearing bad about it?

i never noticed the performance gains on the drop in, i thought it was a pain to clean the thing and wait 24 hours for it to dry. i just buy the $4 ones now.

I started a 10 page discussion on a diesel site and was out numbered 10 to 1.
A k&n in a turbo diesel may not be enough filter but with enough oil they are great in a gas engine.
http://www.dieselplace.com/forum/showthread.php?t=174144

A stock OEM paper will filter more dirt out. K&N will give you more airflow.
The particles come in as silicon(dirt/dust) and can get past your rings into your oil. If the oil is neglected it will cause wear.
I don't think this is actual fact, but any good oil guy will probably say the same thing.
Most of the time high Si levels in UOA's, can be routed back to use of a K&N. On the other hand, UOA's do come in with good numbers while running a k&n (me, and others). I'm going to a Fram paper AIR filter when i go back to stock box + Snorkel

HTH

K&N filters are shunned in the diesel world as well as most every other place for a several reasons. First ,they DO NOT filter as well as a paper filter, The turbo rigs draw in enough air they`ve been known to collaps and destroy high dollar turbos,the oil residue from the gauze can get on the compressor blades and act like glue for the passing dirt destroying compressor blades and turbos. Generally speaking 90% of the guys that had run them and done oil tests come up with elevated results from it not filtering worth a shit. its a well known fact, yes fact, their not a better filter, just a better flowing filter thats servicable. Read K&N`s statement, "the dirtier it is, the better it works" Look at a new unused factory oiled filter, see the open holes or voids in the gauze, yes the dirt and oil eventually plug off the open gauze voids, a true statement by K&N. Yes racers and hot rodders run them, they also rebuild every season. will you? Dont believe their marketing BS at your expense.

I've run K&N's on XJ's and my 2 stroke moto-x quads. Both saw an immediate rise in the amount of grit/dirt in the intake tubes past the filter. I'll still run them on my quads because the extra wear isn't such a big deal. They rebuild for $150 and about 5 hours work. I will definitely not be running them in any automobiles though. Paper filters for me!

Jaredatriot:

I have used K&N filters for years and they do produce small measurable gains on a rolling road dyno. I have been running a K&N cone on my '93 for 7-years but I've since gone back to paper filters in all of our Jeeps after a drive in a Spanish desert left a fine dust layer inside my throttle body.

In my opinion the small power gains from a K&N are not worth the premature engine wear. Paper filters actually work.

in the jeep world, the concensus is k&ns arent worth it.... but then again, the stock filter outflows the engine....
this is not allways true... on a lot of cars, the airfilter is a restriction, and putting on a k&n is a good option....
just not on jeeps....

AEM has a nice re-usable filter that needs NO oil. Check into that. I am!!!

i looked in to that but they don't make drop in filters yet

Amsoil makes a drop in air filter for the XJ that actually filter and flows well. It is part number EAA29. Runs about $45 shipped.