Is the K&N Air Filter a noticiable improvement on a 02 150 lariat 5.4?
I have heard more horses and better gas mileage.. true or false?
Thanks for the help

 

I've got a K&N on two 5.4's, it doens't really give any noticable performance. A little quicker off the line maybe and if you're really revving the rpm's (sucking a lot of air) you might get a tad more juice. The main reason I run them is I don't have to change air filters all the time. I had one air filter (regular filter) I forgot to change a couple times in a row (had about 15K on it) and it started choking the engine it was so dirty. The K&N runs well (they say better) when it's like that. I clean mine about every 30K.

I'f you're looking for performance, you'd want the FIPK (replaces the whole intake setup). That will give a bump of ~10hp.

edit: oh, gas milage is like performance, little to none.

 

The K&N FIPK doesn't do ANYTHING for gas mileage.

I tracked 51 tankfulls before installing FIPK and 22 tankfulls after installation and there wasn't one bit of mileage gain. I keep an Excel spreadsheet to track mileage and I also keep track of the dates that I install 'upgrades'. So I can attest that for normal city driving it does nothing.

I also track my mileage while towing (which is VERY depressing) and the FIPK did make a very small improvement, on the order of about 0.5mpg. Definately NOT worth the money. You would have to tow about a million miles to recoup the cost of the FIPK.

For towing you would be much better off just slowing down a little. That 4 or 5 mph that you slow down may add a little time to your trip but it reaps nice rewards in gas mileage.

Russ

 

I installing one for for convenience might be the best option. Thanks for the replies.

 

Here is where they pay off....not having to buy air filters ever again. Some auto air filters are as much as $30 for a paper element. By spending $40 on a K&N, within 10,000 miles you've recouped your costs.

 

Of course that is offset somewhat buy purchasing the re-charge kit. So I doubt very seriously that you recoup your cost in 10,000 miles.

Russ

 

Same here. I got the K&Ns for my truck and Altima, not for performance but mainly for longevity. 1 Recharge Kit, and voila. No more buying filters. Takes me about 15 to 20 minutes to clean and recharge both. I do it twice a year... sorta twice a year

Dpostman

 

https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...d.php?t=194546

You might want to take a look at this if you're looking at getting an aftermarket permanent filter.

 

They come pre-oiled, I usually clean mine every 30-50,000 miles, dish soap works great to clean, and 2-stoke engine oil works great so no re-charge costs.

The less you clean it, the better they filter(but look gross). So yes, even in 10,000 miles you can re-coup your costs. We are only talking about the difference in price between a new paper or K&N; say $10-20. If you are not changing a paper element every 3-5000 miles you are not getting top efficiency out of your engine. If you doubt me hook up your engine to a exhaust gas analizer with a new filter and one that has been driven for 3-5000 miles. It will amaze you.

 

With the paper filter in my Explorer, I was changing it every 9 k to the tune of $9. Since the K&N, I haven't changed it in 45k, (althought it's probably due) so it's saved me $81 in filters. It cost $40. Overall, it's saved me $41 in two years. Even if the recharge kit was $20, I'm still $20 ahead of the game, and haven't needed to wrestle with my intake in over two years.

Since installing it in my F-150 three years ago, I have yet to even open it up to look at it. I've put less than 15k on it, so I'm not the least bit worried about it. I'm still upside-down on the investment, but haven't needed to change it in three years.

-Joe

 

I read the article about the AF1 and I'm really impressed. I wonder if it'll give similar performance boosts to a 4.6?
I have an Edge Products tuner that is set for the "Towing Mod" and it seems to do well.
Anyone out there know if you can expect decent power gains on the 4.6 from the AF1?

TIA
Bob

 

The only logic I see in the argument of changing paper filters sooner than cleaning the K&N is because the paper filter is filtering smaller particles thus getting "dirty" quicker. If you're K&N filter doesn't seem to get as dirty as soon as the paper filter then you need to ask yourself why. I prefer the paper filter. The risk of cylinder scoring because of dirt isn't appealing.

 

It's not that the K&N doesn't get dirty as fast.... It gets dirty faster. However 'dirty' does not equate to 'restrictive'. If you compare the air flow rates of a new paper filter and a new K&N, the K&N will flow better and filter out smaller particles. Now, compare a dirty OEM filter to a dirty K&N, and you'll find that the dirty paper filter is a major restriction in the airstream and filters no better than if it was new. The dirty K&N will flow far, far better than the paper filter, and will actually filter out smaller particles than when it was new.

It's true..... I've tested it on a flow bench. If I hadn't seen it with my own four eyes, I wouldn't believe it myself.

-Joe

 

I don't doubt the flow rate of the K&N is better. I just don't believe oiled medical gauze can filter smaller particles better than the OEM filter.

There's a comparison made in the thread below. There's also lots of other tests one can find comparing OEM vs K&N. Everyone can make there own opinion.

http://www.thedieselstop.com/archive...o=&fpart=1.htm

 

Anyone here remember oil bath air filter?

The oil grabs the dirt and lets the air pass through. Same principle applies to a K&N except the air passages are waaay smaller so the oil becomes more effective.