I removed my K&N filters from the DCAI, found I had no oil to coat the filters so I put them on when they were dry. I wondered where this new found power was coming from until I realized what I had done to the filters. The motor revs so quickly now that it runs past the point the 1-2 shift should occur and cuts torque even with the EPS OFF. I am amazed at this gain and hope to get some more data mid July. Amazing!

 

The filters are not as effective when dry
The oil makes the filter hold the dirt and if dry the dirt may pass right through
That is what I have read and been told

 

You should buy some of the K & N filter covers. Thats what im planning on doing since i DD my car.

 

Probably correct but just to figure where this extra power is coming from is answered. Obviously the filters needed cleaning but I found I had no oil to reoil the filters with. The power gained is a combo of clean filters where the others were dirty and the free flow of the bare filters. I will get S&B filters as I like them so much better than the K&N's.
Thanks guys, mark

 

How did you come up with the 25 hp.

 

Seat of the pants. Just like the 65mm SC pulley I once had. Sorry I can't afford to have it on a dyno to confirm what I believe to be true. Henceforth I will use an asterisk and a disclaimer. I think 25 is on the conservative side. My filters were so plugged they certainly restricted the air allowed into the motor. Bad on me but knowing the difference will have me be more diligent in the future as I search out a pair of S&B filters which I prefer over the K&N version. Of course the filters did not give anything but corrected their terrible, neglected condition. Individual results will vary*.

 

WOW!
What people can dream up to contradicts everything that science and Common Sense can teach us.
Why not go without air filters and feel the seat of your pants sink into a feeling of financial despair as quickly as the Tach hits the peg.
One more thing, How can you get attached to an air filter brand rather than the HP increase proven by another?
My 2 cents

 

Monty, I think you misread his original and misleading thread as I did the first time. His filters were filthy, he then cleaned them and now he is back to the normal performance.

 

This is what I was trying to express. Of course there was not a 25HP increase but rather power I got back after I cleaned my filters and found I had no oil here to re-oil them. The difference was outstanding. I do not condone running the oil type filters bare. I just wanted to express what shabby maintenance can do. My car feels like the first time I put a 65mm SC pulley on.

 

Montana I want to get to your HP level, 400 RWHP would be nice. I am running a new exhaust but that did not do anything close to the power like replacing the filters easily. Only the stacked 178/70mm gave me enough to feel and then first mod to give well felt power was the 65mm pulley from E/C. This is the feeling I get from this set-up I now have. Many guys do remove the filters at the track. Thanks, mark

 

Ok, guys, you need to know that you can run a lot of dirt through the engine without doing a lot of damage. The desert racers have found that even without filters, their engines did not self destruct, as you think they would. It is an air pump, albeit with an explosion every other cycle but dusty air just goes right through. Now big chunks are another thing but you seldom get "big" chunks of dirt, etc. I am running Edelbrock filters on my Needswings DCAI, no oil, they have a little more surface area to allow a little more air in. Since they are easily accessible, I clean them frequently.

 

SUPER GOOD COMMON SENSE ADVICE! I sometimes wonder why so many think these engines are so delicate as to have a grain of sand destroy it and thereby we must 'filter (any filter) to extremes'. Low restrictive flow filters are better than no filters, higher restrictive flow filters are next in line, to low restrictive flow filters. As was stated, dirty filters impact performance across the board. Although I would not remove the air filters, having low restrictive filters is slightly better then higher restrictive (clean/serviceable) filters. A little common sense goes quite a long way in all that we do, right? Don't want to rain on anyone's parade but many of us are so convinced by advertisers, that we just have to 'upgrade' to this or that. Finally, those guys who run no filters in their hobby engines, they usually tear down the engines (quite often after a weekend of races), to check everything out for the next 'event'. I am sure they would find problem areas, (why, because that's the reason they tear it down), to check/replace anything needing it.

 

couldn't one do an oil analysis to determine whether or not low restriction filters are allowing accelerated wear? Facts and Data are our friend.

 

???, I would think way too many variables would 'color' the results. Studies like this are more able to be accurately done in a laboratory under tightly controlled conditions to focus on any specific impact a given item has on oil contamination. Oil analysis can only outline what is in the oil, how it got there is open to wide interpretation (unless it is a contaminant easily identified like antifreeze, gas, transmission fluid). Metals found might suggest accelerated wear due to dirt but until damaged parts are ruled out, it would be quite hard IMO to say it was ingested dirt not properly filtered. Any oil testing guru's here to clarify any better?