K&N Filters
K&N users would probably be surprised by the amount of air filtration testing and scientific research that goes on in K&N facilities as well as in independent laboratories. As the leader and originator of the high flow performance air filter we are always looking for new ways to provide excellent protection and maximum power for your car, truck, motorcycle, and just about anything else with an engine. In 2005 more than 1600 vehicles were tested by K&N's R&D group on dynamometers in the US, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. In addition to these power and torque tests, we also performed more than 110 filtration tests and more than 1,200 air flow tests with our in-house state-of-the-art test equipment. Select one of the links below to read or listen to more information on air filters and the science behind their design and function.
Facts You Should Know About Air Filters
We believe the primary function of an air filter is to deliver both high airflow and superior dirt protection. We design our air filters to provide minimum restriction allowing high airflow into an engine. In the vast majority of cases increased airflow will increase engine performance measured by horsepower and throttle response (torque). The performance benefits of maximum airflow are clear, compelling and well documented. That is why so many professional racers are willing to run expensive vehicles with no air filter, as opposed to installing a disposable air filter. They are seeking the additional horsepower and throttle response needed to win the race.
We design our air filters to provide superior filtration of the contaminants that can harm your engine while maximizing the airflow characteristics of the filter in question. The ability of an air filter to protect your engine is generally measured in accordance with testing procedure ISO 5011. We subject a sample of our filter designs to this test procedure using Coarse Test Dust, which includes particles ranging in size from less than 5.5 microns to 176 microns. As a point of reference, a human hair is approximately 50 microns in diameter. The result of the above test procedure is a specific air filtration efficiency number. This efficiency number represents the percentage of test dust retained by the filter and thereby kept out of an engine. Our goal is to design our air filters to achieve maximum airflow while targeting overall filtration efficiency at 98%.
Because no two air filters are alike, the specific airflow and overall filtration efficiency will vary depending on the filter in question. However, you can rest assured that each air filter we sell, has been designed to achieve high air flow while providing superior filtration.
Both air flow and dirt protection are critical to engine performance. For this reason a consumer should always evaluate an air filter based on both its filtration efficiency and air flow capabilities. It is very easy to design an air filter that exhibits high airflow simply by reducing its filtration to unacceptable levels. As the “look” of a K&N air filter has become popular, many companies have begun offering products that copy that “look.” While imitation is said to be the sincerest form of flattery, our own testing has shown that many of these look-alike products do not provide a safe level of engine protection.
What’s the Big Deal About Air Flow?
Simply put, Everything! At its most basic level, an engine is an air pump. More air entering the engine increases the efficiency of the combustion process creating more horsepower and torque. Horsepower is a measure of the engine's maximum power while torque measures how quickly you can accelerate.
The K&N Filtercharger® is designed to increase engine performance in both horsepower and throttle response by reducing air flow restriction.
Maintaining optimal, unrestricted air flow becomes a problem when it must pass through a filtering medium. The level of air resistance varies depending on the size, surface area and physical attributes of the filtering medium.
A Better Choice For The Environment
K&N cotton air filters have always been washable and reusable, designed for the life of an engine. If you assume an engine life of 150,000 miles in which a disposable air filter must be replaced every 15,000 miles, only one K&N air filter would be used during the same period in which 10 disposable air filters were discarded. Considering there are millions of vehicles throughout the world, the volume of disposable air filters that could be eliminated from our landfills is a staggering number.
K&N air filters are washable and reusable. They are easily cleaned and oiled using a K&N Recharger kit. They can be cleaned and oiled as many times as reasonably necessary. In our testing laboratory, we have washed and re-oiled a K&N Air Filter more than 100 times and it still performed up to specification.
All K&N stock replacement air filters are backed by our famous million mile limited warranty.
