| Author | Message | ||
     Midknyte |
Observation / Caution / Warning - You choose... The good news - it was still in my filter! The bad news - it was in my filter at all! While cleaning and re-oiling my air filter (I did not originally install and have a chance to see these), I found : A few errant fibers. (Not too concerning and not what this post is mainly about). Clipped and removed...  and this,  a loose piece of filter framewire(?) hooked into the inner side of the filter  close up -  While I'm happy with myself for beginning to do more of my own maintenence and having the opportunity to discover this before it's too late, I'm none too pleased that it was there. It was on the inner side of the filter waiting like a time-bomb to dislodge and get sucked in... Please be aware and check your own filter carefully at next cleaning (or sooner). | ||
| Freezerburn |
Thanks for the heads up. I have a new filter on the way and will be sure to give it the once over. | ||
| Bmwdavid |
I wonder if using a K&N filter is really the way to go. The standard factory filter filters better. There is no doubt the K&N flows more air though. But at the cost of engine life? Maybe we need an air filter shoot out? Al, if you see this please weigh in with your comments. I wonder if using the OEM filter with an open filter kit might be the way to go on the street. David | ||
| Djkaplan |
Good grief. Someone at K&N should be very, very concerned about this. I've never once inspected a K&N I installed (I've been using them since 1976), but I will every time now. Great post. Need more like them. | ||
| Metalstorm |
I always inspect my filters regardless of brand & I can't say I've ever seen something like that on any of mine. Definitely an over sight at the factory. I'm sure glad that didn't find its way to your engine. I don't think it would have liked it much. (Message edited by metalstorm on June 14, 2006) | ||
| Whodom |
I wonder if using a K&N filter is really the way to go. The standard factory filter filters better. There is no doubt the K&N flows more air though. But at the cost of engine life? I'm pretty leary of them, but I don't have any hard evidence. I belonged to an Audi e-mail list years ago, and someone there posted an undocumented report about a construction company that switched to K&N filters on a few vehicles as an experiment. They did routine oil analyses and the K&N vehicles showed an immediate substantial increase in silica levels in the oil, which indicated dust was getting through. There's a current webpage (http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/airfilter/airtest1.htm) comparing the filtering and flow capabilities of several auto air filters including K&N's. They didn't find a substantial differential pressure decrease for the K&N compared to standard paper filters, and the K&N appears to let significantly more dirt through. Finally, one BadWebber recently stated in a thread in the Old School Buell forum that he'd dyno'ed his tuber (with gutted stock airbox) and found only a ~0.5 HP gain with the K&N. (Post here: http://www.badweatherbikers.com/buell/messages/47623/195444.html#POST650354). YMMV. | ||
| Daves |
Don't let Bads1 see this thread!  I am just bustin on ya a little BadS1 in reference to our last air filter thread | ||
| 71sportster |
"Finally, one BadWebber recently stated in a thread in the Old School Buell forum that he'd dyno'ed his tuber (with gutted stock airbox) and found only a ~0.5 HP gain with the K&N." I'd say a .5 HP increase at the rear is pretty impressive for merely a filter change! | ||
| Chadhargis |
Makes you wonder why the race kit comes with the "race" filter. What's different about it? It's not a K&N, but it looks like similar materal. | ||
| Midknyte |
Going to the K&N, 12 lid & desnorklefication may not / probably does not add much HP overall - but it does smooth out the bottom end nicely. I'll attest to that much. | ||
| Bads1 |
Hey Dave.....  Just kidding!!!lol | ||
| Daves |
 Now I have to clean the Diet Pepsi out of my keyboard! | ||
| Bads1 |
LOL I was saving that one for Newfie one day but it was good timing.lol | ||
| Eric_m |
I doubt that that would have done any damage at all. Not really a big deal.  | ||
| Tankhead |
I bought my race ecm and the k&n filter from daves about three or four weeks ago and it has been sitting in the boxes that they came in since I received them, so after reading this thread I went out to my garage to check my filter through the unbroken plastic wrap that it comes with and low and behold there is something almost exactly like the above pics on my filter. Should I just snip the bitch off if and when I decide to install this race ecm w/filter, or should I return it and just sell the race ecm and leave it stock with my drummer on it?? I DO NOT WANT ANY HASSLES WITH THIS BIKE. I have not been able to ride in more than three weeks due to a fractured clavicle (collarbone). tanks | ||
| Bumblebee |
I wonder if using a K&N filter is really the way to go. The standard factory filter filters better. There is no doubt the K&N flows more air though. But at the cost of engine life? A very good point indeed. When I was wrenching on a race team (and working for an HVAC controls manufacturer; (gawds it's nice when you have a lab full of all the right stuff to do things)) I built a little airtight box with the mother of all variable speed blowers and a differential (Dwyer Magnahelic) pressure gauge to check for the restriction of different air filters. I found K&N filters flow better than an OEM filter before they were oiled, about the same after. When they got dirty they were more restrictive. We also had a differential totalizing particulate counter (sounds impressive but it's really not) and I looked at the specks of dirt (totalizing) leaving the box over a three day run on each filter, the OEM filter did a good job consistently removing 80% of the dust in the air, the K&N didn't do so well in the test, only removing about 60% of the dust until it was completely coated with dust then it almost didn't catch anything-then POOF-it let loose with what it had caught. I ran the test three times, each time with the same result! SO...to keep the efficiency (dirt filtering ability) an oiled gauze filter needs to be serviced often, like at 1000 mile intervals. You need to become one with your filter. This was a long time ago, and the filters were for old SOHC H*nda 750's (to give you a time line) and K&N may have improved them, but well....I also tried a Fram pleated paper filter (the worst at restriction, the best catching dust) and a no name white box filter which worked about the same as OEM. The filters on our Xb's are huge for the volume of air that needs to flow through them, so for street riding I'd say with the OEM filter IMHO. | ||
| Mb182 |
A guy on the Colorado/canyon site was running a K&N and after a hard weekend of 4X4'ing found tons of visible dust in his intake tube down stream of the filter. He switched to an oiled foam filter(Uni type)and found no more dust. If you hold a K%N up to the light, you can see visible holes in the media!! MB | ||
| U4euh |
Anyone got a 'race' filter they don't want? | ||
| Sokota |
UNI makes a filter for the XBs , you have to look under harley applictions the last time I checked. Imagine that , they grouped Buells under harley davidson. I run oiled foam UNI with great results on XB9SX. Tried k-n on XR 600 dirt bike once ,was not impressed with the silt in the air boot , adious k-n...... | ||
| Dmextreme |
OMG.. that picture just made me spew!! LOL.. had me crackin up here at work!! LOL.. Thanks for the great visual! |
