yeah, I thought I re-oiled mine pretty conservatively a 2 months ago... but I pulled out this weekend, and sure enough, there's oil all over the airbox... Switching back to paper. The imaginary gains aren't worth the real 500 bucks it costs to replace a MAF sensor.

 

K&N's will definitely flow more air. That is well documented. As to whether it will make any _noticeable_ improvement in performance with the drop in filter is doubtful. (And by noticeable I'm referring to seat-of-the-pants dyno.) You may see a minor improvement is fuel economy - ymmv - K&N claims up to 10% increase in fuel economy. Keep in mind that while the filter lasts for years, you will need to periodically clean it and that requires a maintenance kit. The maintenance kit will run about $10-$15 and can be purchased at many auto parts stores. The kit contains filter oil, cleaning agent and instructions. I get 2-3 cleanings from a maintenance kit. You'll likely need to clean the filter at least once a year - depends on where you live, how much you drive, etc. Don't let the "lifetime" aspect of the filter confuse the cost. It is still more cost effective than a paper filter, however, it is not a simple $50 once vs $12-$15 annually. You have to consider the cost of the maintenance kit in the total cost of ownership. Plus, you have your time involved in cleaning it.

As you may have read, the oil used in the filter can cause problems for the MAF. And with this in mind, it may be worth having 2 K&N filters, so that you can properly clean and oil the filter. I usually allow my filter to dry overnight before oiling it. The filter material needs to be dry prior to oiling. Particularly the first time you oil the filter, it's likely that you'll over do it, so it would be worth leaving the filter to "drain" overnight to allow any excess oil to drain out and not "gum up" your MAF. If you have 2, then you can just swap the dirty one for the clean one, thus allowing you to take your time cleaning and re-oiling the dirty one for the next round. (So, in terms of cost, if you have 2 filters, it makes the cost savings a bit more difficult.)

K&N filters do not void the factory warranty. Check the K&N website for the specific legal-eeze.

Just my 13.7 cents worth.

 

thanks JohnWEngle , good idea to have two. I hate waiting for mine to dry. It seems like whenever I clean mine, I have to go out.

 

Has anyone tried an Accel Cool Blue type filter? Seems the same as the K&N and they are cheaper ...