I'm thinking about putting a K&N Filter Charger system on our 2001 Durango R/T. Any of you guys have any experience with this set up?

If you're looking for more HP/torque, look elsewhere.  If you're looking for an air filter than you won't have to replace, get it.  You will have to clean it every now and again.

The whole FIPK system will (generally) aid in drawing more, cooler (denser) air into the engine, and might help produce more power.  But not enough for you to feel it.

Breathe in... Breathe out...

They are great filters, but you will only notice a power increase if you change the exhaust to one that allows more volume.

Used 'em on all my atc250r's (85-86). They were great.
Don't know about the auto apps though.

-T.

dunno Don, I was thinkin 'bout the same thing on wifey's Yukon. I haven't heard anything bad, was hopeing there was some good info here.

SOoooo BTT with this!

I've run them on everything from 60's muscle cars to big chevy 4x4's to import SUV 4x4's and never had a problem. I'm not sure if they add all that much more power, but they definitely give me peace of mind that the engine is getting clean air no matter what the conditions.

They are worth every penny.....[:D]

Hold on... if your looking for fine dust protection go away from the K&N as the whole principle behind it is being a high flow filter.
High Flow filters do not have the small micron protection of standard or high efficiency filters.

I agree with Armitage22.
They are great filters - easy to clean, I've used them on my last 2 motorcycles.
But - don't expect any HP/torque improvement... As we all know performance comes from Cubic Inches...
Terry

I've never owned one (see below for why), but I've heard from alot of people who have...

The basic read is:

Filtering:
They are very good filters from a filtering-crap-out-of-your-intake-air standpoint. They catch more than paper ones.

Performance:
They're great for high-performance vehicles with good exhaust systems where the intake filter may-be/is an impediment to air flow.

This is why I didn't have one on my now-dead 1991 Firebird. My care was a 305cid TBI (Throttle Body Injection) vehicle with really POOR factory intake, heads and exhaust. Thus, any potential improvement caused by the K&N would be nullified by the rest of the system, since the real 'restriction' is elsewhere.

However, on the car that I'm picking up tomorrow morning (1993 Trans Am, with a 350cid MPFI motor), I'll be putting one in as soon as the current filter gets dirty. Why? Because the 93 T/A has a much better intake/exhaust setup than my old 91' L03 'bird.

So to make a long story short, you will see some performance improvement if your car is tuned well enough (either from the factory (T/A, Corvette, Firehawk, Cobra, etc...), or by owner mods) that the filter is impeding intake air flow more than the other intake/exhaust components. If not, save the money and free up the flow of that exhaust/intake system...

For more K&N comments if you have an 80's-90's GM vehicle, see www.thirdgen.org. The site is dedicated to Firebirds & Camaros (hmm... now where would a Firebird nut get his car tech info???), but the membership often has advice on anything GM with a 2.4, 2.8, 3.4, 5.0, or 5.7L engine, and the various members have alot of K&N experience.

I was told by a shooting buddy, who also was a service manager at a Ford dealership, that if you have Mass Airflow Sensor problems, and are running a K&N air filter, Ford will not warranty the problem.  Seems they claim that the oil off of the filter mucks up the MAF sensor.

Of course, you could always pull it out before taking your ride in.

No problem on the diesels...No MAF sensor.

Eduhtid fer spelin

If you are looking for more HP/torque, get the Fuel Injection Performance Kit (FIPK). Won't add alot but should be noticable.

Added an AirForceOne (similar to K&N FIPK) to my F150 supercrew and seat of pants says its got more low end grunt. Also sounds like a 4 barrel when you stomp on it which is a plus.  Now to get new exhaust......

I put one on my 3000GT and could feel an increase in response.  They let in way more air than the stock setup.  In theory they pay for themselves over time because they need to be cleaned rather than replaced.  According to 3000GT afficianados...you get a 2-5hp increase from switching ro a K&N FIPK.

I put a K&N filter on my '98 Ram. Of course I did it at the same time I put on headers and a Flowmaster exhaust system so I REALLY noticed a difference.

If I were you I'd go ahead and get the K&N (it won't hurt and may give you a little snappier throttle response). Then later on get a nice Cat-Back exhaust system (Flowmaster, Gibson, Borla, Mopar Performance, etc.). The Cat-Back isn't too expensive and you will then reap the benefit of the K&N to it's full extent. With these two simple mods you will feel a difference in the seat of your pants.

Just get an entire cold air intake kit for your durango.

Mopar engines react VERY well to any increase in air.

My friend's dakota R/T 5.9 got a 17 hp gain on a dyno after he installed his CAI.

I have one on my stratus R/T coupe, and it kicks ass.  Then again, I also have a downpipe and full exaust.  Net gains of about 40 hp :-)

I have one of their panel filters in my turbo VW.  Throttle response was greatly improved, so it feels peppier, but I doubt I actually gained any HP/TQ.  Still, was the best $35 I've spent on the car.  I pay close to that for a factory paper filter from the dealer.

Remember the Alamo, and God Bless Texas...

I've used K&N filters in every car/truck/bike I've owned since '91. They do the job and give a nice boost in hp.

I've had 'em, and all my friends have them, but I have heard about the problem with the oil contaminating the Mass Airflow Sensor.  I drove 90k miles with 2 (one replacement panel filter, and later 1 Lingenfelter Cold air kit) on my '96 Z-28 with no noticable problems.

I use one on my Celica GTS. With my Hi flow exhaust I saw a big difference in performance. After about 6 months my check engine light came on. I cleaned the MAF sensor with a Q-Tip and some alcohol, reset the light by disconnecting the battery, and it was fine after that. They do filter well, you just have to clean them every now and then, I think it is worth it.

They work fine.  Have them in everything that takes a filter (and if I can get a K&N for it).

Both cars have it and the truck.

I use one on my 93 SHO Taurus,  and I love it.  145,000 miles and it burns no oil,  leaks no oil,  starts on the first try and you don't have to buy another air filter again.  I feel the need to mention that it gets only synthetic oil and lots of pampering.  I figure I take of it and it will take care of me.  Just my 2 cents.

Dont forget to use a non-petrol base cleaner.  DO NOT use carb cleaner or engine bright.  It will make the rubber seals hard and will not seal good.  I like the dishwasher.

Don,

Allow me to be the Devil's Advocate:

I have run the K&N in the past, but would not do it again, and recommend that you do not.

K&N air filters let very small particulates through, which shows up in oil sample testing.

I run an Amsoil air filter on my supercharged 4Runner. [url]www.amsoil.com[/url]

[img]http://www.amsoil.com/products/G44_bar.gif[/img]

The graph shows the Amsoil lets as much air through as the K&N, but filters as well as OEM paper filters.
The test conducted was an SAE test, so it's not rigged.

A few of my friends who also supercharged their 4Runners did some dyno testing with K&N and Amsoil air filters.

One went from an OEM Toyota air filter to a K&N, and got 10 additional rear wheel hp.

After hearing about K&N's not so good filtering, another friend went from a K&N air filter to an Amsoil air filter, and picked up an additional 10 hp.

So, on a supercharged 3.4 liter 4Runner, the difference from a OEM Toyota air filter and an Amsoil air filter is 20 additional hp at the rear wheels, plus the Amsoil filters better than the K&N, and the Amsoil costs less than the K&N (about half the price).

I ordered mine directly from Amsoil on their website.

Jay
[img]http://www.commspeed.net/jmurray/images/iroc-cop.gif[/img]

Wow, there are much misconceptions about K&N filters. Not just here but usually everywhere. Here's the summary of the test results that I've collected:

1- K&N will outperform the standard FRAM paper filter over the average. There is no practical difference between the performance of a brand new FRAM filter over a K&N. It is just that the FRAM will degrade far more rapidly than a K&N in airflow.

2- One reason why the K&N degrades less rapidly is due to poor maintenance. Most users don't wash and reoil the filter in the proper intervals. Without the proper maintenance, one ends up with nothing more than a FRAM with a bunch of pin pricks all over. Thus filtering performance is sacraficed for airflow.

3- K&N doesn't buy much if you don't replace the stock exhaust system. In new autos, this is hard to do because of the cat and smog laws. One truely needs to work the exhaust system at the manifold (porting) all the way out. This is easy to do in motorcycles because costs are lower and smog laws are lax. For instance, when you buy, say, a Thunderheader for your harley (wise choice, BTW) you are buying a complete, tuned and matched exhaust system from headers to tail end. You only need to worry about porting on the heads. Autos are not that simple.

4- Once you gone the route of replacing the exhaust, you must rejet your carb or remap the fuel injection system. This is where the smog laws really screw things up.

5- It doesn't mean jack-sheet if you don't put it on a dyno.


Bottom line is that most people will never benefit from a K&N in an auto and end-up usually replacing it with a FRAM or other. However, the opposite is true for motorcycles. Most benefit from the K&N because they usually go the whole route.

I, absolutely run a K&N on my FLSTC, but stick with FRAM on the autos and boat. Tried the K&N on my 92 GMC truck but was worthless until the headers, catback, and remapping chip was put in.
My B-in-Law has the trunk now and must replace the remapping chip with the stock one each time he re-smogs the trunk (PRK). The headers are CARB approved.

I hope you read the comments that come after yours.  As for your theory of "as it gets dirtier it cleans better", what does that do for airflow; blocking off your air intake off would allow no dust through also.

i have had one on my truck the last 7 years and i finally had to trade it in last year, about 2 years ago it started shrinking (almost an inch) so i called k&n and they gave me no trouble whatsoever! they sent me a new one no questions asked. i upgraded to a 6 inch tall filter and there is a noticeable difference from my old 2 inch tall

good filters other than the shrinking, but they do stand behind their product