Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Maintenance & Servicing K&N, ITG Filters and effecting MAF Sensor

There are many reports on the net of MAF sensors being destroyed by oiled filters. They may or may not have some basis, K & N say their filters are not a problem. The thing is that oiled filters actually pass more dirt an very quickly clog up and become less efficient than OEM air filters. Given that the gains are somewhat illusory is it worth the trouble?

This makes interesting reading
http://www.nicoclub.com/archives/kn-vs-oem-filter.html

By the way when it comes to foam filters on throttle bodies it is a different issue unless someone can work out an intake system with an airbox such as used on large bikes.f

Peter...I have seen carbon fibre air boxes for DCOE style backplates on throttle bodies with inlet pipe to allow a remote filter.

Yes Jay. I believe Jenvey makes them but ten you need some sort of filter box and a suitable filter. Can't think where it would go????

I'm sorry, I'm out of this discussion. The Nissan Infiniti piece is very much a minority view and doesn't stack up against a large number of other, independent surveys and tests
Moreover, when it comes to TBs, have a chat to the boys at Jenvey or Omex, they will give you chapter and verse on the length, diameter and siting of TB trumpets and the particular problems the Morgan under- bonnet configuration can cause
I think most people who have looked at the TB issue in detail have concluded ( I have) that the only way forward is to get someone like VSM at Malvern to create a new half bonnet with a scoop.
As they say, you pays your money and you tales your choice but remember, whatever your opinions are, only a before and after dyno will confirm!
I hope Cereal is reading this, he's been down this road of siting air intakes and is much more articulate than I am on it
G

As before mentioned I draw a distinction between using oiled filters on road cars to replace the OEM filter and the use of TBs with oiled filters on race cars (and tuned road cars). All the dyno performance tests are done with clean filters. If you are looking for a very small performance gain on a road car and are prepared to clean the filter about as often as you grease the front suspension then the choice is yours. All the tests show that as soon as the oiled filter gets dirty any small performance gain is lost.

Personally I have already done a fair bit of research, including talking to Jenvey and Omex, and when I fit TBs I will have no choice, at least initially, but to use an oiled foam filter and accept what that entails. And, yes, I will be considering fitting a bonnet scoop.

I am always interested to see what Cereal is doing

So what if you get a little less flow with time. That's the whole point of the oiled air filters: It stops the dust, grit and salt before it enters the engine. If all you care about is flow, you can in extremis nix the filter entirely and attach a funnel instead. How about that? Isn't that an excellent idea?

The reason offroad motorcycles and offroad cars tend to have oiled air filters installed quite quickly by people is that they protect the engine better. And if you are able to fit one with a larger surface area than the OEM paper filter, you not only get the protection you also get the airflow you need even when it's not completely clean.

Edit:

Oh, and I think I need to mention that I don't buy that Nissan article one bit. It is contrary to most every other piece of research there is on the subject, and it goes against what people in the real world experience.

Sorry but I really think you are incorrect when it comes to normal road use. It is true that offroad cars and bikes users largely adopt oiled filters but how many Morgans operate under those conditions? Offroad use is a special case and I would suggest that most offroad motorcyclist clean and re-oil if not before every outing (a simple operation on an enduro or MX bike) certainly with greater regularity than one would normally with an on road vehicle. Can't speak for off road four wheelers.

I worked for several years in a fairly well known motorcycle dealership and we had great results with a washable, non oiled, high flow, filter. I have one fitted to my other car and it seems to give a tiny bit more power but I could never be certain without a dyno test. According to the manufacturer it ticks all the boxes for air flow and micro particle filtering but I have never seen any independent third party testing.

I'd say that most Morgans operate in dry, dusty conditions. Not desert conditions, obviously, but dry and dusty.

Another comparison: http://www.fastcar.co.uk/2012/05/04/performance-car-air-filter-test/

Reread my posts. Even if the flow of air is slightly less, that doesn't mean you need slightly more flow. If you're in that camp, the best flow possible will be no filter at all. And the best flowing filters will be the most open, the ones that catch the least, the ones that doesn't catch all the fine stuff. But if flow is the sole goal, I agree, dry paper filters are better. But then again, no filter at all is even better.


Flow at the cost of everything else is not my goal. Longevity of the engine is at least as important to me, hence I prefer an oiled double-foam filter. It works well, doesn't restrict air flow to any discernable degree, but it catches most everything. When it get's dirty and gritty, yes, a rinse and new oil is needed, but with a lesser filter, all that dirt, now washed out from the filter, would have gone through your engine.

Your choice. If you want the most airflow at all cost, go with dry paper filters or no filter at all. If other things matters as well, go for something better at stopping dust, brake dust etc.