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first time cleaning KN air filter. Anything special needed to be done?

H

holden j caufield

Diamond Member
Never cleaned it and I figure it's time. They sell a separate cleaning kit but it's seems like a gimmic anyone clean it with regularly without special stuff
 
I used the kit. I guess you could do without the cleaner stuff but you do need the right oil. I wouldn't use any substitutes, they may end up in your intake manifold.
 
Give the filter time to dry....like over night. Then spray with the iol and your ready to go.
 
It probably is a gimmick, but when you figure the things are supposed to go like 50-100k miles between cleanings (on road use), the kit will last the life of several cars.

The box says: No -
gasoline, steam, caustic, strong detergent, high pressure wash, parts solvents.

The ingredients are lacking, but the bottle does say: contains sodium metasilicates.
 
Do NOT clean it.

Take it out. Place a piece of newspaper or something against the ground. Knock the filter against the paper to knock off any bigger chunks of dirt and debris.

Put it back in.
 
Originally posted by: Apex
Do NOT clean it.

Take it out. Place a piece of newspaper or something against the ground. Knock the filter against the paper to knock off any bigger chunks of dirt and debris.

Put it back in.
Click to expand...

I can understand avoiding water but I can't see a spray dustcan cleaner doing any harm
 
Originally posted by: holden j caufield
Originally posted by: Apex
Do NOT clean it.

Take it out. Place a piece of newspaper or something against the ground. Knock the filter against the paper to knock off any bigger chunks of dirt and debris.

Put it back in.
Click to expand...

I can understand avoiding water but I can't see a spray dustcan cleaner doing any harm
Click to expand...

A dustcan should be ok as well. The problem with using the cleaner & re-oiling is it lowers the effectiveness.

K&N already has lower filtering capabilities than paper and a lot of other media. Its effectiveness is at an optimum when you do have a good amount of dust on there. The cleaning loosens up the cotton weave a bit. I guess it's a bit of a balancing act, flow vs filtration.
 
Originally posted by: Apex
Originally posted by: holden j caufield
Originally posted by: Apex
Do NOT clean it.

Take it out. Place a piece of newspaper or something against the ground. Knock the filter against the paper to knock off any bigger chunks of dirt and debris.

Put it back in.
Click to expand...

I can understand avoiding water but I can't see a spray dustcan cleaner doing any harm
Click to expand...

A dustcan should be ok as well. The problem with using the cleaner & re-oiling is it lowers the effectiveness.

K&N already has lower filtering capabilities than paper and a lot of other media. Its effectiveness is at an optimum when you do have a good amount of dust on there. The cleaning loosens up the cotton weave a bit. I guess it's a bit of a balancing act, flow vs filtration.
Click to expand...

I would listen to this guy... just because. 🙂
 
I just use a paint brush and knock off all the large debri, spray the K&N cleaner and let it soak for 30 minutes. Rinse off the cleaner with cold water and let it air dry over night.

The instructions say not to use a blow dryer or air compressor because it will shrink or blow holes into the cotton. Once its completely dry just oil it with the spray can. I used a paper towel to soak up any excess oil dripping off.

BTW: They're having a sale on K&N cleaner kits at Pep Boys (i dunno if its a So.Cali only deal so YMMV) for $8.99 with coupon from the Sunday Paper

K&N Engineering cleaning guide
 
i have been running K&N filters for quite a few years.

i first rinse my filter in hot water like in my sink, not high pressure just regular to get any large debris off.
than i soak it in real hot water and dish soap for an hour or so. than rinse in hot water.

than let dry all the way, when its done dripping i will put it ontop of my comp where i have a top fan that blows warm air into it.
when its completely dry i spray it with K&N oil. it makes a huge difference in gas milage if its really dirty.
i used to do evry 6000 miles but i do it every 3000 now.
 
The kit is not a gimmick, it does a great job restoring the filter back to how it looked when it was new.

I'd get the kit.. I've used mine 5-6 times in a few years and it's still good to go for more years to come (the kit AND the filter)
 
Originally posted by: CraigRT
The kit is not a gimmick, it does a great job restoring the filter back to how it looked when it was new.

I'd get the kit.. I've used mine 5-6 times in a few years and it's still good to go for more years to come (the kit AND the filter)
Click to expand...

ive been washing mine for 10 years now.
 
Just buy the kit and follow the instructions. I've read that a dirty K&N still flows better than a paper or foam filter, but where I live the filter turns black after a month. Been using the same ones for five years.

I usually dry the pair my car takes for an hour in the sun. Going overnight isn't necessary but is good if you don't need to go out. Avoid high pressure washing and using a hair dryer or anything on it. And rinse from the clean side to dirty side. The paint brush idea is good to knock off the big stuff too. All of this is in the instruction booklet, though.
 
I've cleaned my K&N three times since getting one, now 160k later. Honestly can't tell any performance difference when it's cleaned. My advice is to be careful and not go crazy overoiling the filter after you clean it. The unit will hold the oil then it starts to drip if you overoiled, so be careful.
 
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