Aftermarket aircleaner, better, worse or a draw?

[Threevagabonds]

Looked into changing out the aircleaner on my Ford diesel (6.0L) and was told that the market leader K&N does not yet make one for it. AFE does make one though. Reason for thinking of doing this are to get better filtration, performance? and to avoid the high cost of using the "original" style filter when chamging filters. I do not know how good AFE is, and welcome any information you may have on my questions.

[Threevagabonds]

Looked into changing out the aircleaner on my Ford diesel (6.0L) and was told that the market leader K&N does not yet make one for it. AFE does make one though. Reason for thinking of doing this are to get better filtration, performance? and to avoid the high cost of using the "original" style filter when chamging filters. I do not know how good AFE is, and welcome any information you may have on my questions.

[Jeff_in_The_Dalles]

A buddy has an AFE on a Dodge, and it appears to be high quality.

On a diesel, I think most people who benefit from an aftermarket filter are folks who have added more fuel (chip, plate, whatever) and need more air flow to keep exhaust temps in the safe range.

Personally, I'm going to leave my truck (mostly) stock, and not have anything to argue about if there were ever a warranty issue...

[baddwalk]

You need to be carefull with using an air filter such as K&N. They are great filters and I used one for a while in my 02 Chevy. This type of air filter uses oil on the filter as part of the filtration process and if they are too wet (over oiled) they can dirty up the mass air sensor and cause problems. Chevy issued a TSB regarding the K&N filter because of this. The mass air sensor would get dirty from the oil and cause the Service engine soon light to come on. I ended up going back to stock air filters because of this. On a side note, I did not really see any noticeable improvements in mpg or power.

[K-Star]

the PowerCore filter our trucks use is highly efficient and allows better airflow than other type air filters. My truck is stock and will remain that way. I'll probably go to an AMSOIL PowerCore air filter when I replace mine since I can get it cheaper than I can from Ford or NAPA.

[Mark Kovalsky]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Threevagabonds:
Looked into changing out the aircleaner on my Ford diesel (6.0L) and was told that the market leader K&N does not yet make one for it. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>
That's because they haven't been able to make one better than the stock filter. You are not going to find an aftermarket filter that removes more dirt and flows more air than the stock filter. IMNSHO!

[rodeodrifter]

I had a K&N filter in my '95 12 valve Cummins and although there was an improvement in fuel consumption the filter disintegrated without showing any signs of deterioation on regular inspections. I won' put another K&N in my truck. I'm told the AFE will not do this.

[Jeff_in_The_Dalles]

I just read a thread on a Dodge site where the guy put on an aftermarket air filter.

His next oil lab work came back with high silicates, along with high metal content indicating ring/cyl wear. The oil lab said the results would indicate something not sealed letting in unfiltered air, or the air filter letting abrasives in and causing wear.

Anyhow, If you do decide to do the air filter thing, it may be worth it to do the oil sample thing before, and after... Otherwise you might not know if there was a problem until the engine wears out prematurely...

[ZR1PETE]

If you have a 6.0 Diesel engine failure with an aftermarket air cleaner, Ford may not honor the factory warranty. The air cleaner in the 6.0 Ford diesel is a Donaldson air cleaner and filters out way more particles. That's because it must protect the turbo from any grit from entering. This filter is also used on big rig diesel truck engines. It's the very best air cleaner out there. Don't be
fooled by better claims of the aftermarket. Ford engineers know what thier doing.

[Devil Dog]

I agree with the info about K&N causing problems. I had a K&N on my '01 GMC 8.1 and the service engine light came on while traveling. When I got home, my dealer service manager discovered the MAF was clogged due to oil. After it was cleaned and a new stock filter put in, no more problems!

[KLS]

Here is one very good air filter test
http://home.usadatanet.net/~jbplock/ISO5011/SPICER.htm

I stick with OEM. The price isn't that high, and I trust the protection.


Ken

[Scottygl]

Go to "dieselstop.com" and learn more than you would ever care to know. At any rate, it appears that the 6.0 filters in stock form are about the best you can find.

[odoh]

There was an exhaustive study on the subj pertaining to GM DuraMax on the dieselplace & the consensus was that the standard OEM paper was far away the best.

I had already bought a much touted Uni foam filter and noticed when held up to a light, that there were pinholes in the foam that could allow silicates to enty the induction system. Still in factory sealed pack at a very good price w/cleaning kit unused ~

[Skip298]

I had an oil spattering problem with my 6.0..the dealer changed just about every hose on the engine, finallly did get it stopped...I ony have about 20.000 on it.. I only service it at the ford dealer..On the last service trip they replaced the air filter, the service guys asked me if I had ever seen the filter that the deisel uses...then they showed me the one that came out of my truck, it had a big rip in it... they replaced it free, must have been improperly intsalled at factory, my fuel mileage has gone UP as result..getting more air i guess..