[TR] K & N air filters

[spook01@comcast.net]

And the HP 1 oil filter is rated at 20 microns.  Go figure.

Sent from my Verizon Wireless Phone

----- Reply message -----
From: "Randall" <TR3driver at ca.rr.com>
To: <spook01 at comcast.net>, <triumphs at autox.team.net>
Subject: [TR] K & N air filters
Date: Sat, May 19, 2012 17:25


> You should report them if you truly think they are 
> engaging in false advertising.

No, I did NOT say that.  What I said was that I believe, on the information
I have, that they let more dirt through than the average paper element
filter.  I am still waiting for you to present ANY evidence to the contrary.

> You are obviously emotionally invested in your opinion on 
> paper filters;

No more than you are in your opinion of K&N.

> My guess is that one might gain 2 HP on these cars with a k&n 
> simply because the early filters have such little resistance. 

Which is remarkably similar to what I said.  But then how much do you lose
due to advanced piston ring wear?

>  Every little bit helps!

Depends on your goals.  My goal is a reliable car I can drive every day for
a long time.  If sacrificing 2hp buys me another 30,000 miles without
replacing the rings, I'm good with that.  If it was a race car, I would feel
differently (and might well run K&N filters if I ran any filter at all).
But I would also be changing the rings every hundred miles or so.

> Did the engines need re building every 10,000 miles?  Of course not.

Uhm, just how many miles have you driven a TR3 with those screen filters, in
a dusty environment?  I particularly like the comment in the owner's manual
about "excessive" oil consumption being one gallon (Imperial presumably) per
thousand miles.

> So, we worry about trapping bits one third the size of the things rattling
around in the oil system?

Dunno about you, but I don't put in dirty oil, while the air is already
dirty.  And oil filters do remove particles smaller than 15 microns, just at
a lower percentage.  Since they get many, many passes at the oil, they don't
need to be as efficient to remove  the dirt.  In fact, the early TR3s used a
bypass oil filter and fed the mains with oil directly from the pump.

-- Randall