K&N Intake - Worth it?!?

https://www.knfilters.com/toyota/4-runner/4.0l-v6-gas/2019/

Here are the K&N Intake filters. Can do a simple filter replacement that lasts for life (with cleaning) or a total intake kit replacement. What is your opinion on adding this (the filter or the entire kit) over the stock filter?

2019 Limited that I'm trying to do what I can to make it as good as it can be on a somewhat budget.

Thanks!

 

Nope

 

I think they are a waste of money.

 

Complete waste of money. Maybe add a drop in filter sometime down the road. But please do not get rid of the factory intake which actually draws cold air in from outside the engine compartment. If I was looking for a bit of performance, I'd focus my efforts on the exhaust. Good luck!

 

You "might" net some very minimal gains at wide open throttle... but it comes at the risk of allowing debris into your engine. It is not worth it. Stick with OEM or OEM equivalent.

Also the lifetime filter thing isn't all that convenient... you have to spray it down with the cleaner, and then dirt and oil from it drips all over the place... then rinse it out thoroughly... then you have to wait for it to dry... then spritz it with just the right amount of oil; too little, and it will make the filter even less good at catching fine debris; too much, and it will greatly restrict air flow and do the exact opposite of what you wanted it for. Not to mention that you've got the continuing costs of cleaning solution and oil spray, on top of the upfront cost.

More money, more effort, for very little potential gain (if even at all), and the potential increased risk to the longevity of your engine. Not worth it.

 

^^^^This!

I put a drop-in K&N in my Tacoma and the next oil change came out dirtier than ever. I went back to stock and never saw it that dirty again.

As mentioned, the stock intake is a cold air intake.

There might be other "drop-in" type filters that are worth having, but I couldn't tell you which ones.

Is anybody running a "drop-in" filter that they would recommend?

 

what is the word on TRD air filter is it same thing?
https://parts.tustintoyota.com/p/To...EcgnV8qnswJQlGYzCQahVj3y6smaABz4aAlJDEALw_wcB

 

It doesn't look like it. The K&N is an "oiled" filter. I don't see any mention of that in the description for the TRD filter.

I haven't seen the TRD filter in person, so I could be wrong.

 

Oil bath air filters have been used forever. They are superior for filtering and are still used in high dust environments. The dirty air must pass through a labyrinth of open weave material that is coated with oil. The dirt particles stick to the oil and eventually settle into the oil in the bottom. This keeps the filter material free of dirt and the passageways open. However, since all the parts are cleanable and reusable, air filter manufacturers make little money, hence the push by the filter manufacturers toward disposable filters.

Enter the K&N filter. The media itself is less dense than a disposable filter (so it doesn’t clog up nearly as fast), but it’s thicker. The dirt has to travel farther through it and has a better chance to get stuck to the oil. If the filter gets over oiled, yes the filter material spaces get clogged with oil and hampers air flow. A light spritz of oil on the upstream side of the filter will work as the airflow and wicking will carry the oil deeper into the material.

I’ve used K&N filters on my Honda street motorcycles, and 250,000 mile Tacoma. As soon as I’ve used my “free” services from the dealer on my T4R, I will get a K&N filter for it. I have not used K&N filters on my Honda dirt bikes because they came with OEM oiled foam filters.

 

Fair enough. I was making a point that if they’re that good for high dust areas, they’re equally good for low dust areas.

 

This is just a old fucks opinion, i was a desert rat for 40 yrs, and used K&N filters in everything i owned. The quality has gone down hill as far as manufacturing. Would go with AirRaid dry if going after market. Just my .05

 

I installed an AFE drop in filter, removed the charcoal after filter and removed the insert in the intake where it comes into the filter box from the fender. Here's a couple of pics of it. It narrows as it comes into the box so it must restrict flow somewhat. I didn't really notice any performance gains but when I installed the Borla muffler I surely did. Is the filter helping now that the exhaust is opened up? Possibly.

 

I have a K&N Air Intake on my 2012 Tacoma in conjunction with the TRD Supercharger and I would not have it any other way. I will be adding a similar type intake to my 2020 ORP once it arrives in a few weeks. Unfortunately, the supercharger is a no go until Magnusson figures out the software for the 2020 as it is different.