I've seen several "studies" on K&N vs other types, mainly paper elements. Somehow each "study" seems to come up with the conclusion that the winner is the same as the folks who conducted the "study."

I did my own. Yes, a Jeep engine compartment is super dusty and dirty - mine's worst than most too, everything out here is dusty!

After a few thousand miles with the stock air box and paper element I tried something.

I pushed a clean white paper towel through the stock snout - ducting from the box to the TB. The towel came out with quite a bit of dust on it. I figured it must be leaking somewhere - not good!
I inspected all the joints, no leaks that I could find. After cleaning the inside I taped all the joints to make sure. After a run I tried it again, dusty again inside.
Sure, the dust stuck to the plastic in the ducting never got to the engine, but how much didn't it catch?

I also put a sensitive vacuum gauge on the crankcase air inlet - the one that goes from the valve cover to the snout. I left the normal hose disconnected. I wanted to see if the filtering system was limiting air flow. If it did, it would show a vacuum.
It did, nearly an inch of vacuum at about 3000 as I recall.

Installed the snout and K&N. No vacuum at even higher revs, but the filter was clean. I was concerned about all the negatives I'd read about K&N. I didn't want to trash a new engine.

I kept checking for dust - still do after every run when I go over the vehicle looking for problems. So far I haven't seen any dust inside the snout like I did with the stock filtering system. I even let the K&N get really bad looking - to where the dirt was crusting on it - it probably had about 6K miles on it by then. Still clean inside, still no vacuum.
I did not like the way it looked - looked really bad like that. I cleaned it per instructions, then re-oiled it heavy.

I've replaced it recently, I think I cleaned it 2 or 3 times before replacing it. I'm on the 2nd one now, already cleaned it once I think. I still run that rag through the snout to try to detect any dirt, so far so good. I've been spraying a light coating of the filter oil inside the snout too - thinking if dust was getting through, some might stick to the oil - so far, so good.
Throttle body is still clean as new too - inside.

Remember the old oil bath filters? K&N's use the same principle.

The sock - it helps keep the butterfies from sticking to it - and it helps prevent water splash from getting on it - water doesn't seem to go through the sock, just runs off. I don't ever see water out here, and butterflys stuck to it are good snacks, so I don't use a sock.

Try your own test with the white towel - easy to do, costs nothing, could save your engine.

What I would like to see - a dual element filter system - with low restriction - where the first element is a centrifugal "spin", then 2nd stage with a good element.

---- The opportunity for someone to get rich!

One reason I went with the short Rockette snout was room. The stock airbox is long gone - in that space now - and close to it - is a battery disconnect switch, a second 12v battery, a Sanden compressor and it's controls for on board air, and the winch solenoids. I'm out of room there now!

"Studies" have shown that the big STP stickers double horsepower. But I think Duralube shows their studies to beat that.
Studies also show all politicians are honest too.

All I can say is try it yourself.

Was there ever anything wrong with the oil-bath filters? Were they dumped because they left nothing for the dealers or parts houses to sell? Or was it a styling decision motivated by the desire for lower hoodlines?

On oiling the ductwork to catch dust, could the oil kill the static charge on the plastic that was attracting the dust?

[ QUOTE ]
I've seen several "studies" on K&N vs other types, mainly paper elements. Somehow each "study" seems to come up with the conclusion that the winner is the same as the folks who conducted the "study."

.....All I can say is try it yourself.

[/ QUOTE ]

But these test were not run by a Filter manufacturing company but ordinary guy like you and me worried about the filtering on their rigs..

I got to admit that an inch of vacuum realy sucks for an airfilter. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I'll probably never afford a jeep that is almost twice my annual income but I have kept an eye on my aircleaner (YJ style) inside is clean but outside not usually. I did check the vacuum on mine for yucks and it was also around zero inches. So low I thought I had a leek further down stream but couldn't find any.

[ QUOTE ]
Was there ever anything wrong with the oil-bath filters? Were they dumped because they left nothing for the dealers or parts houses to sell? Or was it a styling decision motivated by the desire for lower hoodlines?

On oiling the ductwork to catch dust, could the oil kill the static charge on the plastic that was attracting the dust?

[/ QUOTE ]

I've seen some motors with plugged PCV's that looked like they had an oil bath cleaner. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I don't think they were that effective.

Now if I can just keep the mice and chipmunks out, that would be nice. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]I'm always suprised to find an acorn or two in there. Or to find air filter material in your glove box. [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

What was the original subject of this post again??

The old Jeepsters had the oil bath filters. The problem there was a big hill or sidehill it'd spill into the carb.

Older cars, like 50's and before oil bath filters were commom. The main objection was cleaning them - a big mess to dump the oil, wash it all out with solvent, then water, dry it, then put more oil in.
The throw away paper element caught on like wildfire. Easy - just put in a new one.

Oil film killing the static on the plastic - maybe, but the Rockette snout is steel.

I'm not trying to convince anyone about it - just told what I found. Make your own tests.

If someone was to design a super great filtering system, they'd certainly have lots of buyers.