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        General >> Give/Need advice to/from others >> K&N air filters
        
(Message started by: Jonnycab on Mar 5^th, 2011, 4:50am)

Title: K&N air filters
Post by Jonnycab on Mar 5^th, 2011, 4:50am

With petrol prices at an all time high & looking like they could go up even more (Libya troubles etc), I'm trying to think of cheap ways of getting just that little bit extra MPG ;)

An LPG conversion is out of the question, as the car is too old & has too many miles on the clock to justify the cost....It would take 18 months to break even ::)

So I'm thinking maybe a K&N filter might improve things slightly & at between £40-£45, that isn't too much of an expense, but 4-5 times more expensive than a standard paper filter....although they are washable & last forever.

I've got a K&N racing filter on my MK1 Granny & although it really does improve acceleration, it gives a high raspy sound, which I don't like :P. So I'm thinking of a direct replacement K&N filter for that as well ;)
Not sure if it improves MPG though, as it (being 34 years old) doesn't have a fuel computer & I don't drive it enough to really notice any loss or gain in fuel consumption :-/

Anyway, enough waffling ::). Has anyone ever fitted a replacement K&N panel filter in a Scorp & did they notice a difference in fuel consumption ? ....also, did they notice any improvement in acceleration ?

I've read a few articles & car forums about the benefits of using K&N filters (rated higher than Pipercross), but wanted to get a Scorpio owner's opinion :)

Title: Re: K&N air filters
Post by scorpio_man on Mar 5^th, 2011, 7:49am

hi jon

didn't have a k&n filter, but a jetex in my old car. makes a very slight difference in performance/economy.

what made the biggest difference is removing the cat, but that's not an option for you.

if you do change over, remember to keep an eye on your maf, as oil from the filter can cover it. only happens for the first few hundred miles until the filter 'dries'.

i'm going to put one in my mondeo as performance is a little flat until wound up a bit. strange as it has flaps in the manifold to increase torque, etc at low revs. get it to 3.5k rpm and it's like a different car. feels a little breathless high up compared to the 2.3, but i'm putting that down to the filter/cat less setup of my old 2.3.

you could run slightly higher tyre pressure. make sure the a/c is topped up. no drag from any of the brakes. run a bottle of injection cleaner every 3 or 4k miles. only carry what you need in the boot, etc.

hth

Title: Re: K&N air filters
Post by Highlander on Mar 5^th, 2011, 11:21am

Are you doing mostly local around town trips in it Johnny?

I reckon fitting the 4.27 diff to the 24v gives a LOT better mpg around town, effectively giving it lower gearing but it kills it on the motorway :)

There's a chap on the Transit forum who remaps ECU's for either performance or economy, I would think the Scorpios might be capable of the same?

I make a habit of NOT filling the tank above half way, a full tank is 70Kg

dont pick up any passengers, especially those with luggage ;D

Title: Re: K&N air filters
Post by Jonnycab on Mar 5^th, 2011, 12:32pm

Andy....interesting to read that the Jetex filter actually made a slight difference in performance/economy....even if it's just a slight improvement, then that's a start ;)

I do tend to run the tyre pressures at 32 psi in the front & 34psi in the back (to take extra weight), which gives a firm, but not too hard a ride. There is not much in the boot (a box with a few essentials) & there's defo no brake drag :)
I've not checked if the aircon is fully topped up, but it works fine & doesn't get used unless it's needed (I do let it run once a week for 10 mins so the compressor doesn't seize) ;)

Yes Stuart, it's mainly around town trips. I don't really want to muck about changing diffs, but the re-mapping idea sounds interesting. I'll have to look into that ;)
Also, I never fill my tank above half way either because of the weight factor :)

The Scorp is running fine & isn't doing any less mpg than it should. It's actually pretty good considering the kind of stop-start motoring that I do. I'm just trying to think of a way it can be improved a tad with little hassle & not much outlay.

The air filter idea seemed like a good place to start. I usually use 'Fram' air filters at £8.99 a hit (from local motor factors) & was wondering if these cheap paper filters may actually hinder fuel consumption & performance :-/

Maybe shelling out a few quid for a really good air filter with a life time guarantee will be beneficial not just in the long term, but the short term as well ?

I think I'll go for a new K&N replacement filter at £42 & see how it goes.....well £84 actually, as the wifes 2.3 estate (no noticable difference in mpg or performance between the two) could benefit as well.

'nothing ventured, nothing gained'...as they say :D

P.S....Andy, from what I've read about K&N filters, oil saturation of the MAF from the filter has never been reported as an issue.
I always give the MAF a blast with carb cleaner spray every 1000 miles, but will check it after a couple of hundred once the K&N is fitted...thanks for the heads-up ;).... :)

Title: Re: K&N air filters
Post by Jonnycab on Mar 15^th, 2011, 2:17am

Well then....received the K&N filters last Wednesday & put them in both Scorps that day.

The response in acceleration is noticable, especially at speed (even the wife noticed it on hers). It's as though they've lost a few kgs, if you know what I mean ;) ....acceleration feels smoother as well :)

As for an improvement in mpg.....Can't go by the wifes Scorp, as she only uses it for work (6 miles each way), so hasn't done many miles.
But I've done about 300 miles in mine since & the trip meter has risen by almost 1mpg (wow ::)). I reckon if I can resist the temptation to keep flooring it (to feel the improved air rush ;D) & just drive it like I did before (like a nun), then it should hopefully get a little better.

To conclude then....the K&N filter has improved & smoothed acceleration, & can obviously slightly improve mpg due to the fact that less throttle is needed to attain usual acceleration, due to increased air intake.

Was it worth spending £42 on, twice ?....I would like to think so.....but my logic is saying probably not :-/

How long will it take (for an improvement of 1 or possibly 2 mpg) to justify the £42 spend on each filter ?...considering an £8.99 'Fram' air filter can last for up to 30K......
........Probably longer than I'll keep both cars ::)

Makes 'em a little more fun to drive though :D

Title: Re: K&N air filters
Post by PJDavis on Mar 15^th, 2011, 11:46am

Pic us the filter in place then.............. 8)

Title: Re: K&N air filters
Post by Mike H on Mar 15^th, 2011, 1:17pm

Where did you buy them from?

Title: Re: K&N air filters
Post by Jonnycab on Mar 15^th, 2011, 2:13pm

PJ, no point taking a pic as it's just a replacement panel filter that goes in the airbox & is the same size & shape as the original.....It's just made of different stuff & is purple. You wouldn't know it was in there either unless you took a peek, as it doesn't change the sound of the engine.

Mike, I got them off ebay HERE (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300074712088&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT) :)

Title: Re: K&N air filters
Post by Highlander on Mar 15^th, 2011, 3:01pm

Just a straight swap air filter then?

I (like I expect PJ did) assumed it one was one of those fancy cone thingys :)

Re: the remapping thing,

The Transit guys say they notice a big difference with either setting, whether they choose to boost the performance or economy...

however the excitement about the increase in either option is somewhat dampened by the decrease in the other ;D

I know the 2.3 isn't the fastest motor on the block but theres a hell of a lot of power on tap, probably more than any of us ever get close to utilising, I suppose the manufacturer has to maintain the balance between economy and performance

if you could get it remapped for economy, even suppose it only did 70mph after, I wonder how much it might save you...

My old 1992 Transit, used to do 30mpg with an ancient non turbo 2.5 diesel engine and could just about hit 85 downhill with a tailwind if you had a spare hour to try it in! ;D

The new Transit at work struggles to attain 30mpg (usually around 28 ) but it could give ANYTHING a run for its money from a standing start, its awsome...

With all the present day technology, how economical could they have made it if they really needed to??

I could live without the dragster performance if it would do 50 to the gallon!! ;D

Title: Re: K&N air filters
Post by Jonnycab on Mar 16^th, 2011, 1:07am

Stuart, I'm not sure I really want the slowest Scorpio on the block ;D, even if it did do, say, 40 mpg....I think slowing down when going up a hill would really start to get me down after a while ;)

I did look at a few remapping services on the web & most seem to only do diesel & I only found one that did the Scorp, but that was the diesel ???. Are there problems associated with remapping petrol cars I wonder ? :-/

Title: Re: K&N air filters
Post by Highlander on Mar 16^th, 2011, 9:36am

No idea ;D

I've just seen it done on the transits a few times but both diesel and petrol models

Title: Re: K&N air filters
Post by scorpio_man on Mar 16^th, 2011, 10:40am

hi there

more gain on turbo diesels. anything up to 30%.

on a petrol, you're looking at maybe 10% gain (if that), but bigger increase in drive-ability if the tuner knows what they're doing.

my son's punto sporting (1.9 variable turbo) was 130bhp. it's now putting out 190+ bhp. it's like a little rocket! ;D

** i should add that i don't know how an auto would react to tuning. i would think that the part of the ecu controlling the 'box would need tweaked as well (bit like using sport mode, holding the revs, etc).**

jon, that's something to try as well. you know your mpg before the new filter. get a figure for with the k&n and then try using sport mode on the 'box all the time. see if there's a difference. i've a feeling there will be a slight difference.

hth

Title: Re: K&N air filters
Post by Highlander on Mar 16^th, 2011, 11:00am

on 03/16/11 at 10:40:35, scorpio_man wrote:

my son's punto sporting (1.9 variable turbo) was 130bhp. it's now putting out 190+ bhp. it's like a little rocket!

Andrew did you see my insurance query?

http://www.fordscorpio.co.uk/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl?board=Snoopy;action=display;num=1300053805

Since you live in the Baghdad of the North, any tips? ;D

Title: Re: K&N air filters
Post by scorpio_man on Mar 16^th, 2011, 11:11am

stuart

you have a pm. :)