Best Panel Filter ?

[B-Man]

Which is the best panel filter you can buy ??

When I say best - I mean best flow without letting too much shit in.

Forget about price - I just want to know BEST.

K&N have been popular

BMC advertise that V8 Supercars and F1 use them.

Hven't heard much about the Apexi one - apart from that it is not oiled.

Post your experiences

Cheers,

[jantolis]

I have a K&N filter in my car.

Can't really compare to much else but it was alot better than the air filter that was in before it that hadn't been changed in atleast 30000kms. Man this was a better upgrade than my 2860r's i got the week before i put the new air filter. lol.

[legend01]

I've been using a HKS one for a couple years and a couple cars with cai and have made good power .We tested it once by cracking open the airbox while on the dyno and it lost a tiny bit a hp.when its been pulled apart there has been little or no dirt or oil in the intake system

[SHANE666]

i had an apexi power intake....pod = only good when it has CAI piping to it..

at the moment running K&N panel....cant say theres a WHOLE heap of difference from my old generic one....but yeah you do feel the car run smoother.

[nuclear_skyline]

Touche on the K&N filter. I run one and found it to be really good at filtering. I cleaned most of the oil off when I bought it, then re-applied a lesser amount as they are over oiled from factory.

Flows really well, didnt notice any major gains with it off in the dyno room.

[reCOUPErator]

ive got a blitz or trust panel... seems better than the factory, but cant really say much more for it though as im not sure!

[B-Man]

I asked my mechanic this question today -

He said - look here:

Got a K&N filter - ripped it apart - unfolded the cotton filter

Took a paper filter - ripped it apart - unfolded the paper filter

The paper filter was more than twice as long as the K&N

More surface area on the paper fitler

He also commented that unless you keep the oil on the the K&N really clean regularly, it can clog up with shit - - the oil just attracts shit and clogs it.

With the paper filter, cause there is more surface area, the shit is spread further (thinner)

Also - paper filters are like 5 bux these days - I could afford to change one every 2000kms - keeping max air flow always.

I think I will stick to paper filters.

[madevo3]

i have got a k/n one on my car but i had a sass filter on my lancer and that pod sucked alot harder and beeter and it only cost me 20 bucks for mautobarn not like a k/n filter which is near on 100

[Fry_33]

I saw SydneyKid suggested a Pipercross panel filter in an older thread. I ended up getting one. I can't remember exactly how much it was but it was quite reasonable. They are basically made up of three layers of foam which are different densitys. Coarse one is on the outer and it gets finer after that.

They don't list a Nissan Skyline filter as such. From memory though my R33 GTST is the same as a Nissan X-Trail which is the same as VR/VS commodores too.

I purchase mine from Revolution Racegear, think it was this one.. http://www.pipercross.net/panelfilters/product.asp?m1=31&m2=374&app=1658

Might also want to get the cleaning kit while you're at it.. C8999

Don't quote me on the part numbers. I used the K&N site to cross reference and find out which one it probably was.

The paper element may have had more surface area but if it is bunched up more then it could effectively reduce the availble area for the air to pass through. Since the filter is a fixed size, you could get a huge piece of paper and fold it in the triangular pattern and jam it into the space, I don't think it would flow that well though. I'm assuming there would be an optimum surface area based on the flow rate of the filter material. A section of cotton may flow better than an equivalent paper section. What happens to the paper when it gets moist compared to what the cotton does?

I agree that if you are changing over the paper element frequently then this must surely help. It's also a quick, easy and fairly cheap solution.