Anyone have problems with K&N air filters???

90TGP · December 29, 2003, 02:52:51 PM

Does anyone have problems with there K&N air filters ripping at the rubber neck? I've went through three of them (RU-1770, RU-1760, and one Jeff M. sent me), and all the rubber necks ripped or torn someway or another. I think it's mostly due to my dad tightning the clamp down too much :?

maximage · December 29, 2003, 03:12:39 PM

I'm actually a K&N Dealer. Usually when I see that, it's overtightned clamps as you stated. I've had mine on for quite some time(over30k miles).

R Dubya · December 29, 2003, 03:51:50 PM

My first one ripped, I replaced it with the same K&N pn# and it's still good. I tightened it too much.. it gets hot as hell right there and those clamps weaken it if they're too tight.

RareGMFan · December 29, 2003, 05:12:37 PM

I was just going to post about this, because mine is doing the same thing! I kept tightening it, yet every time I looked under the hood, the filter managed to somehow pop off again. So I finally tightened the hell out of the clamp as hard as I could, and it did just what yours did. The boot part ripped, and the filter STILL came off. This is all in the course of the 2 months or so that I've had the filter.

I bought it from AutoZone, but they said they dont deal with returns for K&Ns, and that I'd have to call them up directly. Will K&N swap it with another one if I call them up directly?? I'd hate to think I just blew $30 on a filter that lasted me 2 months!

Damn it. I was just beginning to enjoy the obnoxiously loud whistle of the turbo. :cry:

4PASNU · December 29, 2003, 05:36:06 PM

I guess the same thing happened to my car. My brother (he has my TGP up in WA) said that it was split at the neck. He was able to trim it down where it still worked. The thing I find odd about it is that I never tightened it enough that should have caused this. I knew that if I did it to tight that it could cause a problem so I was always careful. Is it a coincidence that everyone is having problems with their K&N's?

R Dubya · December 29, 2003, 05:59:35 PM

Mine got so bad I had to purchase another one, or not drive my car.. I tightened mine so it left imprints on the rubber neck, and soon enough it was melting and ripping. I got another one, left it kinda loose and everything is ok. Tight enough to keep it on, but loose enough so you can wiggle it off without touching the clamp.

idbeast · December 29, 2003, 07:28:21 PM

I've had mine on my red 90 for 6 years, I took a 1 liter plastic pop bottle and cut a 1/2 inch strip and put it under the hose clamp and carefully tightened it up... it was a pain to keep in place at first but it works good now. :mrgreen: :drinking: :drinking:

turby · December 29, 2003, 08:31:44 PM

I had a piece cut off the end of the stock intake hose on the turbo neck. Then I put the filter over it. Kept it from sliding off.

god910 · December 30, 2003, 08:47:21 AM

I have a knock off pos filter. (I don't even know who made it, it as on the car when I bought it.) It's got some serious no bull shit, rubber for the neck. It's kinda like a rad. or fuel line. But, I am switching over to a K&N before it makes it's way back onto the road. But I think I'm gonna work on a true cold air. Unless it's too quite :twisted:

Mike J. · January 05, 2004, 12:40:44 AM

My K&N ripped b4. I believe it was due to the engine torking over and pushing the filter against the intercooler. If your filter shows signs of a scrunched in corner, that could be the problem. K&N's are overpriced compared to similar-better types on ebay. See my post with pics of a easy/nice/functional cold air setup. The last post is dated 21,Oct. 2003.
Paid $20 for the whole nice setup plus shipping.
Here's my car and setup:
http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/439462

90TGP · January 05, 2004, 04:00:21 PM

Mike, what intake did you use for it? Did you use a universal Civic intake, or an Accord V6 intake?

Mike J. · January 06, 2004, 07:50:57 AM

See this link for a current ebay listing of what I bought which was for a Dodge Neon. I just cut it to the length I needed and now have 2 usable (although not identical) pipes. Also see that post I started dated Oct 21 for description of mounting etc. I chose option 04 because it can easily be sealed with an reducer to the stock 3" cold air port behind the pass. headlight.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2452731579&category=38634

Tooky · March 16, 2004, 06:18:17 PM

I missed this post the first time around; but wanted to add that yes my filter also suffers from this problem of ripping at the neck and getting scrunched by the intercooler. I tried loosening the band clamp and the filter pops off the turbo inlet (bad situation). For now I am just tightening the clamp only enough to keep the filter from coming off the turbo (which is still pretty tight.)

If I ever buy another filter for the stock turbo I will be getting the shorter one mentioned in my K&N Filter post (see sticky at top of this forum).

90TGP · March 16, 2004, 06:46:57 PM

I think the best solution to the problem is going out and buying a T-Clamp to replace the worm clamp that comes with the filter. I read on another board about how worm [the clamps with the screw and notches in the band] clamps when tightened a lot can squeeze the rubber through the notches and cut the rubber apart. That's why it's recommended to use only t-bolt clamps on turbo applications because it doesn't cut into the rubber.

Jeff M · March 16, 2004, 10:06:45 PM

Quote from: Mike J.My K&N ripped b4. I believe it was due to the engine torking over and pushing the filter against the intercooler. If your filter shows signs of a scrunched in corner, that could be the problem. K&N's are overpriced compared to similar-better types on ebay. See my post with pics of a easy/nice/functional cold air setup. The last post is dated 21,Oct. 2003.
Paid $20 for the whole nice setup plus shipping.
Here's my car and setup:
http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/439462

A very good point, worn dog bones allow the engine to torque forward smashing the turbo into the intercooler. Only on some TGPs did this happen so I trimmed the neck back some on the air filter and still had enough to clamp to. If it slips off then damn it, clean the oil off the turbo inlet and air filter neck :roll:, then you won't have to tighten the clamp so much (not you Mike). On other TGPs there was no contact or very minimal amount of contact.

Jeff M