Diesel Performance Filter

[TDi08]

Hey All

Looking to put a K&N filter into my 06 Golf 2L Diesel. Has anyone done this, and have you had any problems? I looking for slightly improved performance and ecomony, without paying for a ECU upgrade.

Im also struggling to find the part number, does anyone have this?

Thanks

[Transporter]

I wouldn't do that, unless I know that the filter I'm installing will catch up the same amount of particles as original one. You may end up with worn out engine sooner and less performance. Also think about the turbocharger as the air that pass the air filter pass MAF sensor and the turbo as well.
The power gain from air filter replacement is so small you can't even maesure it.

Use search function you will find too many discussions about K&N.

Look also in Let the tinkering begin and continue threads.

[Greg Roles]

Go for it, you'll get a warm and fuzzy feeling, and a cool sticker, but that's about it. The biggest two problems in the stock inlet are the MAF grid, and the 90 degree exit from the top of the airbox just before it.

Overoiling filters is also lethal for MAF sensors too by the by.

[dazag]

So what do you guys think of BMC filters then?? Or should we steer clear of any kind of Oil based filter?? And what about the CDA version of the BMC filters??
really unless you're driving on dirt roads most of the time, and you have a cold air induction intake sitting low on the vehicle, how many particles do you think will get past the oil based filters??
What I think would be a wicked design is the swirl vane intake that causes the heavier dirt particles to get thrown out centrifically, with a small exit duct so the actual dirt particles dont even make it to the air filter. They use this design on some helicopters ( called a scroll case), especially military ones that land in dusty conditions, and they run no air filters before the air enters the engine. They do thousands of hours on those engines before doing overhauls
I should go read the posts about K&N in here and see if anyone has done side by side comparisons running a standard paper filter on one car and a K&N on the other to really se if the K&N's are really that bad as rumoured??

[silvershadow]

..........

What I think would be a wicked design is the swirl vane intake that causes the heavier dirt particles to get thrown out centrifically, with a small exit duct so the actual dirt particles dont even make it to the air filter. They use this design on some helicopters ( called a scroll case), especially military ones that land in dusty conditions, and they run no air filters before the air enters the engine. They do thousands of hours on those engines before doing overhauls
...........

"Ask and ye shall receive" - an American company Donaldson Filtration [formerly Donaldson Cyclopac] already make this type of unit for agricultural, mining and earthmoving applications. use the following link and scroll down to the "Topspin Precleaner" to view a data sheet:

http://www.donaldsonfilters.com.au/engine-exhaust/air-filtration/sub16cat16

They also make a precleaner which ejects dust through the exhaust system called "Donaspin" for engines requiring 350CFM or greater inlet air flow.

A full product catalogue is available for downloading at the bottom of this webpage.

[Buller_Scott]

hey there dazag... i've read enough literature to be convinced that any "cai" attempts for diesels are really just ignoring the fact that the stock intake setup is pretty good as is.

as for "performance" filters for a diesel- i wouldnt recommend. people have done flow tests and for a minimal (if at all) increase in flow with a bmc or k&n, you're putting a filter in your car that only has a fraction of the filter element that a stock filter has.

there's no other way around it. if you want a performance increase, then the first stop on the list would have to be a chip. once you've got one you wont be bothering to quibble over what 'performance' filter to place in your airbox.

[mikinoz]

In the time that I have had the modshack on the 2.0TDI I have had better throttle response and a smoother torque/power curve (dyno plots are in another thread). It does not increase power.

I am not going to say that the filtration is as good, as it probably is not, but I regularly service the car and won't be keeping it past 100K/5 years so longevity is not a problem.

If you want to try a modshack on your car, I am happy to let you use it for a bit.

My thread is here on the subject...

http://vwwatercooled.org.au/newforum/upload/showthread.php?t=12792&highlight=modshack

[Dyldo]

Having had my Modshack on for a while, i agree with Mikinoz interms of low down response.

Trouble i have now is how to clean the bugger. I have the cleaning kit, but just worried about the actual type of K&N filter that sits inside the modshack and wondering how much to oil it. anyone have any clues?

[Greg Roles]

When you wash it out, it will lose the red colour somewhat. The new oil is tinted red, so just give it a nice even coating, without getting too heavy handed. It's something that's hard to define exactly, but you'll get the hang of it pretty quick.

[Dyldo]

...It's something that's hard to define exactly, but you'll get the hang of it pretty quick.

yeah, as in i'll find out when i kill/clog the MAF

Thanks Cogdoc, i'd actually forgotten about the dye in the oil and the reddish colour.

[Greg Roles]

...yep, that'd qualify as "too much".

Having run K&N's in the Golf for a time, and my last three cars, you'd have to seriously over oil it to even get any oil on the inlet side of the filter. I've never seen any sign of even a spec of oil from a K&N.

[Dyldo]

ok, so i have oiled the filter. didn't take photos (sorry) but got a nice light red colour and not much (if any) grey. i was quite sparing with the oil, and probably used 0.5oz according to the bottle.

Is it possible to underoil the filter as well as over-oil it? if so, is it worthwhile pulling the filter off and adding more oil?

[Greg Roles]

I think it's much safer given the potential MAF issues to under oil it a bit, afterall all the oil does is make the fibres more "attractive" to dust. I always just serviced the K&N more often, rather than overoil it, as in my mind once the wet fibres were full, the oil part of the equation ceased being effective. 5k or so I reckon is the go.

[Dyldo]

5k or so I reckon is the go.

wowsers, 5K? the K&N website says 30K to 50K miles, and you'll be doing it ten times in that distance.

I reckon mine went about 35K kms before i serviced it, and thats including the 15/20K the previous owner put on the intake before i bought it. it was pretty jammed with black muck and about 400 bugs. cleans up good though.

i think i was a bit overzealous with the no gaps sealant though for the intake housing, and there's a good chance i won't ever be able to ol it again anyway...