bhaf vs K&N
 

I've got a K&N cone filter and foam pre-filter that I was running on my duramax. I have 2 of them so i could swap them out while cleaning them. The filter is about 9 in. long and 5 in. at the big end with a 4 in. inlet. I have had two different people tell me that the bhaf was a better filter. I am wanting some more opinions. I have ran a K&N on my duramax for the last 175,000 miles with no problems, but i have also cleaned them very regularly, sometimes as often as every two weeks. The cone filter with the pre-filter doesn't get dirty nearly as fast, the pre-filter seems to catch most of the dirt. I was going to put my second filter onto my 97 when i put the 4 in. exhaust on tomorrow.

i honestly would run no filter before i ran a k&n on a turbo diesel. i have pulled more k&n filters off and found intake tubes dusted than anything. imo, they are shitty. but again, jmo

Not just your opinion, believe me.

do you like the bhaf or would you recommend something else?

I like it.

I personally have ran them all .... Oil less ones are cheaper and easier to clean but more than anything ... Its opinion based ...
unless you want something specific, go with what works

bhaf is a cheap intake set up, which is just the filter and been used for years with good success. ive run afe and s&b intake systems and like them both. good luck :c:

i use and have no problem with afe intakes :w2:

I recently went from K&N (about 200,000 miles) to BHAF. Boost went down, and EGT went up. Power and MPG seem about the same, though. :argh:

Interesting ..... same over all size and dementions on each filter ?? :humm:

Huh. First time I've ever heard of that happening. Every truck I've ever taken a K&N off of got better in every way.

Was a K&N model 880 (I think). Cone about 14" long w/ about a 5" end cap and 4" outlet. New one is about the size of a bathroom garbage can.

That sounds quite a bit longer than any K&N I've seen, which could account for it.
But yeah, the BHAF is definitely a BIG HONKIN' air filter.

bigger is better ... unless its inefficent at removing the stuff your engine dont wanna be breathin .... :td::nope:

Here's the one I was using: RE-0880 - K&N Universal Air Filters, Universal Rubber Filter direct from K&N Model number was RE-0880, not just "880"

I would have to say that it was too small .... calculate the leingth by the circumfence ... Sq. In ... trubo engines need Massive filters ... two of those would have been good ..:tu:

Did you have your "sarcasm" key locked? That one flowed for 30psi and rarely, if ever got to 900 EGT (post-turbo) My new BHAF is the one with less pressure and higher temp..... There's also the possibility that my intercooler (original) might have developed some pinholes here and there, and that I'm losing pressure. There are some places where the paint's flaking away, leaving exposed aluminum tubing.

Here's my little piece of update:

Filter may or may not have been a restrictor. Probably wasn't since my son borrowed it for Da Beast, and can now pull 35psi. Intercooler not leaking. Boots and plumbing all tight. Turned out that my BD brake's "butterfly" valve wasn't opening all the way anymore. It'd still close when I wanted deceleration, but, was acting as an exhaust restrictor, when it was supposed to be full-open. Would have been $1000 for a new one, so I had the guy remove the controls for it, and torch it out of the "elbow"... I no longer have mountains, a trailer, or big jobs for "Tiny", so, the loss is not too awful painful. Runs like a raped ape, now.

I noticed a large increase in EGT when I did the BHAF, but in its defence, there was no divider in place to keep the hot air from the exhaust and rest of the engine from getting to it. With this truck I have a smaller air filter with a fitted heat shield that keeps the hot air out of it. I would suggest making a shield for the hot side of the filter and see if that solves your EGT issues if they are still high.

Only thing I will run is afe intake or s&b

I didn't have a pyro yet when I put in my BHAF (it was the first "mod" I did), so I'm not sure what the difference was. Not enough to care about, because when I did put the gauge in, I still couldn't hit four digits so it couldn't have been too bad. I do know that I ran several configurations of heat shields on/around my BHAF, from a simple plate to a full box, various gauges and materials, drove thousands of miles on every configuration, and never saw a damn bit of difference in EGT between any of them, or between any of them and none. Which told me that a heat shield is completely pointless, so I don't have any now. It was a nuisance to work around anyway.

on EGT, the BHAF lowered my son's by about 150*F cruising.... as for heat-shields, when you're driving, there's boucoup air-turbulence under the hood, so exhaust-system heat should be pretty much a non-issue. If you're at a red light, your fan(s) should be running, so, while not a non-issue, probably a minimal issue. I suspect the only time a heat-shield really has a function in life is interrupting radiant heat from the turbine from cooking your filter after you've parked and killed the engine. How much of an issue? Might be a non-issue.


In defense of the stock 1st-Gen in-fender canister-style filter, RJ had gone "muddin'" and gotten some ugly brown water onto the stock filter, which probably clogged the hell outta the pores. A clean stock replacement might also have given him 35psi and 100-150*drop, as well. We don't know, and won't know, since we didn't buy one.

LOL... I forgot about that. The one time I was happy to have a heat shield on there, was when the elbow where the downpipe bolts up to the back of the turbo cracked and was spewing soot all over the place. It did help keep the filter clean. Well, cleaner than everything else on that side of the bay anyway.

:scare2::scare2::scare2::scare2:

I'm also planning to wrap my turbo/manifold/& down pipe ... anyone have any thoughts on brand or way of wrapping ? :humm:

There are several different Turbo blankets out there but I am planning to use Header wrap on the pipe and see how hard it will be to find a blanket up here.

Yeah, I too am doing a Wrap... those blankets seem real chincy, i havent found one that would look good... it has to look cool too . lol :c:

i run the are dry BHAF with a pre filter and love it, also have my manifold, ex housing and about a foot of my dp wrapped with stuff called titanium wrap i believe. keeps the under hood temps nice, can touch my manifold right after shut down. probably could touch it while running too. helps spool a fair bit i find, only down side is it gives a some what false egt reading as it holds the heat in so egts like to linger i find, could also be the fact I'm a bit over fuelled for my turbo. a bit longer to cool down aswell. looks slick though and can't beat the price compared to blankets.

Thanks wpg .. I will look into the wraping ... egt's .. thats an issue I used to have .. then I installed a Adjustable OFV .. not an issue now .. fuel pressure set @ 32 psi ..:rocking::choochoo:

I will try and find that, I am not worried about cool down, mine comes down to 300 in very little time. I can be on the throttle all the way down the road to work, get off it at our little access road drop to second then hit first rolling in the parking lot and cruise into the lot and by the time I park I am at 300 no worries.

Sorry, ment to say afe dry filter. I'd suggest that over a paper bhaf if you have the extra coin.

Will save you $$$ in the long run either way ( cotton over paper all day ) ... :tu: