Quote:
Originally Posted by jamesqf
No, I don't have a flow testing setup in my garage. (Nor a dyno, alas.) Now how much would one of those cost? And how much time would I have to spend setting up a test?
As for how I know they need to be changed, I think the manufacturer's recommended interval is a good clue. Or I could just drive until they get black with dust & crud...
Plus shipping, if you order on-line. They don't (or didn't) have them at the local parts store.
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A flow testing setup can actually be built for very cheap, honestly. It takes a little math and engineering study, but you basically build a setup that will pull water through a tube, pop your filter in, flip on the fan, and see how many inches you pull the water. You can convert known airflow from the fan when free-spinning into max airflow through the filter. As long as that figure is at least 50% of the max potential flow of the engine, you're still OK to use the filter. I don't think I'd go any less on flow, though.
Yes, you have to pay shipping if you order online. Many times, it's not that bad, and you get the same shipping price if you order more than one. You can get a few changes' worth for less than buying them locally, because you also don't pay state sales tax on purchases that originate from outside your state.
The MFR's recommended change interval is based on severe duty service, and "the average driver", which you most certainly are not, unless you have an ulterior motive on this forum...?
The fact that you frequently are driving in Nevada's sand storms does lend to changing the filter a bit more often, though. I wasn't aware of that to begin with.
Often times, like I said before, the color/appearance of the filter is
not a good indication of it's available media or flow rate.