Good Grief - I don't believe it

[RogerH]

My K&N carb air filters gave up the ghost the other and so I have just looked for replacement.

Firstly the Moss WebCat says they are guaranteed for 1000,000 miles. I wonder where the receipt would be.

Secondly - I then spotted the price - wait for it   £120 each   (£240 for the car)  bl**dy hell.

The cheap ones are cheap but they have none in stock.

Hmmm  what to do !!!!

 

Roger

[iain]

Write to K and  N and explain that the filters have only done 500000 miles and you want your money back :-)

Iain

Edited August 14, 2022 by iain

[RogerH]

Hi Iain,

 that may be worth doing.

 

Roger

[Colin Symonds]

That seems a lot, I had a pair of K&N filters (KN56-9132) fitted to my 4a in June last year and they were £125.00 +Vat for the pair.  Moss shows these as £130 might be worth checking to see if that is for a pair.

Abingdon list them at £78 each.

[MichaelH]

Can't you clean the filter?

I have an ITG filter for Webers and there is a filter cleaning fluid available

Is ther nothing available for the K&N filters?

[AndyR100]

Worth checking eBay - the mainstream suppliers often list them as special offers. ( paid round  £55 each)

……. Andy 

Edited August 14, 2022 by AndyR100

[AndyR100]

10 minutes ago, MichaelH said:

Can't you clean the filter?

I have an ITG filter for Webers and there is a filter cleaning fluid available

Is ther nothing available for the K&N filters?

Yep, you can clean them and then re-oil.

…….. Andy  

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

Roger.

When I was young we used to buy not just filter assemblies but also the element on its own from K&N

Perhaps you still can……

https://www.knfilters.co.uk/search/universal/round-air-filter/

Edited August 14, 2022 by BlueTR3A-5EKT

[Lebro]

Make your own.  Buy a pair of cheap filters from ebay

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174152580979?_trkparms=amclksrc%3DITM%26aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20180105095853%26meid%3De736ab37fffe4c4a95806f5d325e8d31%26pid%3D100903%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D20%26sd%3D174152580979%26itm%3D174152580979%26pmt%3D0%26noa%3D1%26pg%3D2510209%26brand%3DAccuSpark&_trksid=p2510209.c100903.m5276

add some expanded metal, cut to desired width, add some foam filter material, jobs a goodun.

Bob

 

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

How have you tried to clean them Roger?   I guess you have the proprietary cleaner from K&N?

i bought a gallon of the stuff a while back that was only 25% more expensive than ‘a quart’. Bargain I say  https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/363686736994?epid=19020897698&hash=item54ad6b3462:g:E9MAAOSwbDJiJ0Rb

Today the quart is about half to two thirds the price of the gallon.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/292041749558?hash=item43ff0b7436:g:rAQAAOSw~fJamCW9&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4Jn7HB2uZ7uKbMvXjD57vN5Ss0ADdBn3L%2F%2Baqx3Bvi5YL4IMNYT0P208zC6aUMNwMJPWJEwlRt7lvU%2FRVPJpVI3E2rMt%2BfnOoNJylWXPkrOr8s%2FCk5sM5XaSXWmURiEIE%2B6fF%2FSvB8akp292QAfJKc2pcEGRig4KN5ooqfS2QiPdrGEazCpz4qQ7VlWnqqsy94zs1%2FYEbTuTIGYVSRwBdcDpynF4MIDukgtIGbUjFx%2B5X60As8DdFLc6NfpqkGsxkZfY4fRD%2FsoZ82ecoBki0MDtMc1PtD7RayeZEhhfpiO%2F|tkp%3ABFBMypLs5NNg

 

The clean and oil kits are about £20.00

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/301519210197?epid=1668949438&hash=item4633f206d5:g:fQIAAOSwKB9dlICR

 

Edited August 14, 2022 by BlueTR3A-5EKT

[keith1948]

Hi Roger

Found these on Demon Weeks website. Any use?

Keith

https://www.demon-tweeks.com/uk/k-n-filters-stromberg-carburettor-bolt-on-air-filter-assembly-7000478/

[Charlie D]

I fitted the cheap pancake filters that Bob mentioned with the intention of expanding them as Bob explained a few months ago. I never went that way and changed to trumpets, but be warned that those cheap pancakes have edges like razor blades. I got a deep clean cut on the side of my thumb when trying to adjust the mixture, after removing the front half to gain access.

I have never understood why K and N are so expensive.

Charlie

[RogerH]

Hi Folks,

 thanks  for all the info.

I will look deeper into it through the day.

K&N are expensive because they are K&N.

 

Roger

[SuzanneH]

6 minutes ago, RogerH said:

Hi Folks,

 thanks  for all the info.

I will look deeper into it through the day.

K&N are expensive because they are K&N.

 

Roger

Thanks chaps, I hope this means my new washing machine has got a reprieve. Think I better go and do some washing so it can’t be used for the next two hours whilst he has a think. I’m not sure if he was really serious or not. 
Phew it’s still sooo hot here, it’s affecting our thinking 

[monty]

1 hour ago, RogerH said:

Hi Folks,

 thanks  for all the info.

I will look deeper into it through the day.

K&N are expensive because they are K&N.

 

Roger

Roger, I cleaned mine a few weeks ago using the K & N spray cleaner & then re-oiled with their own oil. Now nice & clean with a nice red colour to the elements.

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

16 minutes ago, monty said:

Roger, I cleaned mine a few weeks ago using the K & N spray cleaner & then re-oiled with their own oil. Now nice & clean with a nice red colour to the elements.

+1 for the cleaner and re oil process.   

Mine were horridly dirty having never cleaned them since fitting in the early 1980’s. ( fit and forget?)   I drenched mine in the cleaner (from the inside as instructed) a couple of times and they became visibly cleaner.

Now they have that factory finish red oiled lustre.  

Whether they flow air better I can only guess they do as the mixture seems to be weaker….or is that all these cool days we are having?

Peter W

[Nigel Triumph]

Another vote from me for using the K&N detergent spray cleaner followed by drying out in the airing cupboard then re-oiling, which I do every couple of years.

Nigel

[RogerH]

Hi Folks,

I bought mine many years ago - 2010 or earlier.

Speaking to the man at Moss he showed a new K&N filter that should have been identical to mine.

Sadly it wasn't. His was 150mm x 44mm  mine is 135mm x 44mm. The metal work was identical.

This suggests the filter unit has shrunk considerably.

There was another difference!!! - on my filter rubber surround it has K&N  but on the new item not only is it K&N but it also had the trade mark

flag ahead of the K&N lettering  so is mine a fake !!!

Pete W - are your filters  6" round x 44mm deep - if so could you look at a filter to see what their K&N lettering looks like. - Please.

I'm sure I would have bought them from Moss - I will now need to hunt down the receipt.

Having cleaned mine with the K&N spray they did not come up pink. 

 

Roger

[Nigel A]

Hi Roger

i have these sitting in the garage having only done a few thousand miles

No longer fit after spacing out the carbs.

If they are of any use to you, I’m sure we can sort out a deal.

Nigel

 

 

[BlueTR3A-5EKT]

36 minutes ago, RogerH said:

Hi Folks,

I bought mine many years ago - 2010 or earlier.

Speaking to the man at Moss he showed a new K&N filter that should have been identical to mine.

Sadly it wasn't. His was 150mm x 44mm  mine is 135mm x 44mm. The metal work was identical.

This suggests the filter unit has shrunk considerably.

There was another difference!!! - on my filter rubber surround it has K&N  but on the new item not only is it K&N but it also had the trade mark

flag ahead of the K&N lettering  so is mine a fake !!!

Pete W - are your filters  6" round x 44mm deep - if so could you look at a filter to see what their K&N lettering looks like. - Please.

I'm sure I would have bought them from Moss - I will now need to hunt down the receipt.

Having cleaned mine with the K&N spray they did not come up pink. 

 

Roger

Using my big very near gauge.  Millimetres.    150 x 44

No obvious marks to identify them as K&N anywhere.   Were K&N packed when purchased in 1980’s  Bought through Triumph Tune when I was the face of retail for Cox & Buckles London.

I have an off set upwards one fitted on the front carb or it is horribly close to the inner wing

   HS6 connected to TR4A inlet manifold.

Peter W

 

[Andy Moltu]

What failed on them Roger?

As for cleaning them, when my initial supply of K&N filter cleaner, (I decided it must be similar to automatic washing powder and used that satisfactorily for the last 15 years. My theory was it’s fabric so should be fine. Works well in Vax carpet cleaner too.)

Allow to air dry and spray with K&N oil.

 

[RogerH]

1 hour ago, Nigel A said:

Hi Roger

i have these sitting in the garage having only done a few thousand miles

No longer fit after spacing out the carbs.

If they are of any use to you, I’m sure we can sort out a deal.

Nigel

 

 

Hi Nigel,

let me measure to make sure they would fit.

 

Roger

[AndyR100]

5 hours ago, RogerH said:

 

His was 150mm x 44mm  mine is 135mm x 44mm. The metal work was identical.

This suggests the filter unit has shrunk considerably.

 

The elements can shrink - not sure why a few do and many don’t - The pair of K&N’s that were fitted to my car when I purchased it had exactly the same issue. I replaced with new (price as described earlier)

……. Andy

[Rob Salisbury]

Hi Roger, those deep ones will fit but you have to modify the inner wing (well, bash it with a big hammer and a large steel ball!!) where the front carb sits, think TR5 TR6 inner wing and you get the picture, ..... how do I know this?     well I had those self same K&Ns on my old Strombergs before Dad(bless him) bought me a pair of Webers, and the wing mod was just right for the long TRumpets and big Weber K&Ns.

Cheers Rob 

[Jtex60easy]

Roger, here is my similar story: In June of this year, I called the K&N California, USA office and told them I have a pair of their conical E-9156 filters (H6 SUs) that have given me excellent service for about ten years before they started to melt a bit last year. The melting of the black neoprene(?) top and bottoms had continued and now we’re cracking and smearing themselves on their K&N metal frames. I stated I was surprised by this as despite having frequent 100-degree (F) days in the summer, a formidable heat shield to protect them and no extraneous contact with chemicals, all had been well until it wasn’t. He told me their filters should not do that and for me to fill out the form on their website. I did so with my pictures of the filters and my statement where I bought them in 2012 or 2013 but I had no proof of purchase. Four days later, new filters were at my doorstep with no charge for product or shipping. I already had their filter cleaning kit from long ago. Oiling them was an easy spray. I do not know if your K&N reps and/or website is the same as what I have over here, but I was able to rummage around on their site and get specs and part #s before I made that call. I hope you have a good outcome regardless of your path.

James