Challenger/K&N Air Filters

Mtns2Skies said:
Does anyone have experience with these? They're High-Flow air filters that allege some performance gains. I see some mixed reviews on them though and don't want to do anything adverse to the engine.

https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/eppages/challengerairfilter.php
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There's a lot of debate in the auto world about whether or not K&N filters remove particles effectively. I'll leave it to the reader to look up some of the auto studies. Whether or not that translates to aviation - who knows.
 
I posed this question on another aviation forum as I was contemplating replacing my Brackett filter. Opinions seem to coalesce around ...

Challenger better than K&N.
Both better than Brackett. Foam filters, like what Bracket uses, apparently are the most restrictive flow wise.
Some reports of K&N media disintegrating when flown through rain.

In the end, I went back to the OEM filter (a pleated cellulose design) due to the flow performance characteristics of foam filters. When you hold the OEM and the foam Brackett filter up to a bright light, more light definitely comes through the OEM filter. There is a weight difference, however, with the OEM filter weighing more. Flow wise, I have no information on how better or worse the original filter is compared to a Challenger or K&N. Lastly, the model I need is still plentiful as it is used on a variety of machinery and 50's & 60's era cars - cost was about the same as a replacement Brackett element.

Did it make a performance difference? Hard to tell one way or another. But I do feel better having a less restrictive filter.

P.S. I checked the Challenger web site (http://www.challengeraviation.com/faq.html) as I was writing this response and their first FAQ says they get their filter material from K&N. So, is there really a difference between a Challenger and K&N?????
 
Mtns2Skies said:
Does anyone have experience with these?
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Have a lot of experience with the K&N type on turbine apps but only several recip aircraft. As to the performance gains, I doubt they would offset the cost/upkeep of the Challenger filters. Depending on the reasons you were looking to change your filter type, Donaldson is another option to look at.

Papa Pilot said:
o, is there really a difference between a Challenger and K&N
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FYI: K&N produces the filter media which is used in a number of 3rd party filter products.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
Does anyone have experience with these? They're High-Flow air filters that allege some performance gains. I see some mixed reviews on them though and don't want to do anything adverse to the engine.
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I use a K&N on my experimental. Can't say it gives any noticeable performance gains. It is pretty easy to service instead of replacement though.

It appears that it would flow better but some claim that will allow small particle to pass though. But FWIW my aircraft hardly every spends time in dusty conditions. I even set up my carb heat box so that all air entering the carb is filtered.
 
Yes. It’s over priced to begin with. I’ve done a lot of research myself. As an A&P I recently installed one on a customer’s airplane. A Piper. Some airplanes require a special gasket. His didn’t have it and was therefore chafing into the screen.
They also have to be manually cleaned and oiled. You have to use specific KnN chemicals for this. Don’t use anything else. Honestly, it’s a pain in the arse.
I wouldn’t recommend it unless the airplane already has it and your simply replacing, which was my situation.
I will not use it on my personal airplane. Just too easy to swap a disposable bracket filter. They are super cheap and do a fabulous job.
 
On my 180- I had a Brackettt, changed to Challenger (Challenger IS a K&N), and then to Donaldson. The performance is pretty equal for all three. Maybe a slight advantage to Challenger and Donaldson but not an important difference. Given that Challenger and Donaldson have equal performance I have no doubt that Donaldson filters better so that's what I use. I don't think K&N's filter material is suited for direct impact with bugs. It's impossible to clean the filter without damaging the fabric and leaving pinholes as a result. Advantage Donaldson. I do use a K&N on my exp Cub so I'm not a hater, but no fabric faces forward on that plane.

Nobody I know uses a Brackett anymore. That's the least of the three by a big margin.
 
Stewartb said:
On my 180- I had a Brackettt, changed to Challenger (Challenger IS a K&N), and then to Donaldson. ... Advantage Donaldson.
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Can you tell me more about the Donaldson? This is the first I've heard of it. Does it require a conversion kit or gasket or is it plug and play? I just have the cheap foam filters now.
 
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I had K&N filters on my ultralights, all 2-strokes. My current plane (Lycoming) has a Brackett. My Fisher (Mosler engine) and T-Craft (Continental) had no filters at all. Never had problems with any of them, except once when I over-oiled a K&N.

K&N and Brackett should flow better, because they're relatively open (unless you over-oil your K&N) you're counting on dirt sticking to the oil rather than being blocked by the pore size. Whether they filter as well is another matter.
 
Mtns2Skies said:
Can you tell me more about the Donaldson? This is the first I've heard of it. Does it require a conversion kit or gasket or is it plug and play? I just have the cheap foam filters now.
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Donaldson P10-6150 is a complete filter housing that includes the quarter turn fasteners. Spruce and the other big vendors sell them. It's a paper media that can be cleaned with soap and water. If memory serves they have a 500 hour life. I'd bet you've seen them in other Skywagons and just didn't notice.

http://donaldsonaerospace-defense.com/library/files/documents/pdfs/048554.pdf

http://donaldsonaerospace-defense.com/library/files/documents/pdfs/007217.pdf
 
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Years ago I bought a K&N for a BMW airhead as an experiment. Did some performance tests and observed no gain at all and went back to the stock pleated paper element. I think the general consensus is any claimed performance increase is tiny or imaginary and comes with the risk of larger particles getting through to the engine unless everything is “just so”.

That said, my Sky Arrow came with a JR filter that seems very similar in concept to the K&N. I wash it in the sink with hot soapy water every annual and then oil it with K&N filter oil. Seems to perform its desired function, so there’s that.
 
I ran Challenger air filters on the 310 and the 414. Did they make any performance gain on either? Hard to say. On the 310 the plane did get a lot faster over the time I cared for it, and I tend to think that had to do with the combination of everything I did to the plane. Challengers may have been worth a knot. It was nice not having to replace the filter elements and just doing the re-oiling.

I wouldn’t worry at all about harming the engine. Maybe they don’t filter quite as well as paper but once you’re off the ground, that’s not relevant. Remember that some planes (like the M20F I used to fly) will have various unfiltered air options.

On a car, different story and K&Ns again I wouldn’t worry about harming the engine, but the oil of the filter will tend to get on mass airflow sensors.
 
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