K&N yea or nay?

My 2002 was purchased with a K&N air cleaner kit. Is this preferable to the stock air cleaner set up?

 

No. No power advantage and KN lets more particulates through. Also the oil can foul your MAF sensor.

 

Nay. If it's just the filter, throw it out and buy an OEM filter. If it's the whole airbox, well, that's different. You can source a stock airbox from a junkyard. Either way, oiled filters aren't anything but hype, and can cause problems with the MAF sensors and throttle bodies. You'll probably want to clean both up with appropriate products. Search in this forum for "cleaning MAF and throttle body".

 

Another vote for 'Nay'. Ditch the K&N
The stock airbox / filter element from Toyota IMO is a very substantial setup.
The location allows for the cleanest / coolest air as is reasonably possible.
The element itself is large, with plenty of surface area, and the seal seems well designed.
I change mine every 2nd or 3rd oil change, depending on where I've driven.
Someone on here made a good point once regarding the stock air filter setups on these trucks . . . saying that the excellent filtration and air flow that it provides contributes to the longevity of these motors . . . provided it's changed at appropriate intervals of course.

 

Don't do it

 

Thank you all - I see the kit advertised and wondered why the previous owner made the modification. I plan to restore it to original. Thanks, again.

 

cause his ass dyno can feel the 2hp difference.......




on the top end......






cause he raced his tundra.

 

They have great marketing. I fell for it at one point too. They also come as the stock filter in the Magnuson Supercharger kits and went straight into the trash.

 

I vote OEM airbox, OEM filter and the true cool air intake (snorkel)

 

Please read the community info thread for the community consensus: https://www.tundras.com/threads/so-you-wanna-buy-just-bought-a-1st-gen-tundra-eh.115928/

I'd probably keep their intake tube, but reinstall an OEM box from a donor truck.

 

I had one way back, on my 86. Didn't notice any hp difference, but I bought the marketing so it made me feel good knowing it was there. Eventually started hearing all the things you're hearing here so I went back to paper filters.

 

Nay!

My 2000 came with one when I bought it. It made a LOT of intake noise -- so much so that it would scare my dog if I floored it when she was riding with me. I gladly sold it, and replaced it with a stock unit.

EDIT: Here's a suggestion. List it on FB Marketplace or CL with an offer to trade for an OEM intake. You can probably make $50-$100 and get the intake you want. Just a thought.

 

I'd toss it. My truck also came with one, thing was filthy (never cleaned, my guess). I tossed it and put a standard filter on. I had used some K&N filters in the past, even their whole intake system. The filters just added noise, and the intake system seemed to be more trouble than it was worth.

 

I'll also add.

AEM and K&N are the same company.
AEM makes DRY version of the same performance filter.
If you INSIST on using a Performance filter. Use the AEM dry filter.