Who has the best Drop in Filter?

[Gibby860]

What brand is the best Drop in filter for the RALLIART/ EVO X?

- Works
- K&N
- HKS
- Other

[jazket]

Who knows but I've seen people getting 10 horses with the HKS... I ended up buying a K&N and the difference well, sometimes I feel it sometimes not (all based on the weather);

I will get HKS though and see the difference of both of these at the dyno without a tune (I'm going to dyno my car soon after all the bolt-ons to see where I'm at before retuning again)

[07outty]

............w o r k s

[ambystom01]

It's a drop in filter, you're not going to notice a difference from brand to brand and I highly doubt you'll gain a significant amount of power (ie. more than simple dyno variation).

[xdemoulasx]

i have the works filter... and i'm very happy with it.

i gave it up for a few weeks for an intake, but the intake was making the car run sketchy even after a tune, so i'm back with the filter and everything is running great.

[clifhanger87]

Originally Posted by ambystom01

It's a drop in filter, you're not going to notice a difference from brand to brand and I highly doubt you'll gain a significant amount of power (ie. more than simple dyno variation).

'best' doesn't always mean power. what about an oiled filter vs. non oiled?
i know the k&n is oiled, which i heard can lead to gumming up the MAF sensor and causing problems.
are the other brands non-oiled?

[ambystom01]

Originally Posted by clifhanger87

'best' doesn't always mean power. what about an oiled filter vs. non oiled?
i know the k&n is oiled, which i heard can lead to gumming up the MAF sensor and causing problems.
are the other brands non-oiled?

Non-oiled is best for that exact reason.

[Jestr71]

i put a k&n in. queston tho, should i take the snorkel off or keep it on?

[migs647]

The Ralliart drop-in made a big difference in my Evo X MR. I'm really happy with it. The sound is better, the turbo spools quicker, and I gained 7whp on the dyno before the tune.

I was debating between the HKS and the Ralliart... I went for the ralliart just because I'm a Ralliart JDM fan boy. Don't regret it at all. Once I get about 3-5k miles on this car I'm going to add a Perrin Inlet Hose.

If you don't want to spend the extra money go with the HKS. They are great filters. You might have to get a tune for it though. The Ralliart's claim to fame is you don't NEED a tune with it.

[migs647]

Originally Posted by Jestr71

i put a k&n in. queston tho, should i take the snorkel off or keep it on?

Keep it on, helps cool air get to it.

[Ladogaboy]

Originally Posted by migs647

Keep it on, helps cool air get to it.

+1

Asking which filter is the "best" is kind of a hard question to answer. I don't remember the link to the page, but someone did a review of the various filters. The thing you have to remember is that there is always a trade off: Flow versus Filtration.

If I remember correctly, the HKS flows the most air, but filters the worst. I believe that the K&N doesn't flow as much as the others, but filters better. Works is somewhere in the middle.

The one advantage the K&N has over the others (and this is why I prefer them) is that they are reusable. All you need is a cleaning kit, and the filter should outlast the life of the car.

[majinfajita]

I'm an ITG fan.
Technically no servicing required for lifetime of the filter, highest dust load capacity and supposedly awesome filtering capability (originally designed for off-road racers)....and metal frame w/ foam or rubber seal (for the Evo X/Ralliart one) so definitely quality construction.

It's 3-layer foam like the HKS but impregnated with oil to trap more dirt. Yes oil can hurt your MAF but I've put a combined 100000kms between my Audi and my old GTI with ITG filters with no issues with the MAF and an oiled filter.

[migs647]

Just fyi, the Ralliart is reusable as well. You just need to blow it out every 6k miles.

As far as "technically no servicing for lifetime of the filter".... you have to service is SOMETIME. The job of a filter is to trap dirt... to stop it from getting into the intake. You either have to replace a filter or clean it after x amount of miles. There is no filter in the world that will last forever without cleaning or replacing it. That is unless the car is in a dust-free zone at the manufacturer .

[Ladogaboy]

Thanks for the info on the ITG and Ralliart filters. I was only speaking to the three filters named by the OP. As far as I know, the Works and HKS filters eventually have to be replaced; I'm not sure how many times you can get away with blowing them out.

[07outty]

works are life-time filters.

clean and re-oil with their kit.

never replace.