Is it worth the investment for the Fleet Air Filter?

NO bad juju I made the mistake of spending the 300 plus for a FAF with no improvement in air flow or mpg plus it takes a half day to clean the darn thing so unless you think your time is free there is no savings to ever recoup the cost and I did not notice any difference in oil samples so I can not believe it traps any more dirt than a good quality dry media filter. Hastings is the brand I prefer.

 

I, also, got one of these for my present truck. No appreciable results. This seems to be one of those items that, most times, if someone sees an improvement, it might be more attributable to them, in that they improved their driving such that they saw an improvement. Kind of a self fulfilling prophecy thing. it sounds good, in theory. I didn't really see any higher levels of dirt in my oil samples, so that didn't seem to be a problem with the FAF. Turbo spooling up was more noticeable to my hearing. I have since gone back to stock Donaldson air filters and mpg is the same as before the FAF, during using the FAF, and now after the FAF. My mpg is pretty good, better than many, and I was chasing that never ending quest for better mpg. For me, it was a dead end using the FAF. I am sure there will be some that will sing the praises of the FAF, as it might have helped someone.

I am not sure I would change the stock filter as frequently as you are RTR. Unless you are really in some nasty dirt all the time, or you just can't live with yourself if you go longer. You want to save some money, then invest in a filter minder gauge that installs between the filter and the turbo. It measures the vacuum and lets you know when the filter is nearing needing a change because the turbo is generating more vacuum trying to grab air from the filter. I change the air filter in my truck roughly every 60-70,000 miles, as that is my comfort level, and there is no difference in mpg or power between the dirty one and the new one. The filter minder on mine hasn't even budged yet. I could go further, and I may start doing just that. The filtration that a filter provides, improves as the filter gets dirty. As it traps more contaminates, it gets better trapping more. At a point, though, it is going to need changed. And one can get air filters thru various outlets for considerably less than dealers or regular shops and save some more money.

 

Saw no change in mpg at all as well. "that show is snake oil and if you tell them you'll get banished." However being able to clean it instead of buying new is certainly a savings. I kept my old filter to run for a day while the fleet is drying out.

 

Let me add that the FAF is a well made item of high quality it just will not pay for itself at current prices because of the time it takes to service, if you really want to upset the KR lemmings just try and tell them that the smurffy blue bearings are a waste of money.

 

What other washable filters like K&N?

 

I get the distinct feeling that the marketing folks, across the automotive spectrum, have really sold the idea that folks need some form of "high flow" filter. Wether it be in a pickup truck or a semi truck, there is no real statistical track record to substantiate using anything other than a stock filter. Lot of anecdotal "well I experienced...." stuff, but no real statistical data. it could be a plus in the right circumstance, but it is a tough pill to swallow when one shells out a bunch of money on something and it doesn't work as advertised. Especially when someone like Henry Albert can take a new Cascadia on a Freightliner trial run from CA to NC, grossing around 68,000 lb, and pull off almost 10 mpg and running near 65 mph. That was on stock equipment and stock air filter. Now true, Henry is in a class by himself when it comes to who can tweak out the most from an engine, but the facts remain.

 

The cascadia filters are way different than what columbias and 1st gen coronados had.

 

That could be. Haven't dealt with the Cascadia emission engine trucks, and hope not to. If I was ever to take a look at a Cascadia, it would be a Cascadia glider with a pre-egr motor.