Rear Wheel Drive Newsletter March 2010

Pay Attention to Your Air Filter

By ipd staffToo bad your engine can’t talk. If it could it might be screaming at you to replace its air filter. Can’t remember the last time you looked at it? Then maybe you should. If you have a power boat that never gets close to land or an airplane that never lands you may get away with not having an air filter. Other than that you need one. A large part of the longevity and performance of an engine is the seal between the piston rings and the cylinder walls in the block. Any dust or contaminants drawn into the cylinders grinds away on this sealing surface like airborne sandpaper. When this sealing surface is damaged there is no alternative to repairing it other than an overhaul. Suddenly the cost of an air filter doesn’t sound like so much.

Think of it this way: if you drive your 740 for about 12 minutes at 60 miles per hour, the engine has consumed the total quantity of air contained in an average size house. Now imagine how much dust there is in the average house! The air filter is the only thing standing in the way of all that junk. The other down side of a plugged up air filter is a reduction in fuel mileage and performance. It really does make a difference.

Air filters should be inspected every 10K miles or so. Look to see if there is a noticeable quantity of dirt, oil and junk accumulated on the surface. Normally a standard style air filter is good for about 40K miles. If you are often on unpaved roads you may have to replace it more often. ipd carries a large collection of OEM style replacement filters that are inexpensive and do a great job. An alternative to this style of filter is the performance filters from K&N. These filters offer less restriction than and a standard filter and can improve performance. But the best thing about these filters is that they can be cleaned and reused almost indefinitely. This is a simple job using the K&N air filter service kit, which contains special filter cleaner and special oil.

Regardless of which style you use don’t neglect your air filter. It’s a lot cheaper than an overhaul and a lot easier to do. Your engine will thank you.

K&N Air Filters

This filter has an international reputation for effective service under the most grueling conditions. Patented design utilizes surgical cotton in multi-layers, oiled and sandwiched between wire mesh. K&N filters not only clean the air, but also straighten the air flow. Your engine is provided with a less turbulent air stream than other popular filtering mediums (like paper and foam.) Under normal conditions cleaning and reoiling is not required until 50,000 miles (without loss of efficiency!) K&N filters come pre-oiled and ready for installation.

Stock Replacement Air Filters

While there is no replacement for the K&N filters listed above, there is a substitute. Try one of our quality paper elements, just like the one that your Volvo came with. Easy to install and maintain — just discard and replace with a new one when needed. Check air filter every 10,000 miles. Replace it every 30,000 miles or more often in dirty or dusty conditions.Part #’s ending with an “E” denotes that this is an economy version of this part. Part #’s ending with an ”M” denotes Mahn or Mahle brands. Part #’s ending with a “V” denotes Volvo brand.