Foam filters and their Cotton Gauze cousins...
 

I know many of you feel that foam filters are inferior in flow and filtering capabilities compared to the popular "K&N" cotton gauze filters. Considering K&N's long standing history, and good track record, I can understand why it is so easy for many of you to just automatically discount any other designs. I did a quick little experiment with a cotton gauze filter I had here, and one of our new Secret Weapon filters, just show the real differences here, and why we here at at Weapon*R, and a number of other companies (Comptech, True Flow, etc) feel that a foam filter is a better option. The experiment conducted here is in no way to be considered scientific, an independant test will be conducted in the near future for an accurate measurement of filtering capabilites. This is merely to just give everyone something to ponder when they make their filter choices.

http://www.weapon-r.com/store/agora....&ppinc=search2

To me the only good thing about the secret weapon filter is the integrated velocity stack that is nice . I still dislike the majority of foam filters as well as most weapon r products . sorry that's just how i feel but kudos x 3 to the designer that added the velocity stack to your new filter design

I don't want to discredit your product, but that test really doesn't prove much.

Unless you can provide is with actual tests in dirt filtering and not just an observation in differences between your filter and a generic 5 dollar filter from Kragen, I'm not convinced.

Here's an article with a more conclusive test on 4 types of performance filters

Foam will "Out Filter" Cotton but flows very poorly, The best Air Filter on the Market today for filtering and flow is the Green High Performance air filter, 2nd is the K&N

As I stated in both my post and the article, this is not meant to be scientific, and that an actual dirt filtering test done independently will be coming in the near future. The actual cotton gauze filter used was an AEM unit, not a generic. And in regards to the comment about foam flowing poorly, our Secret Weapon Filter was flowbenched by Banks Power at 800cfm, while K&N's filter claims 881cfm for standard round filter. While our filter is slightly lower, we believe it's a good trade off for better filtering.

you gonna do a bench flow on the filters?

Im all for the foam filters, I had an HKS Super Mega Flow filter on my Accord and I loved it. I never did any professional tests on it, but it did replace my AEM filter and I felt ther was a better air flow and the filter got dirty quick which means it was stopping dirt from getting into my engine ... My AEM was on my car for 8 months and didn't look to dirty once I removed it ... My HKS had to be cleaned monthly!

I was under the impression the Apexi filter was #1. Infact it's even an oilless filter.

it goes apexi , k&n style cotton gauze and then paper then foam , as far as flow anyways.

What I though, but couldn't find the review.

not sold.... need flow test and filtration tests

This study is interesting.

http://home.usadatanet.net/~jbplock/ISO5011/SPICER.htm

Got soemthing to back that up ... Was there a flow test done?

It's from my memory and i believe it was from bence flow testing done a year or two back by import tuner i believe.

this was posted on the boards here a little while back.... i think it's a pretty good article.

http://mkiv.com/techarticles/filters_test/2/

Yeah, that's the test I was referring too. Good find/refind.

I like the Apexi. Use one on my CAI installed on our 02 Alitima and it is nice. Little shake, shake, shake. Hoseher down adn let dry. Done.

No oils to possible glog up the MAF sensor. No extra cleaning products to buy.

you guys realize that m-flo linked the same article in his post the whole time right? lol...

I guess that's what happens when you don't make it apparent its a link.

But yeah we are all pretty much basing our thoughts on the same article.

Seeing as its only one article I'm open to seeing other tests showing different results... but I have yet to see any..

WeaponR_ray can you run a similiar test pitting your filter against the K&N and/or Apexi?
well an independent third party test would be preferable but still... Such a test would go a long way to proving your claims...

I too like the integrated velocity stack... speaking of which
did you guys finish the redesign of the secret weapon intake for the xA/xB?

A comparison test for flow and dirt filtering against other brands may come later. EvilDave is testing our current redesign of the Secret Weapon for the xA/xB.

Yeah but will the scret weapon ever be carb approved? whats the estimated gain?

Here are a few other companies that also offer foam filters, and their tests against other types of filters. The CARB approval on the Secret Weapon filters is still pending, and waiting on word from the state. We have sent all the information they requested, and the process is out of our hands.

AMSOIL FILTERS:
http://www.performanceoiltechnology....ir_filters.htm

TRUE FLOW FILTERS:
http://www.sporttruckdirect.com/True_Flow.html

INDEPENDENT TEST:
http://home.usadatanet.net/~jbplock/ISO5011/SPICER.htm