[mjw0130]

Agreed, I had no clue about this or would have never even thought about using it. Hopefully this helps save others in the future.

 

[SundayDriver]

Did you oil the airfilter? Correct me if I'm wrong but you have to oil the K&N airfilters. If you put in an airfilter that is supposed to be oiled and you put it in dry you mine as well ha e nothing on there. Bummer story, sorry to hear dude.

 

[DonW]

I once bought a car that had a K&N filter in the factory housing, I had no idea until my local garage called and said they don't service K&N filters. When I replaced it there was all kinds of dust dirt that had passed through the filter downstream, was never a fan of K&Ns but that day I swore never buy a vehicle that has a K&N on it, first thng I look for when looking over a new to me vehicle purchase.

So sorry you had to find out the hard way on K&Ns, what a bummer!

 

[Hondov65]

.

Polaris most likely is not going to do anything because the Air Filter I installed 3 months earlier for 50 hour maintenance was not a Polaris filter (thats on me) and its out of warranty and I have no insurance.

My options I see are:
1. Pay for the new engine install - $7000
2. Pay for refurbished install for around $4500.
3. Sell the 4 Wheeler as is for parts (no idea what I could get for it)

Hard life lesson and just now trying to figure out the best economical route.

Thanks

Just curious was it a K&N Air Filter?

R2C Air Filter would've been a better choice as for aftermarket.

I too have a K&N Filter bought it off Ebay in 2016 when I purchased my ATV but have yet to install since then I bought a R2C filter. After seeing those pictures, the K&N is going in the trash in the morning only held onto it this long cause I paid $75.00 I was planning to get rid of it on Ebay, but I am not going to be the cause for trashing someone's machine. It's going in the trash 1st thing in the morning,

 

[Dylan4570]

I run a 2 layer uni foam filter on my offroad vehicles.

K&N filters I only run on my street cars because they don't see a lot of dust or mileage.

the K&N might have been fine if you cleaned and oiled it every ride but that's a big commitment.

 

[Largerthanlife]

The issue with K&N as I see it is that many folks think you can go as far between cleaning it as you can on a car, on your ATV...NOT! One weekend on the trail seems to equal 20k on the road. Better to stop on the trail and clean it, than to run with nothing to get home. I check and clean my K&N, if needed, EVERY time I get off the trail. Does not take but a second to check it. I even have a spare in a sealed bag in the back storage, with my spare belt and tool bag. Just uneducated 2 cents worth.

Hondov65, I'll give you $20 for your K&N, seriously, before you throw it in the trach.

 

[polman500]

"I'll give you $20 for your K&N, seriously, before you throw it in the trach. "

I've got 3 or 4 on the shelf at the garage I've removed from customer's machines if this is an open offer?

 

[Largerthanlife]

I have a Jeep Wrangler that I use off road as well and K&N have never failed me there. As far as cleaning and oiling them "every" ride, I would guess that would be long rides. Because my truck and Jeep see a LOT more mileage than a weekend on the trail; with my Sportsman. I guess time will tell. To me looking at my air filter is kind of like checking your oil in your car when you fill your tank. I do not wait 3000 mile to check my oil at the next oil change. But hey! I am retired so I have time for a bunch of stuff. If I put fuel in the Sportsman, I have checked the air filter and the oil level as well.

 

[MrEd]

K&N air filters might be ok with the proper frequent maintenance, I decided long ago to not take any chances, so I’ve never used them.

 

[Hondov65]

"I'll give you $20 for your K&N, seriously, before you throw it in the trach. "

I've got 3 or 4 on the shelf at the garage I've removed from customer's machines if this is an open offer?

To late crushed and thrown in the trash

 

[jagower]

OK I can see an air filter causing top engine problems like cylinder scoring or possible valve problems but what your showing is wiped out crank and rod bearings. So either dirt or sand was in the oil or it lost oil pressure causing galling in the bearings. Do you use oem oil filters?

Sent from my SM-A536V using Tapatalk

 

[jagower]

Your definitely better off with a new or refurbished engine though from what I see because there is probably cam or head damage also from lack of oil.

Sent from my SM-A536V using Tapatalk

 

[FPD218]

OK I can see an air filter causing top engine problems like cylinder scoring or possible valve problems but what your showing is wiped out crank and rod bearings. So either dirt or sand was in the oil or it lost oil pressure causing galling in the bearings. Do you use oem oil filters?

Sent from my SM-A536V using Tapatalk

He said it burned all the oil past the worn piston rings and was low on oil

 

[Largerthanlife]

See? Check your oil, air filter, tire pressure every time you fill up. Dad said that for the cars and the trucks. why would it not be for the ATV?

 

[CanAmSteve]

Yep, right there is clear proof of WHY you should never put a K&N air filter on a dirt machine.

IMO, after many years of running motorcycles and cars, is that K&N filters are for the racetrack - engines that need every once of extra HP (and are tuned/fueled for it) - and nowhere else. If you are happy rebuilding your engines frequently to get that extra HP (and have done all the other work to make it function, like free-flow exhaust, bigger injectors, cams, etc. then fine. Otherwise, try and figure out how to keep intake air as clean as possible

I've run many 4X4s across deserts for weeks, and at times I've knocked half a pound of dust out of the huge air filters they use (even with prefilters in place)

 

[crazyflyboy30]

After seeing this and watching project Farm testing air filters and the KN was horrible it let everything through and the Wix was the best so I'm replacing the KN on my 1999 Firebird v6 and 2002 Trans Am with a Wix .

 

[MrEd]

I’m happy to say I’ve never in 40 years used a K&N filter 👍🏻

 

[Mike_B]

Depends on the vehicle and its usage.

I'd never consider one for off road.

I ran one on my street bike. My sons street bike has one too. Never saw any signs of dirt getting past them into the airbox below. Hell, the air filters themselves never look like they've seen dirt


Sent from my SM-S901U using Tapatalk

 

[plumberwl5]

Yeah, probably go with another shop thats not a dealer, couple decently reviewed ones nearby. The Engine was torn down by the dealer, below are the pictures of the damage.

View attachment 172602
View attachment 172600
View attachment 172598
View attachment 172601
View attachment 172599
View attachment 172603

That doesn't look to be problematic of a poor quality air filter, that looks to be more in line with metallurigal defects or casting defects. I'm not a metallurgist or a casting specialist but I'd bet there was a problem with it before it was eber turned ober for the first time but the heat from operation compounded the defects.

 

[LATEBURD HERE 2 HELP]

Conclusion: K&N filters are designed for PERFORMANCE - they are designed to be less restrictive than paper filters and oil bath filters. OH YEAH, oil bath filters - my dad's 1948 SC Case tractor and my 50 Ford Sedan with a flat head V8 used oil bath filters. Whenever the oil was changed on the car or about once a week on the tractor, the filter was removed, the oil dumped and the dirt scraped out of the bottom - the filter oil cup was washed in gasoline or kerosene, wiped dry, refilled with oil and reinstalled on the filter housing. In addition to the oil bath, there was a screen mesh sandwich of horse hair (in the tractor) or felt (in the car) that the air had to pass through on it's way to the oil bath. The screen mesh portion was generally only changed once a year. In the quest for more performance (albeit less filtration and more air flow), the paper filter made it's appearance. Instead of a square foot of horse hair or felt, tens of feet of filter paper were folded and bonded to a rubber foundation and some of the paper filters also had screen mesh inside and out. Inside was to prevent backfire from igniting the paper and outside to catch insects extending the life of the filter. Along comes K&N - they sandwich cotton gauze in a pleated wire mesh and shape it into a replacement filter for popular vehicles used for racing. Originally the design was to flow as much air as the engine could use while stopping particles large enough to cause engine damage. The un-oiled gauze would stop particles as small as a grain of sand and protecting the engine for the duration of the race. Later it was discovered if the gauze was oiled, it would trap particles smaller than a grain of sand. Progress being progress, the number of layers of gauze was increased to catch smaller particles and increase the life of the filter, but the purpose of the K&N design remains performance over engine protection. To increase sales the marketing geniuses promoted the filter for everyday use. After all, if race cars used it, it was better for the family daily driver. Consider the family daily driver is not running with the throttle wide open and exposed to the litter found on the race track. People bought the hype and the K&N story is legend.