Air filters

Any thoughts on a good engine air filter?

 

The stock 4” one.

I’m a little picky about filters and the only OEM filter I ran on my 05 was the 4” air filter. Excellent filtration, based on UOA, and had enough flow for my 415rwhp tune and then some.

 

Thanks

 

What he said ... but also need to add to buy it ONLY from Genos garage or a reputable Fleetguard dealer, as Amazon and/or eBay are being flooded with counterfeit fuel and air filters.

 

I've using a NAPA FIL 9946 which is the 4 inch made by Wix. They also list a 9946FR and both are Gold filters, no description as to what is different, other than the price...... OK the Wix number is 49946 and the FR stands for FLAME RETARDANT, and it costs $6 more at NAPA than the non-FR filter.

Charles

 

+1

 

I just bought some stuff at NAPA yesterday, less and less impressed with NAPA as time goes on. The wire strippers wouldn't strip wire....cheapest Chinese crap ever. Away from home working on SIL jeep wipers. 10 or 15 years ago it seemed like NAPA generally had better quality stuff than the cheapo parts stores, maybe that was just bias, IDK. Not anymore.

 

That’s the NAPA impression I got 20-25 years ago. I tend to avoid NAPA.

 

I think a lot of HF stuff is better....LOL

 

When I bought the 04 it had the Banks Ram air intake on it. Banks wants $140 for a replacement filter, I took the box top off and attached a AH114 to the hose and placed it in the box. No way I would pay that for a paper filter

 

My mistake AH1141

 

My favorite is the WIX 49946, well made thick filter and it has the foam on the bottom. About $24 online.

 

Does the foam do anything?

 

According to the Wix listing, the 49946 does not have the foam. I have seen pics of a filter with foam on it but this is not it.

https://wixfilters.com/Lookup/Exactmatch.aspx?PartNo=49946

The 49946FR is flame resistance, but again does not indicate it has the foam on it.

https://wixfilters.com/Lookup/PartDetails.aspx?Part=2016648

 

Mine does, thin layer of foam filter media glued to the bottom. Box had "WIX Racing Filters" on it and just the 49946 number. Orange seal around the top like my last Mopar filter from Genos. The Mopar filter looked similar with the orange seal and yellow or maybe golden color filter media, no foam though and a good bit more money. I have no idea if the foam is good or bad, it is dry, can't do much.

 

NapaGold 9946 is the same as the WIX 49946.
I think NAPA still carries good stuff, but they have different levels of quality.

 

The black and white Fleet Guard filter I had a couple years ago was lighter and had more flex. It was thick like the Wix, just not as hefty. I hated those original thin filters, they plugged up quick. Maybe it was the white color but the top of the filter turned grey with dirt. The yellow Mopar and Wix ones stayed bright and didn't show any dirt on top while the bottoms were pretty dirty. I pull mine often and look at the intake for signs of dust. I had an oiled type filter from AFE, it didn't stay in my truck long. I run lots of dirt roads so I go through air filters.

 

NAPA has given WIX the boot as a filter supplier, and now has contracts with Donaldson and others for filters, so what you buy may not be what you think it is.

I just went to O'Reilly's and got a couple of WIX 57620XP which are designed for synthetic oils, and a WIX 48846 air filter. Cheaper than NAPA would have been. I was buying my NAPA filters during the fall filter sale, and stocking up for all of my vehicles, so I guess I won't be doing that again.

Charles

 

Thanks for the heads up.

 

Any idea why NAPA gave Wix the boot? Could it be NAPA was concerned with their quality diminishing?