Best drop-in panel DRY air filter?

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jough

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My google fu is ok, but I'm having trouble finding direct comparisons of AEM, aFe & Airaid dry replacement drop-in panel filters.

I have the Airaid Synthamax, which came with my MIT Jr. kit. However, it appears to only flows 539cfm dirty & 820 cfm new...and that is with a larger filter. That could be a bottleneck on a 6.0. The AEM seems to be the best at flow and filtering. I can't seem to find out much about the aFe.

AEM: http://www.aemintakes.com/faq.htm#18

aFe: http://afepower.com/technology_detail.php?tech_id=8

Airaid: http://www.airaid.com/air_filtration_technology.aspx (says for dusty conditions to use their oiled filter)

Airaid: http://www.airaidsales.com/article-synthaflow-and-synthamax-explained.aspx

bobistheoilguy: http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/3393864/AFe_pro_dry_S_vs_AEM_Dryflow._

The AEM is about half the price of the others. AEM is now owned by K&N.
Which is the best dry filter for max filtering, dust capacity & flow?

For what it is worth, I ordered the AEM 28-20129 drop in replacement panel off Amazon.
 
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jough

jough

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While continuing research on dry filters on the web, I found two more cold air intake comparisons with dyno results, like the Black Bear comparo. One was a Jeep mag testing various intakes on a 4.0 and the other compared cold air intakes on a Chevy Duramax diesel. In both cases, the results were the same as the Black Bear results...Airaid had the best the HP & Torque numbers. That is 3 out of 3 wins, which is pretty darned impressive.
 
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Walkercraig01

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That's awesome. Def gonna have to order a airaid jr in the near
 
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jough

jough

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I spoke with an engineer at Airaid, asking many questions. He did not have clean & dirty CFM ratings for our filter, but said that they usually design the flow to be around +300 CFM more than the engine needs. He also said the same drop-in panel filter is used on the newer 6.2 motor. He stated that the dry filters flow just very slightly less than the oiled versions. Engineer said the filter needs to flow more than the max CFM of the engine under hard acceleration. More than enough clean air needs to be available.

For severe dust conditions (desert, construction, etc.) Airaid and aFe recommend using an oiled cotton gauze filter. However, it is not because they filter better, it is because the oiled filters can hold more dirt, so cleaning could be less frequent.

Engineer said their full cold air kits use an open top (seal against underside of hood) in order to get a bigger air box and use a larger filter, all for increased flow. I am not going to use one because I may get an HD hood at some point, which would require an Airaid airbox change.

Anyway, I received the AEM dry filter and will try it when the Airaid dry filter gets dirty. I read somewhere on the web from AEM that their 4"x9" Ford flat panel filter flows around 1100 CFM. Our filter is much larger and that is more than twice the calculated airflow needs for a 6.0 (about +600 CFM over the roughly 500 CFM required). EDIT: found it.

From AEM FAQs:

Q: How well does the DRYFLOW filter flow?
A:
We design our DRYFLOW filters to exceed the flow requirements for the size of the air filter’s engine. For instance, the flow requirement of a 5.4L V8 engine with a volumetric efficiency of 80% is 460 cubic feet/minute (CFM) @ 6000 RPM. The DRYFLOW filter we supply for an engine this size flows an estimated 1,100 CFM (a 4” x 9” filter), which accomplishes two things. The first is that it allows you to add modifications that increase flow demand without exceeding the flow capabilities of the filter, and it also extends the filter’s service cycle (you don’t have to clean it as often) because it can trap more dirt without sacrificing flow. Rest assured that we have taken flow into account for all of our intake designs and our DRYFLOW filters will deliver more than adequate flow for your vehicle.
 
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BigVette427

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Rehashing an old thread because this was the exact info that I was looking for and hoping for an update. I'm interested in a reusable dry filter without having to go to a CAI. I'm familiar if not particular to aFe as I have used them in the past, but they want $70 for a 31-10274 filter (says it's for the Silverado/Sierra 1500's with the 6.2L V8, but look up the GM p/n's for the two and they are the same (22845992.)

AEM (28-20129) and Airaid (831-135) both offer comparable reusable, dry media air filters, all claiming to have excellent filtration efficiency as well as total air flow. All have a lifetime warranty. aFe and Airaid are both around $70 but the AEM's (part of K&N) DryFlow air filter is only $42. Does anybody have any experience with the AEM DryFlow filter, and perhaps how it compares to the comparable aFe and Airaid products?
 

iamdub

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I have a DryFlow filter (with the Airaid MIT) and my experience has been great. A few months back, I opened up the filter box to clean out the bugs, dirt, etc. on the dirty side of the filter as well as the filter itself. It hadn't been opened it up since the filter was installed around the middle of 2016 and had approximately 30,000 miles of use on it at that point. I rubbed the inside of the plastic housing on the clean side of the filter and duct going to the MAF sensor and there was no dirt on my finger nor could I tell where I rubbed. I can't say I've ever seen that before on any car's filter tube. There's always been at least a very light coat of dust stuck to the plastic. I'd swear it was a high-flow HEPA filter.
 

corvette744

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I have a DryFlow filter (with the Airaid MIT) and my experience has been great. A few months back, I opened up the filter box to clean out the bugs, dirt, etc. on the dirty side of the filter as well as the filter itself. It hadn't been opened it up since the filter was installed around the middle of 2016 and had approximately 30,000 miles of use on it at that point. I rubbed the inside of the plastic housing on the clean side of the filter and duct going to the MAF sensor and there was no dirt on my finger nor could I tell where I rubbed. I can't say I've ever seen that before on any car's filter tube. There's always been at least a very light coat of dust stuck to the plastic. I'd swear it was a high-flow HEPA filter.
I like real data like that-what dry filter are you running. I think your running the aem 28-20189,i just ordered one one ebay for 34 bucks thanks for the real life input.
 
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iamdub

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I like real data like that-what dry filter are you running. I think your running the aem 28-20189,i just ordered one one ebay for 34 bucks thanks for the real life input.

I had to check my Amazon to verify that part number. Yes, it's the 28-20189. I realize this is the 2000-2006 section, but the same results from the DryFlow filter should apply.
 

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