Air Filter Study  Rev 2

The purpose of this test is to compare the paper ACDelco air filter to a Kool Blue drop-in panel filter, and a K&N drop-in panel filter on a 1996 Cadillac Seville STS.  The first study, here, http://www.caddyinfo.com/airfilterstudy.htm did not yield meaningful data.

New Method:  run each filter in the car in a known test location from 0 to 80 mph, using a Racing Technologies AP-22 to measure with, stop, swop filters, and run again.  All tests on same day, same location, same driver, with the intention of minimizing variables.  The STS started the test hot just back from dinner and the parts store, so the car was hot for all runs.

Temp: 69F. Gas: 13 gal. AP-22 Vehicle data: Mass 4100 lb CdA 0.710 Roll Resistance 0.013; Tilt Factor 0.001; Roll Factor 0.011; Smoothing 0.004.  Trigger Value: 0.29g.

Kool Blue filter baseline run:  This is a new Kool Blue filter, in the car less than a week.
mph seconds g-force feet wheel hp
10 0.88 0.54 6 60
20 1.75 0.46 25 105
30 2.71 0.48 60 164
40 3.70 0.42 111 196
50 5.01 0.34 198 200
60 6.52 0.30 320 216
70 8.12 0.27 473 239
80 10.03 0.21 684 225

Paper filter run 1 (not enough wheel spin on launch).  When I first saw this result, I thought, hmm -- that is a large difference.  So I reran the same filter setup with a better launch to see if that was off.
mph seconds g-force feet wheel hp
10 0.86 0.57 5 62
20 1.76 0.45 26 102
30 2.73 0.47 61 161
40 3.73 0.42 113 192
50 5.09 0.33 203 194
60 6.63 0.29 327 211
70 8.26 0.26 483 227
Paper filter run 2: better launch, with some wheel spin:
mph seconds g-force feet wheel hp
10 0.87 0.54 6 61
20 1.73 0.48 25 107
30 2.69 0.48 60 164
40 3.67 0.43 111 199
50 5.00 0.34 199 202
60 6.51 0.30 321 216
70 8.09 0.27 472 235
80 9.96 0.21 678 228
K&N drop-in panel filter #1:  This is my 4 year old K&N, but I cleaned it the day before the test with a K&N kit per the instructions.
mph seconds g-force feet wheel hp
10 0.86 0.54 6 60
20 1.73 0.47 25 106
30 2.70 0.48 61 164
40 3.70 0.42 112 193
50 5.04 0.34 201 198
60 6.57 0.29 325 214
70 8.20 0.26 481 230
80 10.15 0.20 696 218
The K&N was slightly off pace, so I ran it again also to check:
mph seconds g-force feet wheel hp
10 0.87 0.54 6 59
20 1.73 0.48 25 108
30 2.69 0.48 60 164
40 3.68 0.42 111 196
50 5.02 0.34 200 198
60 6.53 0.30 322 216
70 8.14 0.26 476 227
80 10.07 0.21 689 221
Here is a HP to HP for the best run from each filter:
Kool Blue Paper K&N
0-mph hp hp hp
10 60 61 59
20 105 107 108
30 164 164 164
40 196 199 196
50 200 202 198
60 216 216 216
70 239 235 227
80 225 228 221
Here is a side by side times for the best run from each filter:
Kool Blue Paper K&N
mph seconds seconds seconds
10 0.88 0.87 0.87
20 1.75 1.73 1.73
30 2.71 2.69 2.69
40 3.70 3.67 3.68
50 5.01 5.00 5.02
60 6.52 6.51 6.53
70 8.12 8.09 8.14
80 10.03 9.96 10.07
Peak power:
Filter Speed of peak HP Peak HP
Kool Blue: 70.3 mph 240 hp
ACDelco Paper: 85.8 mph 246 hp
K&N: 85.6 mph 237 hp
Conclusion:  The ACDelco paper filter gave the best results.  The margin of the 0-60 results are within the error margin of the test, but to be fair the paper filter won the 0-60, 0-80, and best HP showing.  It ran 3rd of 5 runs, so had no place advantages.

Other AP-22 Runs