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FAQ

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Proudly designed, engineered, sourced and manufactured in the USA. Make sure you receive a genuine K&P Engineering product.

This type of filtration has been in use for many many years and has proven itself in NASCAR, Formula One, the Military and in the Aerospace industry. We have been inventing, designing engineering and manufacturing oil filters using this proven technology since 1995. K&P Engineering also manufactures oil filters that are FAA approved for certified aircraft.

What kind of materials are used in the K&P Engineering oil filters?

The filter housing and filter element end caps are carved out of a solid chunk of 6061T6 billet aluminum, which not only looks great but aids in dissipating heat and reducing weight. The filter element is made from medical grade, type 304 stainless steel micronic filter cloth to provide unmatched protection against oil contamination and resultant engine damage. A super strength neodymium rare earth magnet is installed in the top of the filter element used in the spin on models, which provides magnetic pre-filtering of the oil. The adhesive used in the filter assembly process is good to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, far above normal operating temperature of 180 to 300 degrees. The hydraulic quad-ring gasket doubles the seal between the filter housing and the engine and helps provide burst pressures exceeding 1000 psi.

We use ASTM F316 testing procedures which eliminate many of the user variables found in the SAE procedures. The filter media is pressurized from one side, and when the media starts passing air, that is the largest size opening in the media. Filter media from several common brands of paper filters were sent to the lab to be run through the ASTM test.  The results for the paper filters ranged from 48 microns for the best filter to over 300 microns for the worst filter. Our tests were right in line with other testing results we have researched that have paper media filters passing particles anywhere between 50 and 90 microns.

A micron is one thousandth of a millimeter. That’s approx. .00003937 inches.

35 microns is about .00138″, (just over one-thousandth of an inch).

The lower limit of visibility to the human eye is about 40 microns.

Pollens range from about 30 to 50 microns

A white blood cell is about 25 microns

Cigarette smoke is about 10 microns

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A very important dimension of oil filters is the flow rate. It doesn’t matter how good the filter media is if the oil is going through the bypass due to a low flow rate. We believe many people mistakenly chase smaller and smaller micron ratings to try to get cleaner oil. Flow rate is decreased exponentially as the micron rating is decreased. Again, once the flow is restricted to the point the bypass opens, the filter media rating becomes a moot point. This combination delivers the maximum combined benefit from the oil filter. A one-inch square of our filter material can flow 1.9 gallons of oil per minute at only 1-PSI pump pressure (70 degrees F). This means the stainless steel filter cloth we use in our small spin on filter element can flow 57 gals/minute.

We have run static pressure tests between our filters and paper filters for an identical application. For the same sized filters, our stainless steel micronic filter consistently flowed over 7 times more oil for the same time period than did the paper filter (tests were run at 68 degree ambient temperature). How does this affect what is going on inside your engine? We installed pressure gauges on each side of the filter element on a pro stock drag race engine so we could measure differential pressures (the difference in pressure between the input side of the filter element and the output side of the element). During a full pass down the strip the differential pressure of the stock paper filter measured 20psi difference. Our filter measured less than 1psi difference. Less differential pressure means less chance of bypass operation, faster oil pressure at start up, less drag on the oil pump (potential horsepower gains) and higher flow through the engine, often helping to cool the oil and keep the crankcase cleaner.

Another thing that can affect the paper filter flow is moisture. Not everyone is aware that engines get condensation in them. When paper gets wet it swells and may pass even less oil.

The reduction of back pressure against the oil pump will result in varying amounts of horsepower gain. It depends on your specific engine combination and application. We have seen as much as 5 hp gain, to very little or no gain depending on the drag the oil pump is producing in a specific circumstance.

Mechanics have been cutting oil filters apart for ages. It’s one more way to “read” what is happening in the engine. Our filter makes it much easier than cutting apart messy paper filters. By checking the particles that get caught in the filter you can identify abnormal wear and prevent catastrophic engine failure. It’s a lot less aggravating to replace a rod bearing that’s starting to go, than to be standing next to your machine staring at that same rod sticking out the side of the engine!

With the cleanable, reusable design you no longer will be sending oily paper filters to the landfills (some states don’t even allow oil filters to go to the landfills…they must go to through special, expensive disposal processes). What does come out of the reusable filter during cleaning can be sent to the recycling center with the rest of your old oil. All of this helps minimize water and soil contamination.

Our spin on filters have been pressure tested to over 1000 psi. Let us know if you need more than that.

Many filters have a rubber flap over the intake holes that is an attempt to keep oil in the filter and minimize the time it takes to fill the filter when you start the engine (they call it an anti-drain back valve). A test you can perform to see how well this “valve” works is to fill a filter with oil, plug the large center spin on hole with a bolt, lay it on it’s side and then see how long it takes for the oil to drain past the rubber flap. We have found (and have read other published tests) that the filter eventually ends up with the same amount of oil in it as if it didn’t have the flap, it just takes longer to drain out. If the flap worked as planned it would be beneficial to have the extra oil in the filter at start up. On the other hand, that flap covering the intake holes is one more restriction the oil has to get by to get through the filter and back to the motor.  All of our testing shows the K&P Engineering filter with it’s ultra low resistance to flow builds oil pressure in the engine components faster than a paper filter that has the anti drain back.

Slightly more or less than the stock filter depending on the specific application. It doesn’t really make any difference because of our filtration and flow capabilities. Continue to use your manufacturer’s prescribed method of checking to make sure there is the proper amount of oil in the engine (usually via a dipstick).

A cup wrench is included with almost all of our spin on filters that mates to the 14 flats machined into the bottom rib of the housing. Please reference the Cleaning and Installation tab on this website for detailed instructions.

Not to worry…individual replacement parts are available through your dealer.

Please reference the Cleaning instructions tab on this web site.

Our housings are designed and specially machined to utilize a quad ring as the sealing mechanism between the housing and the mounting surface. Quad rings are commonly found in hydraulic applications and have a high re usability factor. Along with our engineered housings, we have achieved burst pressures that exceed 1000 psi. You normally will be able to use the same quad ring for several oil changes. If needed, you can flip the quad ring over and use the other side for an additional oil change. A single quad ring can last for several years. New filter kits have a spare included in the packaging. Quad rings are more sensitive to dirt than the old square gaskets so make sure the mounting surface and quad ring are both free of debris before installing the filter. If you have had a quad ring tear, make sure you don’t have any burrs on the mounting surface, and be sure to lube the quad ring well with oil before installing the filter onto the engine or remote mount. Replacement quad rings should be available through the majority of our dealers, or can be found at larger o-ring supply shops. The quad rings are non-proprietary industry standard parts.

If you have difficulty locating a replacement, contact us and we’ll get you the industry standard part number as well as help you find a source.

No. Under the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act, 15 U.S.C. SS 2301-2312 (1982), and the general principles of the Federal Trade Commission Act, a manufacturer may not require the use of any brand of filter unless the manufacturer provides that item free of charge under terms of the warranty. [

CLEANING & ASSEMBLY

Click here to watch a quick video on how to properly clean your K&P Filter.

FILTER LOOKUP

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  • (“As I said before, I was a reluctant convert to the K and P filter, but, now am a die-hard fan. And now I have even more to “crow” about………this customer service ranks among the top 4 or 5 in my lifetime. Congratulations on a great product and thanks for standing behind it so well……….”

    J. Webb
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