K&N filter Install HELP HELP!!!!

Do I need to remove the entire airbox to install? I'm in the middle of this as we speak.

No! Go to Articles & Reviews

garcias, i searched and it didn't pull it. It must be my big hands Steve

Ok this isn't in the instructions on planet-9.com or from the manufacturer. when I'm trying to slide the lip into the airbox is it supposed to slide over or inside? I cant tell and the k&n flange keeps warping out of shape so I can't get the back side in. Please help from someone who has done this. Thanks Steve

That is covered in the article on looking at your engine and removing the airbox cover. The airbox cover has a tab/lip on it that fits down inside a groove in the plastic airbox for the tab/lip and that groove is shown in one of the photos.

Hi Ken, Thats not my issue, I cant get the end of the new filter to insert into hard plastic piece of the airbox. The OEM filter fits inside I can't tell if the K&N should slide right in the same way. Steve

Not sure if you are still having trouble or not, but i did this install a week ago and the K&N filter installed the same way the OEM one did. You have to force it just a bit initially, but once it is all the way in the air box it fits fine.

still can't get it on. I can get it in the airbox my problem is trying to the male filter to slide inside the female stock airbox fitting. Did you use the n adjustable clamp once you had it on? Thanks Steve

try sprayin' some WD40 and that should ease your pain some No need to use the clamp.

Also make sure that the clamp is completly loosened (to the point where the ends are not connected any more). This way you can just leave the clamp dangling in the airbox while you get the filter into position (I couldn't get the filter on without doing this). Once the filter is on then move the clamp back into position and then reconnect the 2 ends and tighten it down.

I also did this install a few weeks ago, and yes it is a pain to get it to fit into the airbox. But this worked for me - heat the rubber lip on the K&N filter a little with a hair dryer or heat gun, not to hot, but enough to make the rubber seal a little more plyable, when its hot the rubber becomes easier to work with and a little WD-40 on the warm rubber made it slip right into place. Hope this helps.

This is the exact suggestion my wife made. She'll laugh when she hears it worked for you. Thanks for the suggestion, I will give that a try as well as the suggestion of not having the clamp hooked. I just need to find a way to get my wife's hairdryer without her noticing. The last thing I want to see is her "I told you so" dance. Thanks to everyone for the suggestions, I will let you know how it works out.

One last item with regards to the K&N Filter. In the process of getting it installed, several of the fins bent and in one section, about a square inch, the mesh is dented. I would think that this is going to interrupt airflow but I'm not sure of the extent of the interruption. To those that have installed these types of filter, is this going to pose a problem for me? Is the filter going to work fine as is, or am I going to have to get another one? Thanks in advance for the info.

Bumping this to see if anyone has an insight into this. Thansk!

also had lots of bent fins let me know if its worth it to continue

if you haven't resolved this maybe i can help. K&N had a bad batch of these and the rubber oval shaped fitment to the Cayman intake is too small. After struggling several days i called them and they overnighted a new one. Solved the problem and the rubber fit properly.

I did the same. it took me minutes to install

Interesting. When I called their Customer Service about it, they said there was no problems with the filter, but they sent me another one anyway. I didn't even try to install it without heating the rubber ring seal and that worked (as suggested here). Maybe I didn't need to heat the filter, perhaps I got the right filter this time. Thanks for the info. K&N doesn't seem to have issue with sending you a new one so it looks like those that are having issues, just get a new one and try again.

I faced the same problem when installing the filter. IMO the rubber end does not fit exactly the plastic connection. this filter should be delivered with a pre-shaped hard plastic inside the rubber end to keep the original dimension. It is not acceptable to heat, pull or do whatever to install it. I send a mail to company expecting a quick answer.

I will advise all you guys that installed a K & N filter - they create cel problems from the oil on the filter getting to the mass air flow sensor. Very expensive pain in the butt. You be much happier with a BMC dry filter. Mark my words.

Who told you that? I've had a K&N strapped onto the mass air sensor body of my GTI for seven years. Lots of stuff has broken on the GTI over that time. Mass air sensor wasn't one of them. In fact I think I'll go take a quick look after I post this to see if I can see any oil residue on the MAF's reeds. K&N maintains this whole MAF fouling thing is an urban myth -- but then, they would. Does anyone here have any personal experience with genuine MAF sensor fouling from oil-saturated air filters? (results of examining the GTI's MAF: the internal components of the MAF sensor looked immaculately shiny, but when I rubbed the protective grid, oil came off on my finger. The practical bottom line is that even if a sensor were somehow fouled by oil to the point of malfunction, it could just be cleaned to restore normal function.) (edit#2: BMC "filtering material is composed of a special cotton gauze soaked with low-viscosity oil" so if the K&N MAF problem were real, it would affect BMC too.)

Maybe not in a GTI or anything else but in a Porsche most certainly. No legend I've had did happen to you 3 times and each time it was a new filter; not one I'd cleaned & re-oiled myself. I fact when ever I cleaned & re-oiled it's been no problem. First was the drop-in stock replacement, second was the EVO intake with a K&N cone, and third AFE Cold Air Intake. Maybe BMC's oil is different enough to not cause a problem. I've had one in my Cayman for 5 months & 3000 miles without a problem. The problems I've had is when first installing a new K&N filter. Also cleaning the MAF never helped in my case. Only lasted a few minutes-hours after cleaning & then cel was back.

So Augie, I've had the K&N filter on for a 3 weeks w/o a problem and Chucko did an EVO kit at the same time. He PM me that he had a CEL and took it to the dealer last week. Don't know the results of that, not sure he knows of this filter issue. How did you resolved the CEL problem, if cleaning the sensor didn't work?

Just replaced the MAF. Cleaning never seemed to work.

I'd guess the MAF in my GTI is made by the same company that makes the MAF in my GTI -- Bosch AFAIK. You've ancedotally established correlation, but not causation. What'd you clean it with? I think I'm gonna make a big investment in this stuff . $4.49.

Haven't had a problem with the BMC, maybe I'm lucky and should stop talking about it otherwise the MAF gods will get me.

So I got my K&N installed at the dealership about 8 or 9 months ago since my car was already getting service. I told them I would pay them for a 1/2 hour of labor or do it myself and they said no problem. When I got there the mechanic told me it was a super pain in the a@s and I just figured he didnt know what he was doing. Until today. I took it out to clean it no problem and then tried to get it back on. It took me forever to get it back on with the clamp. I knew the clamp wasnt necessary but if the mechanic got it so was I. Three hours later I have an air filter bent up nicely and a wife wondering why Im working on my car until 1:00 am on a Sunday. Sooo I am thinking about ordering an Evo intake now. Anyone hear of any issues with the evo? I now feel the pain of this thread.

I was looking at some info on this filter and was thinking that maybe it is better than the V-Flow because it is bigger with more surface area and is likely to have less air resistance as a result. The V-Flow does look a fair bit smaller than the OEM as well. But given these comments maybe I will just stick with it. For all those worried about oil on the MAS. There was a lot of discussions about this a year or so ago. Do a search and you will have plenty to read about on that.

Don't go to the trouble/expense of the Evo................... Try the BMC Air Filter - I think there is an old article on installing it it - with Photos........

Unless you seriouly deformed a major part of the filter it should not bother it . But K&N will ship you a new one if you explain to them the hassle of getting it on. They are good about that. As far as the install I made sure the clamp was very loose and put a slight film af vasalinie on the filter slipped on fine. Good luck to you

K&N Install Well this seems to be an ongoing Issue with this air filter.I can tell you I now know how to do this after putting in my dues of course. Heat the Rubber end up with the Hair dryer really good Put the Clamp on the Rubber male end as loose as it can stay Intack,I triedwith it being unclamped but found you cannot get it connected later and it also gets in the way when you try and put the male over the female.then spray sme WD-40 or some other lube and try and slip on. If this does not work take the clamp completey off and get that male on without the clamp ,Put the tiny screw on and go back in a few days after driving .The male flange has now streched a little and its easier to get the flange and clamp on al at once.hope this helps ok

Yea I used some pam on the clamp. I actually took the clamp all the way off and then put it back on after I got the filter on. I couldnt get it on with the clamp. I then wrapped the clamp underneath and had to stretch it for about an hour before getting it back in. Im sure the air filter will be fine but I am going to prob. do the GIAC chip and evo since they are recommended for use together. Not sure if it will make a difference but I'll try it out anyway. I might try and do a dyno with the kn and then with the evo and check out the difference. If I do I will make sure to post.

joshb1 Hey cool you got it on .what seems like a 5 minute job can be a frustrating 3 hour cursing match.Hey Isnt the evo an air filter as well? I posted HELP when I was trying to put my K&N on so all I got to say Is thatnk god for the CC and people that know what they are doing :cheers: