Hey guys im new to the forum and the mustang world, just bought an `01 v6. I purchased a GForce CAI and it came with a blue filter,i think its kind of an off-brand as i cant find any articles about it on google. i want to know if this filter is ok to use or if will hurt my engine, i dont really care about increased airflow as im still modding for ram air now but i want to make sure this filter will keep all contaminants out of my cylinders or if i need to go grab a K&N.

 

That's the thing, it's hard to know for sure. Some filters have been known to fall apart/dry rot over time which means the pieces go right into the engine. Personally I'd play it safe and get the K&N cone for a cai.

 

Any brand washable cone filter that your local auto parts store sells will be quality enough to do the job without the major problems list by J, even the spectra does an ok job without failure.

OReillys and AutoZone both carry K&N as well.

K&N is of course top of the line in these stores and will support you if failure should ever happen.

I should mention too, RAM air isnt going to net you horsepower. Just google it and you will be flooded with pages and pages of the reasons why it doesnt work.

Unless you are going for looks, I would just be happy with the CAI that you have now.

 

To latch on to this thread how often should a CAI filter be checked / changed? I have a MAC brand and since it's inside the wheel well fender i cant even see it now and have never checked it.

 

Here is what K&N says.

If you have not experienced a decrease in mileage or engine performance, chances are your filter is fine and does not yet need cleaning. To be more specific, the filter does not require cleaning if you can still see the wire screen on the entire air filter regardless of how dirty it may appear. When the screen is no longer visible some place on the filter, it is time to clean it. When used in normal paved road, street or highway conditions, our replacement air filters that fit in the factory air box should require cleaning every 50,000 miles and our large conical filters on an intake system should require cleaning every 100,000 miles. When used in dusty or off-road environments, our filters will require cleaning more often. We recommend that you visually inspect your filter once every 25,000 miles to determine if the screen is still visible.

 

It depends on the quality. You should be able to tell when it needs to be replaced. Most claim 100,000 miles and based off what I see, that's a plausible guess. Basically just change it when either A) its too dirty to clean, or B) it starts looking very raggedy