Replacement Air Filters

Breathing air that contains dust, soot, and other types of particulate matter can make you sick, and prolonged exposure can cause respiratory and cardiovascular disease. That’s why you should always wear an appropriate dust mask or respirator to protect yourself when doing jobs where you’re exposed to such contaminants. The same holds true for the engine in your car, truck, or SUV. If there was nothing to stop dirt and debris from entering the engine, serious damage and eventual total engine failure would result. Your vehicle comes equipped with an engine air filter, to trap dirt and debris and keep them from harming your engine. However, as the filter does its job, dirt and debris build up on the filter surface, and could eventually reach the point where airflow is restricted, reducing performance and fuel economy. To ensure optimal filtration and engine protection and performance, the air filter must be periodically replaced, and when you’re due for a new one, you’ll find the right filter for the job right here on our digital shelves.

Unlike people, who can choose when and where to wear a mask or respirator, an engine must always be protected with an air filter. That’s because a typical engine consumes huge quantities of air, as much as 10,000 gallons for every one gallon of gasoline, and it must ingest this air under all kinds of driving conditions. As you drive down the road, air that contains dirt, dust, sand, debris, leaves and other organic matter, and particulate from exhaust, goes into your vehicle’s air intake system. The air filters we offer protect your engine by trapping contaminant particles as small as 5 microns, which is 5 millionths of a meter or less than 1/10th the size of a human hair.

This degree of protection is necessary because modern engines are built with much tighter tolerances than those built just a few decades ago. If even the finest contaminant particles were to get past the filter and make their way into the engine, they would abrade and prematurely wear pistons, rings, and cylinder walls, and valves and valve seats, gradually eroding the engine and its level of performance. Today, many engines are turbocharged, and dirt and foreign material particles can also damage the compressor blades. These contaminants, along with metal particles abraded away by them, can eventually make their way into the crankcase and engine oil system, and circulate throughout the engine, damaging bearings and other components and finally destroying the entire engine.

Our replacement air filters provide effective protection against this type of expensive damage without restricting airflow that would negatively affect engine performance and fuel efficiency. A typical original equipment spec air filter is made of paper, essentially wood pulp fibers that are bonded together and formed into pleats. Extremely small irregular passages in the filter trap the dirt. But since these passages also provide the pathway for air to flow into the engine, as dirt collects the passages can become restricted, reducing airflow. Our replacement air filters are designed and sized to provide the required level of filtration and airflow throughout the replacement interval specified in your owner’s manual if the vehicle is driven under normal conditions. However, if you regularly drive off-road, on unimproved roads, or in dusty conditions, you should regularly inspect your air filter as it may require more frequent replacement under those conditions.

We offer air filters for gasoline and diesel engines and for carbureted and fuel injected vehicles. Although filter shape will vary according to make and model, in general the air filters for carbureted engines are round and they’re located in a housing that mounts to the top of the carburetor. Most fuel injected vehicles have a flat panel air filter that’s located inside an air box mounted remotely from the engine. A duct connects the air filter housing to the throttle body and intake manifold. Air filter replacement is one of the easiest DIY jobs. A carburetor air filter is generally accessed by removing a wing nut and the air cleaner lid. On a fuel injected vehicle, the housing can be opened for filter removal by removing a few clips or screws. Before installing the new air filter, remove any debris that may have accumulated in the housing. When installing the new filter, make sure it seals properly against the housing, so all intake air goes through the filter. On fuel injected vehicles, inspect the air intake duct to make sure there are no cracks, gaps, or other openings where unfiltered air could enter the intake airstream.