Worried About my 2002 3.4L

So I thought I'd be nice and clean my K&N look-alike filter the other day since it's been over a year. I had the Outlaw cold air intake on it with the enclosed air box with the opening to the outside fender. When I got the filter unscrewed just the base came out, the filter had broken off, who knows how long ago! I tried to find a replacement filter but found out that Outlaw went out of business...wonder why.

So I did my best with some adhesive and duct tape to hopefully hold it together until a new K&N FIPK kit could be delivered. I went out yesterday and tore the Outlaw kit out and found out that my rig job didn't work and the filter was just laying in the box again.

I got the new one installed after some hole cutting (not impressed with K&N fit and finish or engineering). I'm worried about my engine though. I could've been going for a year without having a filter attached, just sucking whatever happened to make its way into the airbox. There were some leaf pieces and a few maple tree helicopters in there, but I have no way to know if anything like that went though my engine. It still runs fine, idles, doesn't smoke, etc but I'm still worried about it.

What do you guys think. Should I just assume it's alright since it's been running fine and is being filtered now, or should I try to get rid of it while it's running? I owe about $4800 on it still and figure I could get 8-10K selling it privately. Maybe more in certain places. Is there anything I can use like Restore to help fill any scratches in the cylinders? Right now it has about 110,000 miles on it.

Any ideas/comments/suggestions? Thanks!

 

There was no debris in the intake tube but the throttle body has some dirty film on it... not sure if that's normal or not. It wasn't dry dirt but more of a greasy type film... I had to wipe it off with my finger. I posted some pictures now to show the filter in the old system and the new one. I think it's ridiculous I had to cut a hole in the brand new intake to mount whatever that black box is... the Outlaw kit was set up for that. Didn't impress me at all for being K&N.

 

Hey neighbor, I would drive it and not worry about it, just keep an eye on your oil consumption before jumping to conclusions. You also live in the city where dirt and dust is lower, right?

If you sell, $8K is too cheap.

BTW, Nice truck man.

 

Thanks! Yeah I guess the dust level is low...I just moved here from Charleston, SC and 6 weeks before that I was in southern IL... all suburban areas. It hasn't really consumed oil at all, I change it every 3-5K with synthetic and it has seemed to be fine. If it was up to me I'd get 10-12K for it, but I'll probably just end up keeping it until it's paid off next Dec.

On a side note, since you're in NE alabama, if you read the HSV times, I'm on the cover today under the Ex-NCO article. That's my ugly little face! haha

 

Nice truck! I just did the deckplate mod. Now thinking about it I hope It doesnt screw anything up. Anyone heard anything bad about doing the deckplate install.

 

I installed it right but Im not sure about keeping the factory air filter. I thought about getting a amsoil filter.

 

I don't get the HSV times. Sorry, I can't check out your ugly little face. I did go to there website and searched for the article "Ex-NCO" and came up with nothing.

I also used to live in Charleston, SC. I was in the Navy and stationed there for almost two years in 1994-1995.

 

I liked Charleston a lot. My girlfriend is in the Air Force still and is stationed there. I'll be there for a week after Christmas again, can't wait!

 

I liked Charleston too. I haven't been back but I would like to some day.