Manifold caked with filth

Next issue is scoring in the cylinders.

I'd be really concerned if I had this, I'd remove the manifold to clean it for sure.

 

Wow, that engine is not long for this world...

This is why you don't use a K&N folks!

 

There is no way this is the K&N filters fault. I have used them for years on multiple vehicles and never had anything like this happen. Something else is going on here.

 

No, it is the K&N.

As specks of dust pass through the filter gauze, tiny amounts of the filter's oil get left on the specks, allowing them to cling to whatever other surfaces they might touch. Eventually the specks (and oil) starts to build up, and you end up with the mess seen here.

I learned this 20 years ago when my Ford Ranger 4x4 (4.0L V6) slowly started running like crap and throwing codes whenever I gave it sustained throttle (such as driving up long highway grades or towing a trailer).
The whole intake looked exactly like the picture, the MAF sensor element was almost fully buried in it, and it ruined the o2 sensors as well (all at 60K miles).
After cleaning the MAF & intake, replacing the o2s and putting in a clean PAPER filter, things were good again (intake remaining clean as well). What's unknown is how much additional engine wear all that dust going through it caused.

 

yep, k&n filters will do that.

know a guy that used to maintain sport bikes at a shop, saw multiple motors get wrecked with k&n filters...

i'll never run more than the oe paper filter.

 

The OEM TRD air filter is an oiled filter just like the K&N. Toyota wouldn't offer it if they did this. I'd say something else has went wrong here.

 

high flow
good filtration
re-usable

pick 1.

trd could easily offer it because the majority of people would use it on-road.

ironically, this exact same discussion where i met that guy that used to repair sport bikes and saw the engine damage was on a sports car forum.

 

Damn. Performance air filters really don’t seem to perform well at filtering air.
That’s a lot of buildup. Almost surprising no codes thrown. This would be an 8/10 on my scales of a serious issue vehicle-wise.

An oil analysis on this engine would be neat.

Best of luck getting it cleaned up. Hopefully no issues rise because of this.

 

Slightly OT. I purchased the K&N cabin air filter, haven't installed it yet. I think I will stick with the OEM HEPA filter.

 

I have been using the K&N Cabin filter for 3 years in my ‘17 Tacoma with no problems, easy to clean and recondition, and less waste in the land fill.

 

The OEM TRD oiled air filter maintains all factory warranties. If oiled air filters caused this Toyota wouldn't offer, or warranty them. Something else has went wrong here.

 

K&N cabin filters are excellent. Fine filtration isn’t required for the HVAC system, and our cabin filters fill up faaast. I’d probably go through 4 disposables a year without mine.

 

Truck is 7 years old and 140k with this buildup. And still works. Of course Toyota doesn’t care about oiled filters. Long out of warranty.

 

The intake box has a mesh/cotton filter screen. There's got to be something else besides the k&n that has contributed to this.

 

Lol looks like no filter. You sure you didn't bypass the filter with the snorkle?

 

Never done a throttle body clean is my guess, would of caught that sooner. IIRC those are every 30-35K miles.

Used to live in AZ. Learned my lesson with K&Ns years ago in my old truck. oil will be sucked off them coating the MAF that makes it throw a code. Went back to paper, hadn’t a problem since.

Looks you have two issues, pulling oil off the filter (perhaps over oiling it) and an air leak.

Think I would trade that truck in sooner rather than later.

 

Looks like a 50 year old sewer pipe at a Taco Bell.

 

that you live, where?