TRD air filter vs paper filter for engine longevity vs performance

X2

3.5L uses same intake as a 5.7L in the tundra, plenty of air.

 

i stick with paper filters. too much risk in variance of re-oiling to risk a motor. K.I.S.S. paper filters just plug in, no muss, no fuss.

remember folks, depending on testing, chicken wire can filter to 1 micron...

 

Looking that way

 

several people, including engine masters and youtube channel project farm, have tested them. You have to choose performance or longevity.

k&n type, every time they're tested, let in large particles but flow really well and add maybe 3-4% hp and torque (well restore, they can't actually ADD power/torque). But even a low budget test shows they let in a large amount of large particles, unacceptable for daily use imo...track day sure...but not daily. Being "oem" as it's trd means nothing, I don't know of anyone having a warranty claim denied by using a k&n (except maybe premature maf failure)

most dirty mafs are from people over oiling a k&n type filter plus the extra particulates.

a GOOD paper filter won't flow as well but will give you the best longevity...WIX is one of the higher rated ones actually regarding cleaning and flow, it's really not that bad.

I've also heard that because of the oil the k&n type filters will clog up faster and thus the performance gains are short lived, while a slightly more restrictive paper filter keeps the same flow over longer and provides better year round performance.

It's up to you but this isn't a sportscar or good at 1/4 miles and it isn't a track day use vehicle either...I'd go with longevity

 

AFE Dry Pro. Wash it with water every 10k. Done.

 

In that case, I’m going to switch to chicken wire filters! I think I have a roll somewhere.

 

I drive almost exclusively on dry AF limestone gravel roads. Using paper filters and changing them often has worked best for me.

I usually use the Napa Gold filters.

 

My tundra had a k&n filter for quite some time. Only issue with this filter was fouling the maf sensor. Idk if the filter had too much of their oil in it, but it happened a couple times before all was good. I later switched back to wix paper air filters. Never had a problem with those.

 

There are differences in air filtering performance between dry vs. oiled filters, I’ve used both.

The oil bath filter is still widely used due to its material savings, as they are reusable for the most part. But you pay for it in labor to clean it and it must be done precisely and more often in a dusty environment. Also it is could be the only choice on hard to find or costly dry filters.

When I was using it for more performance (sarcasm detected) years ago, I bought two, one was cleaned and ready to go. And I mainly used it because the dry filter was hard to find at the time. It was a PITA for me to deal with the oil and cleaning, so soon as I got a supply of dry filters I caned the oil bath.

The industry consensus seems to agree that the dry filters are more effective in filtering air contaminants, while the oil bath lets more air in, subsequently and arguably improving performance. It is therefore not surprising for the TRD line to offer it.

TRD (TOYOTA racing development). Only problem is, the Tacoma truck is going to need a hell ‘ova a lot more than that to transform it into a racing truck IMHO.

 

"bUt thE PreRunNer iS baSEd oN a rAciNg tacOma!"

if people looked at all it took to make the real prerunner jump sand dunes and off road race capable...it's like thinking a nascar that looks like an impala is the same as even an ss impala...lol it doesn't even look like a tacoma really on the track. and I don't know about off road truck racing but I'm pretty sure nascar/indy rebuild the engines after each race so a little dirt is nothing to them.

that said I still drool over threads here with boosted taco's and watch to see how much power vs boost they make and how long they run. I like power, but it's gotta be reliable for me

mad props for transformers reference XD

*edit just saw a youtube vid, the tacoma off road racing truck cost $150k to build lawdy!

 

speak for yourself!

 

That’s exactly why TRD is so populars with enthusiasts. It’s like Viagra, every little inch counts lol

 

someone I know
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tried to race a stock charger in their stock 3rd gen...got 'em off the line but got smoked very soon after XD "they" still had fun doing it

 

i don't see that filter available for our trucks. only see oiled filters on AFE's website

 

My 55 VW has an oil bath, I'd go with that
Seriously tho either filter will do, if you see anything in the air box past the filter, don't use that one.

 

As I recall, those old '55 VW oil bath air cooled engines didn't last very long. My oldest brother had a '60 bug and rebuit was around every 50-75k miles. But to be fair, early car engines didn't have any filter at all. Neither did some cheaper mowers come to think of it, hmm.

"As a general rule the original VW's don't hold up as well as vehicles with water cooled engines. On average you can expect 80 to 100K mi between engine rebuilds on these"

 

Recently purchased a 2020 TRD OR DC and noted the TRD filter sticker. The dealer apparently decided to install a Denso instead.

That aside, is there a difference between what I have and the TRD Performance Air Intake System (last photo) other than the flashy looks? I do like the looks, but not the $400 price tag.

TIA!

 

You've got a factory airbox. What likely happened was previous owner swapped in a K&N panel filter which got yanked by somebody and replaced with a OEM style paper filter.

 

Thanks for that and understood.

Still curious as to what the difference is between the factory air box and the TRD Performance Air Intake System.

 

I use the AFE pro dry s in all my vehicles no oiling required once a year take the air compressor to it.