K&N in LONGITUDE expedition
The K&N is oiled..which I prefer to a piece of corregated construction paper. They have quite a bit of data on particulate size versus filtration efficiency.
I think this article on their use in the LONGITUDE expedition is noteworthy as well:
http://www.knfilterchargers.com/news/news.aspx?ID=80
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RIVERSIDE, CA, -- It's little secret that K&N High Flow Air Filters were born from a need to protect engines from extreme conditions while allowing ample air for optimum performance. When it comes to pushing a vehicle to extremes more people have used K&N's washable and re-usable air filters than any other brand. When Nick Baggarly, LONGITUDE Expedition Leader for Drive Around the World found his team of four Land Rovers in need of a filter capable of withstanding the rigors of his quest it's no surprise that he called on K&N.
LONGITUDE Expedition began on November 1, 2003 with nine volunteers from the Drive Around the World organization. The Expedition would be a nine-month, 50,000 kilometer drive around the world - crossing four continents, through 34 countries - to raise funds that will help cure Parkinson's Disease. The trek would take the team along some of the most desolate and demanding places on the planet - all for a good cause.
Baggarly explained, "Drive Around the World's LONGITUDE Expedition is conducting a motor oil endurance test for Mobil 1, 0W-40 with SuperSyn(tm). Our agreement with Mobil 1 is to run the entire 32,000-mile global expedition with no oil or oil filter changes in all four LONGITUDE Expedition Certified Discoverys.
Prior to departure, Mobil 1 engineers set us up with sample kits, and instructed us to mail oil samples back to Mobil 1 labs periodically. They also mentioned that the only thing likely to affect oil performance is high-silicate content from dust and contaminates. That prompted us to talk with ARB's Matt Frost (one of our sponsors) and a decision was made to fit an ARB raised air intake to our vehicles. But all of the dust encountered during the first three months of the expedition--especially in the aired planes of Patagonia--made it apparent that serious air filtration was needed. In Santiago, Chile we mailed oil samples to Mobil 1 labs and by the time we reached the end of the road in South America, the oil had changed to a darker color. We knew that something more than the snorkel was needed if the oil was going to make it.
The decision to go with K&N came when we reached Australia and the locals told us about the bulldust along the Gun Barrel Highway, a 500-mile barren track--steeped with Aussie history--that stretches from east to west across Central Australia. The ground is made up of a bright-red dirt that the locals refer to as 'bulldust.' In no time at all, this fine, talc-like powder makes its way inside the vehicles and it gets absolutely everywhere."
Fortunately the team installed the K&N Filters before running the Gun Barrel. "I heard about K&N so I sent a note asking for filters for our Land Rover Discoverys," said Baggarly. K&N arranged for four 33-2119 High Flow Air Filters to be sent by their distributor in New South Wales, Australia, Rocket Industries PTY, LTD. "They have been in our vehicles ever since--including the first all-land drive from Singapore to far Northeast Siberia. The World's Best Air Filter - K&N is truly the world's best.
On any serious expedition, your vehicle is your umbilical chord back to civilization so you absolutely must treat it right! During the LONGITUDE Expedition, our Land Rover Discovery vehicles saw more dust in a single day than most vehicles see in an entire year, so of course we fitted K&N air filters. But it wasn't just dust that we had to deal with. Our K&Ns helped us through extreme elevation changes, including a drive over the highest motorable road in the world - the Khardungla Pass near Ley, India. At a breathtaking 18,640 feet (5682m.) both vehicles and humans needed all the air they could get!"
The LONGITUDE Expedition is the longest journey ever attempted with a focus on Parkinson's Disease. They journey will conclude on February 25th, 2005 at Land Rover's Irvine, California headquarters.
Established in 2002, with headquarters in Los Gatos California, Drive Around the World is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that seeks to inspire a sense of adventure and the tradition of exploration, encouraging people to actively learn about our world and creatively act to understand the humanitarian and environmental problems we face. Drive Around the World press releases and electronic photos of the LONGITUDE expedition are available on-line in the pressroom section of
www.drivearoundtheworld.com, or contact them at +1 408 354-DATW (3289).
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