Vara -Ram Filter Problems !!

[Steve Cornell]

I just went out and removed my original Vara Ram air box and reinstalled the factory air box and I am VERY concerned !!!!

 

The MAF screen was covered with bugs and dirt, and lord knows what's been sucked through the engine for the last 1700 miles ????

The filter I removed had the 5 holes that went all the way through and it's easy to see how crap would get sucked around the end of the filter, there is no sealing surface to keep the dirt out.

 

So I unpack the new system and take the filter apart and I can't believe that they expect this thing to filter properly, there is now an "o" ring on the end of the filter but there's no way it can seal properly in the groove where the 2 halfs of the airbox are put together, and the filter material is so thin I don't see how it can filter adequately????

 

I intend to send an e-mail to Vara-Ram about my concerns, but if this air box cannot keep dirt out of the engine I don't care if it gives me 10 mpg and 100 hp.

 

Has anyone else taken there air box apart and looked at the filter ????

 

I like the idea behind the air box but for now I'm not trusting the filter that came with it to protect my engine after seeing all the crap that the other filter let through.

 

Old filter on the Left and New filter on the Right in the pics below...

 

 

 

 

[TarheelZ]

Dang, Steve, I hate to hear that! Man, I hope you haven't already pulled some of that crap into your engine. Good luck!

[black&grayHD]

 

I was waiting to see if there were any quality issues with this new system, I guess there are. I'm still considering one ( ) , but if this is as good as it gets then no way. Good luck getting it resolved and I hope your engine doesn't suck anything else in it's not supposed to, like money.

[Frank S]

Hmmmm, I didn't open the box and check the filter before I installed mine but that definitely doesn't look like it would do a very good job.

 

I'll have to pull mine tomorrow and check it because it does look to be a cause for concern.

[ktmjim215]

The filter or lack of a proper filter is the same issue I raised on another Vararam install thread. Someone talked to Vararam and they said it should be OK. I don't want OK as a filter when there are superior filters available. This filter uses foam similar to a small engine and those filters must be oiled to work. Vararam suggested that you could spray it with WD-40 if you wanted to. WD-40 will not stay in this filter with the CFM requirements of this engine. You can't run an open intake with these new engines and thats basically what this is. I have raced motorcycles for over 30 years and they use a much tougher foam than whats in this unit. Ask any bike racer what happens when you don't use the sticky oil or partially cover the filter and they will tell you about major engine damage. I realize that a dirt bike is subjected to more dirt than a street driven vehicle but those filters are cleaned very often, most after each race. But when you think of the amount of air an engine draws in over 10K miles, it adds up. My Vararam instructions did not say anything about filtration or cleaning. When I ran Late Model dirt cars we cleaned the filter after every race and there was always dirt in the carb. Until I see some strong data I will not be installing mine. And by strong I mean more than "some guy at Vararam". With out the supporting data thats like asking the waiter at a restaurant if their food is good. What do you expect them to say.

[dannyukonxl]

ktmjim, i hear ya, i just oiled the filters on my bikes today, (250 exc-g to a 350, crf450, and wr450) and those things were covered with thorns bugs, dust, twigs from mojave, i know a guy who just washed the foam and put it back in the bike and bent a valve when the retainer got knocked into the chamber, anyways THERE GOES MY ORDER FOR VARARAM, looks like i see a volant in the near future, i dont feel like spending 350 bucks to destroy my engine, looks like vararam might have some law suits on their hands very shortly

[Steve Cornell]

I sent Vara-Ram an e-mail and will follow up with a phone call tomorrow...

 

I believed all the "hype" from their web site and thought it would be a quality product, even T. Bryne who I trust tested this thing and I purchased mine from Tom and then Vara-Ram sent me the newer version.

 

I would hope that T. Byrne will check out the filters he has and offer his opinion.

 

Anyway after seeing all the junk on my MAF today that got sucked through the filter I doubt I'll be installing the new system and hopefully Vara-Ram will make good on their "money back" guarantee, I just hope that no damage has occurred to my engine in the past 1700 miles.

 

I agree with ktmjim, this filter material is the same material you find on a lawnmower, and it's very thin (you can see right through it) and there is no way that the filter will seal at the back of the box.

[dannyukonxl]

thats incredibly stupid to use foam that thin, i would have at least expected an enclosed cylinder with a dual stage foam density filter with a hole in one end, i feel for you steve, your truck is brand freakin new, and the worse part is that the effects of the vararam system wont arise until probably 100,000 miles

[Frank S]

Steve

 

Since you have your kit out, is there any way you can give me a diameter and length of the filter that came in the kit? I'm going to try and find an Amsoil foam filter that isn't hollow which I can drop into the box in place of the one that came with it.

[Steve Cornell]

Frank,

 

The filter measures 5.5" in Diameter and 7" Long.

 

Here's a couple more pics of the filter, this first one is with a light inside the filter and no flash (Yes the wire mesh is on the inside), I also noticed that the filter foam is not even glued all the way around the wire so dirt can just get sucked in without going through the foam

 

The more I look at this thing the madder I get

 

I really wish someone else would check out their filter and see if it's as bad as the one I have .

 

 

 

[dannyukonxl]

hey steve how about any pics of the bug collector/ maf

[Frank S]

I believe I found some cylinder (not cone) shaped K & N filters that should work because going off of an estimate from the air box I had it figured for being 5" dia x 7" length so I may go that route.

 

I definitely don't like the looks of that filter you have pictured and can't imagine that it would do much good so I'm going to try another route before pulling this intake back off.

[linda]

I went on a long trip Saturday (300+ miles). I will be taking mine apart today to have a look at the MAF and filter.......i will definately let you know what i find. Please post back as soon as you talk to VARARAM please. I have seen some major performance increases with this intake, however, i will not sacrafice the life of my engine for ANY amount of performance gains.

[linda]

I would not E-mail them....i would call them. Its much more direct and less can be lost in the conversation. 1-866-50-RAM-IT

[tbyrne]

We sold out of the first shipment in a day so I don't have anything to check out here. I'm going to try to give Patrick at VaraRam a call to see what he has to say about this. The only thing that should go through the filter is air!

 

Tom