K&N FIPK

SteveSierra · February 15, 2002

I know there is a lot of negativity directed towards this company on some message boards, but I have to say, I am real happy with them.

I bought it from a local Chevy dealer, got it home, out of the box, and noticed the intake tube had the logo upside down(on the top part of the tube, but the wording was upside down).

Now, I could have used acetone or a sticker(which would have come off over time from the heat), but I'm a stickler for everything looking just as it should.

I sent an email to K&N with pictures of the tube. I received a response the very next morning from them. The guy apologized, thanked me for the pics, and said he was pulling one out of stock and sending it right out. Well, it only took 2 days to receive the new intake tube. It was UPS'ed 2nd day.

In my book, this was an excellent example of how a well known company would handle a customer concern.

I've not had such good luck with other companies, namely, MicronPC, from which I have a POS pc. MicronPC gets a -10 from me for customer service. They blow.

On the other hand, K&N were on top of everything in my case, and I'm happy to rate this company with the highest level of customer satisfaction that can be given +10.

MountaineerTom · February 15, 2002

Good to hear!

djames · March 6, 2002

Got my FIPK on order. Has anyone painted the the portion from the filter to the throttle body? Black is kind of basic and I wanted to brighten up the underside of the hood.

Shaners · March 6, 2002

Glad to hear about the great customer service...

SteveSierra · March 6, 2002

Shane,

I've almost caught up to you on the miles! 3000. heheheh;)

djames,

I haven't painted mine, but if and when I get the dough, I'll probably get an ultimatePD intake. I lam liking the fact that it isn't an open air filter element. I spend a bit of time on the beach surf fishing in the warmer weather, so just for peice of mind.

They have smoke clear, clear, carbon fiber and black intake setups.

Brooke(can't remember his board name right now) has one on his red 2500HD.

Here's their website http://www.ultimatepd.com/

djames · March 6, 2002

Steve, so your going with a more restrictive element with the PD. I didn't know by hanging out at theh beach I couldn't run a FIPK, I can't see why it would matter. I can't remember the last time I heard of some one drowning out their truck at the beach because the had a KN.

chevy4x4trucks · March 6, 2002

I've had mine at the sand dunes, can't say that any sand even got near the filter, and that was plowing through really loose sand at 25 mph in 4hi. IMO the K&N FIPK is the better choice, it is the least restrictive and if you drag race at the track you can remove your headlight and allow even more air to flow into it. Not to knock the company, it seems like a nice set up, but if you're going to spend 250 bucks on something you might as well get the superior product that gives you more hp for the price.

SteveSierra · March 6, 2002

Actually, the PD unit in theory should push more cold air into the intake as there isn't all that heat from the engine being sucked in with the cooler air. As for the K&N FIPK on my truck now, I can see the filter through the gap between the hood and the fender. Water, sand dust, etc can get to the filter real easy. I'm not talking about water getting into the filter from the beach, I'm talking about everyday driving down the road in rainstorms.

The PD unit is far from restrictive. Ask Brooke about it. He's had the FIPK and Volant. Now he has the PD unit. He ataps his truck, so I would think he'd know what works and what doesn't. Says the PD has netted him 2/10ths in the 1/4 mile. Sounds non restrictive to me.

chevy4x4trucks · March 6, 2002

With all these wild figures flying around, I would like to actually see a company take a silverado, put it on the dyno and test it w/ the various intakes to get some hard data on which one's the best.

As far as redhawk gaining that fraction of a second, IMO you can't really tell how much better it is from a run at the track, not that I doubt him, but I'm sure he'll agree w/ me that other factors may have contributed to it, such as air temp, weather conditions, his response time, etc....

I haven't had any problems w/ K&N so far and w/ the hood closed i can't look in and see it, but my thoughts are, is that it's an open filter which would allow more air to flow into it. If heat is a real concern than one could easily further heat proof it fairly cheaply. But, w/ mine when the engine is nice and hot and has been running for a while I can pop the hood and just feel the temp difference on one side of the heatshield and the other. It's been my experience that K&N produces high quality automotive products and they have a top notch engineering team. In fact, the UltimatePD system even uses there flat filter. What I meant to say by everything is that the UPD looks like a nice set up, but unless I see some hard evidence on how it out performs the K&N FIPK, Volant, or the other big mfg's of air intakes I can't see how they justify pricing it just as high as them. For 30 bucks more I could get a Volant which has a closed filter element and replaces the whole stock air box.

SteveSierra · March 7, 2002

Jon,

I'm not doubting K&N at all. The UPD uses K&N too.

I really like them, been using their filters in a number of setups for about 7 years now and am very pleased with their products. It's just that, on mine, throught the gap between the fender and the hood, I can see the filter clearly. Actually, I should take a picture of it so I could show how clearly it is seen. On mine, the rubber drip strip along the inside of the fender just helps the water that goes down through the gap, to fall right on the filter. Maybe I should just rig up something on that side of the filter to help channel the water away from the filter. After all, that would be cheaper and would be an additional 250 bucks I can put to other mods. Hmmmmm..... ;)

chevy4x4trucks · March 7, 2002

I think you are just having all kinds of problems Upside down logo's, a gap in your hood, water channels that don't work.

Perhaps your hood isn't latching all the way down, or it may just be and HD thing. My 1/2 ton seals up nicely and water doesn't make it into the engine compartment. I know som AVY owners were complaining because water was spraying into theres during a heavy rainfall.

SteveSierra · March 8, 2002

I am a problem child. ;)

Ya gotta admit, if there was an intake tube with an upside down logo, probably 1 in 100,000 chance, I would be the one to get it. Why the heck can't I get that lucky with the powerball lottery?

The hood latches down, I think that the gap there may be a little excessive though. Ah well, they're talking about us being in a severe drought(15 inches below normal already) so I doubt I'll see much more rain. I guess I'll just fuggedaboutit.

Rev. Stephen · April 3, 2002

We've used K&N's for years, never saw dirt behind any brand filter unless it was not fit right. One thing i'd never use is a foam filter...

2000 GMC · April 3, 2002

Great to here about the customer service. I like mine a lot. What site had the negitive post? I've never heard any bad about K&N. I also use their oil filter on my Sierra.

RedHawk · April 4, 2002

I heard my ears ringing

The PD unit is far from restrictive. Ask Brooke about it. He's had the FIPK and Volant. Now he has the PD unit. He ataps his truck, so I would think he'd know what works and what doesn't. Says the PD has netted him 2/10ths in the 1/4 mile. Sounds non restrictive to me.

Yes, I agree with Steve on this issue. I have had the FIPK and the AIRAID but haven`t had the volant.. All my best times have come with the UPD. The FIPK is a good system but I didn`t like the open air element..Too much hot air was getting into the air charge..

As far as redhawk gaining that fraction of a second, IMO you can't really tell how much better it is from a run at the track, not that I doubt him, but I'm sure he'll agree w/ me that other factors may have contributed to it, such as air temp, weather conditions, his response time, etc....

I made back to back test at the track with both systems and prefer the UPD way over the FIPK. The track is an excellent way to test mods, as long as you make several runs with each mod and on the same night. Reaction time has nothing to do with ET. Sorry but I have to disagree with that.The FIPK ran well ,when the motor was cool but the UPD was better on a hot or cold motor. The open air filter would get so hot, that it would almost burn your hands..Can`t make big power with hot less dense air.

I saw this picture on another sight and it backs up the dirt problem for me..No more open air intakes for me but to each his own..