TOPIC:

Hi all, as most of you know I have a pretty well stock standard '79 model, thought i'd spend a few dollars and get a reusable air filter to fit into the airbox, so purchased a K & N one, model KA-1350, you buy it, oil it and you just have to wash it out now and again and use it "forever". Well i'm here to tell you I ain't happy with it, sure it's made well, but i'm sure they stuffed up when they measured an original one to make this reusable one, the plastic top and bottom slabs are way too big. A cheap throw away one slides into the box as easy as anything, this "top of the line" thing doesn't, after a lot of grinding and slicing of the plastic edges, it finally fitted into the box, I wasn't going to cut or grind away any of the airbox, so the K & N one ended up with the plastic edges taken off right back to the edge of the filter element itself before it would fit, just thought i'd tell you all, I have contacted K & N and informed them of the oversized edges, don't think they will follow up with a reply. I guess I was under the mistaken impression that if you pay more you get a quality product, silly me. Maybe the airbox hole shrank over the last 30 odd years??, but the cheap ones fitted well, just thought i'd let you know, cheers Pete.




Edges too large

So it's not just the BMW ones that don't fit properly. It's much the same story with them.

Same here!! I bought one from the k&n website and was amazed at how it didn't fit!! At $100US it was disappointing to see that it won't fit. You would either have to grind away at the airbox or the filter itself around the edges as above.

Which would be the preferred target?? Any opinions??

Cheers
Gareth

I bought my K&N filter a few years back and it has a solid metal end cap for the top with a foam pad in the middle and a solid metal open end cap for the bottom.

The only trouble I had with it was that fuel has dissolved the adhesive that holds the bottom foam gasket on.

It is a tight fit in the air box but not to the point where it needs force. The only problem with the design is that with a solid top cover it is very difficult too get the filter out

zed_thirteen wrote: The only problem with the design is that with a solid top cover it is very difficult too get the filter out

I also cut out the top to let me put it in and take it out easier, added extra foam for the seal under the top tool tray, a lot of trouble just to get a $100 filter to fit, cheers

Glad I didn't choose the K&N! The cheapest I saw on Ebay were$50 and I ended up getting a UNI which was half the price. Another reusable kind that you oil and just wash with dish soap to clean. Now I hope it fits! Happy Father's Day everyone!