AFE dry filter drop in. WARNING!

I’m sure this has been covered many times.

I’ve been using a drop in filter from AFE (dry) in my stock airbox for quite sometime. Well today I pulled it out to check on it and noticed that the airbox has a find layer dust inside of the lid/upper filtered area that leads to the maf/throttle body and so on...

I live in Florida where dust is average to maybe below average , due to the rain. Yes, I know K&n and other filters flow good but filtration is usually sacrificed. I didn’t think in this case that it would really make a huge difference with a sealed factory box. Well I had dust all over my finger! Went immediately to NAPA and got a Denso paper filter. Hell with aftermarket filters!

This for all of you who want to get a cleanable filter. Don’t do it.

 

Stick with stock.

 

Yup. Got rid of K&N and other aftermarket filters years and years ago. I only use OEM or Napa Gold (Wix).

 

I will agree with you 100%. When my motor was torn down to do the head gaskets. My mechanic followed the dust and dirt that the AFE let through. I went back to the OEM filter.

 

Yup. OVtune (Mat) said there was no significant difference during dyno pulls between stock filter and no filter.

Edit: ... oh and better filtration with stock lol

 

^^^

Stock is better filtration with about the same airflow

 

Many times, the rubber seals of aftermarket filters (dimensions) aren't as exact as OEM and that is where a lot of the bypass dirt comes from. I stopped using aftermarket filters 30 years ago. I am constantly amused at the marketing claims of aftermarket filters.

 

When ya say stock, we talking stock stock or could I get the trd one if I wanna scratch an itch and dgaf about throwing $$$ away

 

The thread was deleted after it got nasty, but the only “blown” 3.5L we’ve had here was from a guy running an AFE filter. Toyota denied his warranty because he dusted his engine. Really risky running one of those filters for no benefit.

 

Never had any problem with mine. I also live in Florida. But I clean it about every 3 months.

Ill have to give it a good look again.

 

Risk > reward.
Stock filters are amazingly efficient in both filtering and flow. There's virtually no gains when switching to an aftermarket filter but the risk of damage is very real with long term use.

 

What's the stock filter? I just bought a fram from rockauto. Looks exactly like the one installed on the truck. Should I be concerned?

 

I'd say if it is a Toyota product, go ahead and throw that $$$ away, lol. Your filter should be OK and you will feel better about being light in the wallet.

 

OEM Toyota paper filter has 3 layers of media and is made in the USA. All other paper filters are Chinese or South of the borde r made not to Toyota specs

 

If it isn’t in a Toyota stamped box, it isn’t an OEM part.

 

I have an afe pg7 large cone filter on an afe intake on my 7.3 and there is no dust in the intake at all. Everything else I have just gets a stock filter. The only reason I changed the intake on the Ford is because the factory design let in dust.

 

And I've handled enough filters that I'd suggest OEM filters for everything. Though I'll cheap out on cabin air filters.

 

It's usually a red box with Toyota logos and Lexus logos all over it.

The stock filter for the Tacoma is a a bit unconventional. It's like, white cotton. It's not paper like other ones. Whatever it is, it does a really good job. I cruise a lot of gravel and dusty days, and I change at least once a year. Always stock Tacoma parts, nothing else.

Sorry you had to learn the hard way. Thanks for the PSA.

 

I have the AFE cold air intake for my second gen, and noticed the same thing after some offroading in the desert. When I emailed AFE they told me I was cleaning my filter too often (every ~10k miles) and that when the filter gets dirty it filters better. I ended up throwing the afe filter away and finding a donaldson that would fit onto my cold air intake.

Stick with oem when possible for best filtration.


Also I am pretty sure one guy with a 3rd gen had his engine warranty claim denied because he had an afe filter also.

 

At least I can always do the exhaust

/Thread about risks of aftermarket exhausts appear next