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Question: 1986 300SDL 196,000miles. K&H filters. Can anyone tell me why not install one? All I have seenin the posting is do not do it. Lets put aside costs of filter, filter box, Oil from filter and other such items. Give me some GOOD sound mechanical reasons not to do.
Thank you,
Ron Ragno

Ok do a few 0-60 runs with a stock dirty filter and a new stock filter. Then slap on the K&N I bet the times will not change a bit. The turbo will be louder though. Also to flow more air the also let in more dirt, so you will be sucking more dirt into your engine. So will gain nothing and get a little more dirt sucked in with a little more noise. Don't waste your money.

I fully agree with the previous post.
All you'll get is increased intake noise, and some perceive this as being more power.
More dirt in the engine (less filtering properties with the K&N) is an assured result.
A few cases of beer will do you more good for the same price. :)

Turbodiesel engines run with an excess of air already. I.e. the stock intake and exhaust systems run more air through the engine than it can use---power is determined solely by the amount of fuel injected. It's not like a gas car where you can open up the intake, slap on a less restrictive exhaust, and thereby gain a few horsepower while keeping the air/fuel mixture constant. From a gas engine point of view, diesels already run lean---so more air does nothing.

And if you had read the posts regarding why not to do it, allowing more dirt in the intake contaminates the hot air film in the mass air sensor, thus shortening its life. Don't know if yours was so equipped or not...

At idle on my '83 TD, I can feel the air being drawn in at the opening for the air intake. Diesel suck in alot of air as is. As mentioned getting more air isn't the issue, it's the fuel. Correct me if I am wrong, but your car has the same 603 engine that is in my wife's '87 TD. If that is the case, you have a mechanically injected engine. Unless you want to take apart the pump and mess with it's calibration, you're not going to get any increase in performance. My wife's car hauls ***. I don't see any reason to mess with it.

I just like them because they seem to be more environmentaly friendly. The less I put in the trash the better I feel.

They are just expensive junk. They do as much filteing as no filter at all. Save yourself the money and just remove your filter all together.