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      10-14-2018, 12:50 AM   #1
j1980mac
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New high-flow drop-in air filter for the M40i

Has anyone seen these air filters before? Looks like it could have a ton more flow over stock, and maybe even over the K&N.

It's cross referenced with the OE filter: 13718691835, as K&N's: 33-3079 filter fits perfectly.


http://www.armaspeed.com/arma-cs57-a...nt-air-filter/


Last edited by j1980mac; 10-14-2018 at 10:35 AM..
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      10-14-2018, 11:18 AM   #2
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I have only had my car for a month this 22nd, but have always used cleanable filters on everything. Last car was a Mini and used the aFe dry cleanable and I rate them high. On my truck, (I had the K&N, and it was good. But even though I was very careful when re-oiling it, I still got oil on my turbo blades which could through it off balance if too much.)

Having problems finding non stock filters for my X3 and have run across this one before. Only place in the USA for get it, per their web sight, is in Chino California. But this is an outlet and not the manufacture. Figure I'd stop by when I go there visiting my grandkids next year.

One thing I noticed, it's only warranted for 20 kilometers or 'bout 12k. And nothing in the pricing found yet.

Want to tag on to this if more info come up, something to consider when filter is needed.
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      10-14-2018, 12:04 PM   #3
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Thank you for your insights. I had no idea that oil based filters could hurt turbos. First time I've heard.

I reached out to Arma, and here's what they said:


Me: Can you tell me more about it? Any specs? Is it better or the about the same as the K&N replacement?

Them: Unlike the KN filters which have the metal netting holding the filter in place, Arma filters use an aluminum alloy frame to hold the filtration foam in place. This results in less air flow blockage and restriction into your engine. Also, Arma's filter design is a 3-dimensional filter instead of a flat panel design like KN, so there is more surface area for the filtration system. Let me know if you have other questions. Thanks

The replacement filter is available for purchase, however, it is a special order item that will be shipped directly from Arma Speed's factory. MSRP on the filter is $65 + $10 shipping. If you can give me your shipping zip code, I can get you an accurate shipping time.
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      10-14-2018, 12:43 PM   #4
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It's not that they will, but they can affect the vehicle. It says to apply the oil sparingly, and I did, but after time with the vacuum side pulling on the filter, slowly pulled some oil down the turbo air inlet tube, collecting on the turbo blades. Over time, I noticed this was slowly building up. I do not have any expert documentation to back this, but when the oil collects on one side of the blades more than the other blades, it should/will cause the blades to be off balance and vibrate. In time, the shaft bearing for the turbo blades will offset and destroy the turbo.

I personally only know of one vehicle that had this happen to, and he is my friend. The mechanic he went to showed him the turbo and all the damage it did when it let loose. (How many revs does your turbo spin per minute ?) My friend and I have thrown out our oiled filters and will not buy another.

Many prefer the oil filters, and that's fine. Everyone has a right for their preferences. And .. I have mine.
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      10-14-2018, 12:58 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AnOldBiker View Post
It's not that they will, but they can affect the vehicle. It says to apply the oil sparingly, and I did, but after time with the vacuum side pulling on the filter, slowly pulled some oil down the turbo air inlet tube, collecting on the turbo blades. Over time, I noticed this was slowly building up. I do not have any expert documentation to back this, but when the oil collects on one side of the blades more than the other blades, it should/will cause the blades to be off balance and vibrate. In time, the shaft bearing for the turbo blades will offset and destroy the turbo.

I personally only know of one vehicle that had this happen to, and he is my friend. The mechanic he went to showed him the turbo and all the damage it did when it let loose. (How many revs does your turbo spin per minute ?) My friend and I have thrown out our oiled filters and will not buy another.

Many prefer the oil filters, and that's fine. Everyone has a right for their preferences. And .. I have mine.
These seem like really valid points. I can easily imagine how a turbo could/would self-destruct.

I've never added oil to a K&N. I understand that they are pre-oiled. I don't live in an extremely dusty environment, although that probably doesn't make my vehicle immune to intake pollutants/particles.
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      10-14-2018, 04:45 PM   #6
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K&N comes pre-oiled. I have an old Dodge with the Cummins turbo engine. I had a K&N filter from the box and 20k on the clock. After seeing what happened to my friends truck, I pulled the turbo intake to take a look. There was a few oil drops on the blades and a few slight smears inside the intake tube. I was amazed since it was oiled by K&N only. That's when I decided to change filters.

Now I know others that have the K&N and like them, but after I told them of my friend Rons problem, they pull, check and clean if and when needed. This is a brand new car for me and I want no problems.
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      10-14-2018, 04:58 PM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by j1980mac View Post
Thank you for your insights. I had no idea that oil based filters could hurt turbos. First time I've heard.

I reached out to Arma, and here's what they said:


Me: Can you tell me more about it? Any specs? Is it better or the about the same as the K&N replacement?

Them: Unlike the KN filters which have the metal netting holding the filter in place, Arma filters use an aluminum alloy frame to hold the filtration foam in place. This results in less air flow blockage and restriction into your engine. Also, Arma's filter design is a 3-dimensional filter instead of a flat panel design like KN, so there is more surface area for the filtration system. Let me know if you have other questions. Thanks

The replacement filter is available for purchase, however, it is a special order item that will be shipped directly from Arma Speed's factory. MSRP on the filter is $65 + $10 shipping. If you can give me your shipping zip code, I can get you an accurate shipping time.

Did Arma provide any flow specs at all? I have a BMS intake (oiled) but this looks promising to possibly not do any damage or require any type of oil maintenance.
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      10-14-2018, 05:49 PM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by j1980mac View Post
Thank you for your insights. I had no idea that oil based filters could hurt turbos. First time I've heard.

I reached out to Arma, and here's what they said:


Me: Can you tell me more about it? Any specs? Is it better or the about the same as the K&N replacement?

Them: Unlike the KN filters which have the metal netting holding the filter in place, Arma filters use an aluminum alloy frame to hold the filtration foam in place. This results in less air flow blockage and restriction into your engine. Also, Arma's filter design is a 3-dimensional filter instead of a flat panel design like KN, so there is more surface area for the filtration system. Let me know if you have other questions. Thanks

The replacement filter is available for purchase, however, it is a special order item that will be shipped directly from Arma Speed's factory. MSRP on the filter is $65 + $10 shipping. If you can give me your shipping zip code, I can get you an accurate shipping time.


Sorry, but I just noticed something in the last statement you published from Arma. Foam ??? All the other aftermarket filters I bought was cotton material. Will this foam, as they mentioned, not dry out and fall apart over time, being sucked in to the turbo ?
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      10-14-2018, 06:13 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AnOldBiker View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by j1980mac View Post
Thank you for your insights. I had no idea that oil based filters could hurt turbos. First time I've heard.

I reached out to Arma, and here's what they said:


Me: Can you tell me more about it? Any specs? Is it better or the about the same as the K&N replacement?

Them: Unlike the KN filters which have the metal netting holding the filter in place, Arma filters use an aluminum alloy frame to hold the filtration foam in place. This results in less air flow blockage and restriction into your engine. Also, Arma's filter design is a 3-dimensional filter instead of a flat panel design like KN, so there is more surface area for the filtration system. Let me know if you have other questions. Thanks

The replacement filter is available for purchase, however, it is a special order item that will be shipped directly from Arma Speed's factory. MSRP on the filter is $65 + $10 shipping. If you can give me your shipping zip code, I can get you an accurate shipping time.


Sorry, but I just noticed something in the last statement you published from Arma. Foam ??? All the other aftermarket filters I bought was cotton material. Will this foam, as they mentioned, not dry out and fall apart over time, being sucked in to the turbo ?
I don't have a clue. I'm still waiting for more info from them. I asked them for a video showcasing their product.

Feel free to send them a message via their contact form and let us know what they tell you.
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      10-15-2018, 02:50 PM   #10
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Generally speaking foam filters will flow more air compared to pleated cotton filters (depending on who makes them). Look into reviews such as UNI, ITG, Pipercross, etc. Almost, all dirt bikes, sport bikes, etc. come with foam filters for extreme conditions. ARMA is known to be a good brand as well (they might use one of the above MFG to make their filters - it's pretty common).

If you are looking for a filter with a bit more surface area and better quality than K&N look into BMC. I ran one on my 340i and it worked very well. They have better pleating, better fit and gasket material, and slightly more surface area. I had thought 340i filters fit X3 M40i too...if so you can buy the BMC filter right from ECS Tuning.
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      10-15-2018, 03:59 PM   #11
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I've ran dirt bikes in the past and know of the foam filters, and they were good. But they didn't last long. After a couple years I had to buy new. Also many were oiled. At some of the prices charged for after market filters, this will cost way more than stock paper filters in the long run.
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      10-15-2018, 04:31 PM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AnOldBiker View Post
I've ran dirt bikes in the past and know of the foam filters, and they were good. But they didn't last long. After a couple years I had to buy new. Also many were oiled. At some of the prices charged for after market filters, this will cost way more than stock paper filters in the long run.
I suspect they fell apart partly from the abuse, heat, and frequent cleaning you had to do, especially on a dirt bike. On my KTM EXC I'm cleaning them 2x a month depending on how many times I ride each month. The solvents that clean the tacky filter oil off has been known to eat these filters, even some say gasoline isn't the best to use. On a car you might clean it once a year.

With an enclosed intake system it's not seeing near the abuse nor heat a dirt bike does. I can't see them wearing out on a car unless they are poorly made. For reference I ran an ARC airbox (UNI filters - open element) on my Evo IX for about 6yrs running multiple track events and 30+ lbs of boost so it got it's fair share of heat being about 12in from the turbo and they were fine the day I sold it.
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      10-16-2018, 11:32 AM   #13
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So they sent me this basic video review (which isn't for our cars), but gives an idea of what it looks like, how it works, etc.



MSRP on the filter is $65 + $10 shipping.
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      10-16-2018, 11:36 AM   #14
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I also found this for a B58 (340i) F30 which very well may fit our cars:

http://www.armaspeed.com/carbon-fibe...takes-for-bmw/



Not sure if this is WHP/WTQ?
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      10-16-2018, 12:02 PM   #15
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28hp from an intake seems questionable, N55s get almost nothing from intakes. Hard to imagine the B58 system is that restricted.
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      10-16-2018, 12:34 PM   #16
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Quote:
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28hp from an intake seems questionable, N55s get almost nothing from intakes. Hard to imagine the B58 system is that restricted.
Gosh you read my mind! I think the torque is more unbelievable though.
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      10-16-2018, 07:30 PM   #17
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I don't believe those numbers for a second. And on the topic of high-flow air filters, unless you're coding the ECU map to do something with the increased airflow, that won't help much either. In general, the stock air filter already flows more than the engine is setup to breathe, with a margin to account for clogging and blockage due to contamination.

The main benefit to reusable filters would be potentially better filtration and the ability to clean/reuse them. But I really question whether there's a tangible benefit to the engine, or financial gain over a standard disposable filter. I have always looked at these products as a bit of snake oil. In some cases they can even cause harm.
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      10-16-2018, 08:14 PM   #18
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I have an old '06 Dodge with a 5.9 Cummins in it. I need to be careful with even the air filter since an engine can cost one heck of a lot to rebuild.

I travel each year to the west coast to see my grandkids and we put on close to 5K each trip, plus what other travels we go on. I always leave with a clean filter and a spare, lots of trash at time in the air through Texas and Oklahoma when the plow.

I had the truck a few years and found and bought an aFe dry filter when they more or less first came out. Still had the spare in the back. When the filter got sort of dirty, when we stopped for the night, I washed it, shook it out, let it dry over night and put it in the next morning. After doing this a couple times, I threw out the spare stock filter.

Never had a trace of dirt or debris in the box, after the filter, tube or on the turbo blades. Always had plenty of air and still have the same aFe dry filter in the air box. At this rate, I'll have it until I get rid of the truck ...

I highly recommend them. AND I want one for my BMW now.
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      07-17-2019, 07:42 PM   #19
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I pulled the trigger on this filter to replace my K&N.

https://www.armaspeed.com/product/ar...nt-air-filter/

Anyone else have experiences with ARMA?
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      07-17-2019, 10:01 PM   #20
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Quote:
Originally Posted by j1980mac View Post
I pulled the trigger on this filter to replace my K&N.

https://www.armaspeed.com/product/ar...nt-air-filter/

Anyone else have experiences with ARMA?

Can you do same day draggy pulls like 30-80 or 0-60?
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      07-17-2019, 10:49 PM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GT500R View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by j1980mac View Post
I pulled the trigger on this filter to replace my K&N.

https://www.armaspeed.com/product/ar...nt-air-filter/

Anyone else have experiences with ARMA?

Can you do same day draggy pulls like 30-80 or 0-60?
I don't have a Draggy
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      07-18-2019, 12:19 AM   #22
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I use aFE dry pro before, love them.
I still waiting for it available for G01.

just don't want to use anything that use oil.
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