6637 not flowing enough?

I had an AFE Big Boost on my 01, and within 3000km I found a nice bit of dirt in the intake tube after the filter. I'm not blaming the filter for sure because it had worn through on one of the speednuts left over from the factory airbox. I didn't look like it was leaking much air through the damaged part but it was hard to tell. Anyhow I cleaned the intake tube and put a 6637 filter from Napa. I immediatly noticed slower throttle response and a bit more smoke. Mind you it wasn't a huge difference but it was still there. What out there flows better but still protects? I drive alot of dusty gravel roads so I need the protection. Maybe a dual 6637 setup? Any suggestions welcome. :shrug:

Afe stage 2 kit possibly. I personally am not a fan of the 6637 intake. I just done like the idea of a paper filter protecting my engine. I'll be switching to an afe system soon.

AFE stage II with a proguard 7 filter and outerwear.

Paper filters have proven to filter very well, that is why they are used so
much. Oil/gauze flow well but are not as good in the filtering department.

If there was room for double 6637s i would have done it allready... i have double amsoil filters that work very well... but there a pita cuz you have to blow them out every 3-5k miles with only 20psi of air... its a dry filter too...

Its likely the dust came thru the air gap unless you did not properly oil the Big boost. With oil you would not be seeing visible dirt. Also think just how dirty the outside of the filter would have to be. The filter is not different then all the other 5r filters out there as they all use the exact same media. But I will say if you drive in very dusty conditions, off road etc much of the time I would be getting Donaldson Brand specifically version of the 6637.

The air flow works on these large cylindrical filters in a way where most of the air flow is in the lower portion of the filter near the outlet. Only as vacuum builds more and more does more and more of the filter media area get used as the vacuum column increases in height. With the shorter conical filters with larger outlets they tend to use all the media more evenly so as air flow increases vacuum will spike up.

A Big Boost, 6637, Donaldson with 5 or 6" inlets would be better. That with using a intake tube with the dimensions and shape of the aFe tube as it increases air velocity and offers faster spool up IMO.

A dual Donaldson filter has been done but removing the drivers battery is required. Big Donaldson will flow enough for just about anyones need's.

You will never see any big rig or off road equipt not using a Donaldson or equivalent filter as they work..and these rigs opperate in conditions that would clog a wet filter quickly.

Just a FYI:

Tymar supplied the intake systems for Granite Construction and used them as a severe duty use test. They were rebuilding Power Stroke engines at approximately 60K miles because of the fine silt in the mining beds. After changing to a Tymar system they were using the same filters with 28K mile change out intervals and only experiencing 32”h2o of restriction (yellow on your stock restriction gauges) and they eliminated the necessity of engine rebuilds and were selling the used trucks with over 180K miles on them.

TARM - Why do you say the Donaldson version of the 6637?

Sam

genie144 said:

TARM - Why do you say the Donaldson version of the 6637?

Sam

Click to expand...

6637 is the generic part number for the filter that cross refrences to a few different brands. Supposedly donaldson's are the highest quality and filter/flow the best

I just swapped the 6637 for an AFE big boost. Much more airflow with the big boost, but no clue at what power level it will make a difference

cfdeng7 said:

6637 is the generic part number for the filter that cross refrences to a few different brands. Supposedly donaldson's are the highest quality and filter/flow the best

Click to expand...

Donaldson supplies all the parts stores with the filters now. Go to Napa and open up a 6637 box, you'll pull the exact same filter out if you have a Donaldson box.

The filters manf for different names can change all the time. They will go with whomever can give the best contract deal. O)bviously NAPA does not make filters but I have seen everything from WIX, Donaldson, Champion used. Same with CarQuest I actually got one with a Donaldson sticker on it.

cfdeng7 said:

6637 is the generic part number for the filter that cross refrences to a few different brands. Supposedly donaldson's are the highest quality and filter/flow the best

Click to expand...

Thank you - that is good info (I already knew but others may not). What I am specifically getting at is TARM's statement of "I would be getting Donaldson Brand specifically version of the 6637."

So TARM - is there a reason you say a donaldson? over a wix (or any other brand)? I have heard the BS about donaldson filtering better - but no one has ever had any proof. I know a differentiation between Donaldson and Wix is supposedly the Donaldson filter media is better at absorbing water...

If anyone has actual data regarding a preference between Donaldson and any other paper filter - I would LOVE to see it.

Sam

I just drove the truck for the first time with the new filter, if you can afford it definitely skip the 6637 and just get an AFE big boost. Its a one time cost basically and it feels and sounds so much better

I bought my 6637 at NAPA, had Donaldson sticker on it in the box. Figured it must be the exact same thing...

The 6637 is a paper (read higher efficiency) filter so it is more restrictive than cotton gauze.

Modified (hell even darn near stock) these engines need all of the unrestricted air flow that they can get. As far as I'm concerned 2 filters is the only way to accomplish that.

I wedged some huge freeflowing air filters on to my truck and all of them maxed out my restriction gauge by about 1/2 throttle. Going to 2 filters made a tremendous improvement in response, smoke, boost, power, etc...

Also, I drive dusty roads and parking lots every time I take my truck out and my last oil analysis w/ the twin filter set ups had my silicone at like 3. Extremely low. And I haven't even cleaned those filters in years, they are completely black w/ dirt. But I have no restriction or silicone so I'm not changing a thing.

When you greatly reduce the restriction as I have you also greatly reduce the suction acting to pull dirt into your intake. For instance I sell Kenworths and I noticed years ago that if a single 15" air cleaner will last say 10K miles before swapping, dual filters will last maybe 80K miles, not just 2x like you would suspect. It's because of way less suction force at any one time.

The Donaldson Tymar uses is not only a larger filter overall, but the thinner media allows for 202 pleats, leaving us over 5 times the surface area to pull from. This is why it can outflow and out filter a re-usable element as long as minimum radial clearance is maintained.

Bean tested a Filthy Tymar intake on the dyno..made over 400HP, then removed it and it made the same HP..

So for the vast 99.99% of the 7.3's on the road 1 Donaldson is plenty.

The WIX/NAPA 6637 is not a hydrophobic (water resistant) element and using it as an open element should be avoided.

OBSWIZ said:

The Donaldson Tymar uses is not only a larger filter overall, but the thinner media allows for 202 pleats, leaving us over 5 times the surface area to pull from. This is why it can outflow and out filter a re-usable element as long as minimum radial clearance is maintained.

Bean tested a Filthy Tymar intake on the dyno..made over 400HP, then removed it and it made the same HP..

So for the vast 99.99% of the 7.3's on the road 1 Donaldson is plenty.

The WIX/NAPA 6637 is not a hydrophobic (water resistant) element and using it as an open element should be avoided.

Click to expand...

:whs:

OBSWIZ said:

The WIX/NAPA 6637 is not a hydrophobic (water resistant) element and using it as an open element should be avoided.

Click to expand...

What about using a 'filter cover' with it? :shrug:

IMO they are only for looks or maybe at times where you are gonna be in a super dusty area where you also do not need max air flow.

Consider the total surface area of all those pleats in a filters media. Now compare that to just a single flat surface of a cover. It cuts the surface or area where air can flow thru by at least 75% 3x's less area. That is area that will clog that much faster and flow that much less. If its so porous to not effect air flow then its doing little to help filter anything but the largest particles and would still tend to clog much faster. Again they are mainly for looks and IMO hurt air flow significantly.

Its actually rather amusing to see all the fighting trying to get a filter that flows the best. Fighting for the smallest increases over another filter in flow only to turn around and throw a cover over it. LOL But it does allow companies to get a bunch of free advertising. Some even charge more for allowing you the chance to advertise for them for free. They actually charge more for covers with their name and logo on it compared to blank. Now that's is amusing.