Owners manual

Rev - 1
AIR FILTER TEST DOCUMENT
Proper air filter design will accomplish high filtration without overly impeding air flow or engine
performance through restriction. Air encounters resistance as it passes through the air filter
commonly described as restriction. Air filter restriction is the result of air filter design decisions
and the materials used as a filtering medium. Less restriction means more air passing through
the filter at any given time increasing engine performance.
ABSOLUTE AIRFLOW TEST PROTOCOL
In order to evaluate the restriction of an air filter alone, we perform an absolute air flow test.
This test performed on a Superflow SF1020 Flow Bench is to determine how much air will flow
through the air filter under a constant pressure per square inch. This constant pressure we use is
the amount required to lift a volume of water 1½ inches. This absolute test procedure is useful
for understanding the impact of design decisions on air flow while eliminating or holding all
other variables constant. Results can vary due to subtle differences between production air
filters.
ISO 5011 FILTRATION TEST PROTOCOL
This test protocol is a methodology used by engineers to evaluate the impact of design decisions
on 1) filtration efficiency, 2) air flow restriction during dust loading and 3) overall dust holding
capacity. This test protocol allows for the selection of many variables such as air flow rate, dust
feed rate, test duration and test fixture. Therefore no two ISO 5011 test results are comparable
unless all such variables are the same. Keep in mind, this test protocol was not developed or
intended to identify how an air filter will perform in a vehicle during operation. We publish
these tests solely to help consumers see the result of the air filter design choices we have made
using this test protocol with disclosed test conditions.
Efficiency – Measures the percentage of test dust retained by the air filter in a
laboratory environment following the ISO 5011 protocol.
Capacity - Measures the total amount of test dust retained by the air filter when the test
has reached a user selected level of terminal restriction. Typically the terminal restriction
approximates the restriction at which an air filter should be cleaned or replaced.
Restriction – Measures the change in air filter restriction during the test as dust loads
on the air filter. Restriction is measured by the pressure differential before and after air
has flowed through the filter expressed in inches of water.