Effect of Removing Air Filter on Small-Capacity Petrol Engine (1.3l) Performance

Hello
recently a discussion about the air filter in the car has flared up between friends. Some say that driving without a filter will improve the engine's operation?! and it certainly won't hurt. The rest, on the other hand, say that driving without an engine air filter can lead to the usual seizure of the drive unit, and at most some damage..
What does it actually look like from the practical side.. have you had to deal with any failures due to the lack of a filter?

Regards

I will only add that it was exactly a small-capacity petrol engine (1.3 l)

The filter is to clean the air of dust
"dusty" air will not seize the engine, only its faster wear (it's like adding, for example, diamond dust to oil) and extreme cases (sand and water in large amounts) are rather rare, but also the amount of sucked sand depends on the location of the filter inlet water, if it is already sucked, will also pass through a traditional paper filter, although with a lot of resistance, which seems to argue for the filter to be there (it always delays the moment of disaster a bit)

for sure, working without a filter for the engine does not help, as you know, it also works without it . I saw an engine that drove about 10,000 km without an air filter. you could put a screwdriver between the cylinder and the piston by smearing yourself with this sand. and the combustion of such a unit (opel 1.6) was about 17 gas and over a liter of oil per 100.

Anyone who has ever replaced the air filter by hand probably knows what it is for ... and what thanks to it does not get into the engine compartment ... NO COMMENT.

[quote="student_] Some say that driving without a filter will improve the engine's work ?! And it certainly won't do any damage.[/quote]Then ask them if they saw how much dirt is on the filter cartridge after a year of driving? And ask if they know what what happens if these contaminants get into the engine and in combination with the oil lubricating the cylinder surface they make an abrasive paste, then they will answer for themselves whether it does any damage and does not affect the durability of the mechanisms.
What will improve the efficiency of the engine, I will answer that it will improve, but at the expense of its durability. Each filter puts some resistance and its elimination will reduce the resistance of air intake needed for fuel combustion. Hence, more oxygen means better combustion = more power. Such methods are used only in competitive sports, e.g. karting and track racing, where performance is more important than durability (does not apply to cross and dusty rallies). I'm talking about naturally aspirated engines, i.e. without supercharging,

In small snow blowers, for home use, no air filter is installed at all. It may freeze.
The fact is that winter is a period when there is less dust in the air. However, these engines are the exception.

in engines for motor boats there is also only a mesh or a thin sponge and in modern ones they install conical filters you probably know why hahaha well but there is rather a lot of dust on the water and probably that's why the paper filter is not needed

hello, you can use filters that, on the principle of a cyclone (centrifugal force), reject heavy fractions of impurities into the tank, it is obvious that any purification systems do not improve the filling of the engine with the mixture, but you can support this process by, for example, turbines that pump already cleaned air according to some manufacturers of filters 5-10 microns and larger impurities are to be retained in the filter, it is obvious that this affects the life of the engine about 10 times, I saw heavy engines working in Iraq, the filters were the size of a 200-liter barrel and the interior was polished by sand dust, there were also cars cleaned of paint after a sandstorm , colleagues are right that the operating conditions are decisive, but in utility cars the durability of the engine structure is of primary importance and without filters, unfortunately, the durability of such a structure will not be achieved, best regards

and what about sports filters because in my opinion they stop at most stones and leaves. what is your opinion on this??

As with everything in a performance-oriented sports car - engine to be replaced after one season or race - depends on the class of racing and the wealth of the owner and sponsor...

Hello and welcome. In ancient times, when I brought a western car and parts could only be bought in the west, I used to drive with a filter made of stockings. Unfortunately, I had to change often, but the car smoked less. Of course, I used this half-measure only as an emergency until the delivery of a new filter cartridge.

WITEK1952 wrote:

Of course, I used this half-measure only as an emergency until the delivery of a new filter cartridge.

It's not a half measure, it's not a middle measure. The stocking can filter the paint but not filter the air into the engine.

bruns wrote:

WITEK1952 wrote:

Of course, I used this half-measure only as an emergency until the delivery of a new filter cartridge.

It's not a half-measure, it's not a middle-of-the-road. The stocking can filter the paint but not filter the air into the engine.

You're right, but then I had no choice. It didn't last long, but as I wrote, it smoked less.

I wonder why companies producing filters strive to obtain a good filtration coefficient and at the same time the smallest flow resistance?
When the engine is new, or after capital, it is better not to put an air filter on it (you can also without oil) and then it will reach you faster (valves, especially suction valves, cylinders, pistons and rings).
It's best to drive onto a dirt road (in summer, after a few days of nice, sunny weather) and let your buddy go ahead to make a fuss with some gas.
The engine will feel in the 7th heaven, it will be on full inspiration ..
And what a "kick" he will have later.
A buddy with a gauze pad will come in handy then.
Why make graphs of the consumption of individual elements depending on hundreds of thousands. km (for X years) - you can do it in 1 day!

If you could go without it, it wouldn't exist...

Did you get on or what? I wrote clearly that I was not going to buy a cartridge in Poland and before it arrived, as I had to drive, I was scheming. I never said it should be done that way.

I didn't bother at all. I just wrote what I think about trying to drive without a filter without any reason causing these attempts (e.g. signs of general engine weakness or the inability to buy a matching one - you have to save yourself just like YOU).
In the Opel Astra (gas. 93), if I took it out, I would first have to thoroughly vacuum and clean the lower part of the housing, where grains of sand, dirt, dust, etc., reflected from the filter, collect. That is, what is not stuck in the filter itself. If I hadn't done it and gassed it, I could immediately look for an engine, e.g. on Allegro.
I just expressed what I think about driving without a filter - which is the topic of the post.
Healthy, peaceful and merry Christmas