FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions - Pipercross Air Filters

1) Are Pipercross filters the "dry" type or do they use oil?

They use a kind of oil. Each filter kit comes ready for use, pre-treated with special low viscosity dirt-retention additive from Pipercross.

2) How often should I clean or replace my Pipercross air filter?

Pipercross filters can be cleaned and re-conditioned, and therefore have a very long life. Replacement should be considered only in exceptional cases. For regular road use filters should be serviced every 15-20.000 Km, in case of frequent off road use we recommend at least a monthly check or a service before every race in case of rally. The Filter Cleaning Kit contains all you need to clean and re-oil your Pipercross filter. Both the cleaner and dirt-retention additive are supplied in convenient spray dispensers so that servicing is quick and easy and can be purchased from Ricambi Tuning.

3) What is the filter element made of? How does it compare to paper or cotton filters?

At the heart of the unique Pipercross air filter is a specially developed polyurethane foam which acts as the filtration medium, having both higher performance and life expectancy than paper.

Pipercross reticulated foam is created by a chemical reaction, it is then placed in a gas filled combustion chamber where a controlled explosion burns away any complete cell walls in the material to form a skeletal cellular structure which is strictly quality controlled. This process, which is specified by Pipercross ensures that the foam consists of tiny open cells which trap contaminants.

The cell size of the foam, its porosity, is measured in Pores Per Inch (PPI). Pipercross air filters use up to six layers of foam with varying porosity descending in pore size in the direction of air flow. The Pipercross filters long life span is due to the dirt storage capacity of the foam cells and the filters construction which means no air passage is blocked until all the cells in a layer of foam are completely filled.

This feature is not available with paper or cotton filters because they are made using mechanical techniques, this means that given an equal degree of filtering a Pipercross product provides higher airflow, and engine performance improves.

4) I have read that Formula 1 cars use another brand of filters made of cotton. Does this mean they are better than Pipercross filters?

Not really. Pipercross supplies filtration to customers in every major motorsports competition since 25 years. Formula 1 competition filters use a wide mesh that lets through a very large quantity of air and traps only the larger impurity particles which could damage the injectors or pistons during the race. Finer dusts are not filtered, since these engines are taken apart completely and serviced after each race.

The "used in Formula 1" claim does not translate into benefits for regular road or sport use. Here it is important to ensure that the air supply is always in peak conditions. If you require very clean air together with performance airflow the right choice is Pipercross.