Great news, we received the first small batch of the generation two BMS filter!
K&N and I studied the flange issue and found two factors that contributed to it. The first was installing the filter with stress on the flanges, which over time stretches the material and can lead to a tear. The second was variation in the flange material, e.g. a defect, on those affected filters.
Most customers (98%) did not experience any issues and have nothing to worry about. The defective filters fail within a few days, and I have contacted everyone who I think had one. So if your filter is currently fine and you have not heard from me, you are good to go. But the stress on the flange issue is something we will be battling for a time with the generation one filters, be sure to follow our guidelines and loosen / retighten the filter side clamps to let any stress out. And don't overtighten them!
Anyway to resolve these issues we upgraded to heavy duty flanges, which are now virtually indestructible even if loaded over long periods of time. These are the same flanges K&N uses in applications where the filter is being mounted directly to a red hot turbo housing. In addition we have developed a flange test to ensure no defective flanges leave here.
Other good news. Since we had to retool anyway, I was able to sneak an extra 1/2"+ of filter material in, resulting around 5% more surface area than our first generation filter.
Attached is an iphone photo of the original filter on the left, and the new filter on the right. Notice the new filter is taller, and you can't see it in the picture but the flanges themselves are different and much harder.
So far we have had 6 reports of a ripped flange (out of around 250 filters sold) and those customers have new filters on the way. If you have a ripped flange and have not heard from us, email me at
terenceburger@gmail.com and we will get you taken care of.
I have also had inquiries from people who want the new filter "just to be safe", or for the extra surface area. My primary objective is always to take care of our customer base, but at the same time all the filters in the field are safe for use if installed without loading stress in to the flanges. Something we have emphasized in our install guide.
So I will come up with an extremely fair upgrade program. My first thought is you return your first gen filter with a check for $30 to cover shipping and part of our expense, and we ship you a second gen filter.
Right now I am focused on getting these in stock in quantity and will post more details as soon as I get them. But expect some delays since we need to retool.
