M119 aFe Pro DRY S Performance Drop-In Air Filter

[Lynch]

Hello,

I've gotten in contact with aFe in regards to their M119 product offerings:
I saw that they had a "performance" air filter for our engine, but only had the Pro 5R model, which is an oiled filter.

Traditionally, aFe have always had two drop-in options (well, three if you count the "off-road" one), one that is oiled (Pro 5R), and another that is dry (Pro DRY S).

In my observation, many enthusiasts have no idea which air filter option is the best, and there is a lot of misinformation on various forums, not specific to any car model.

Like anything without extensive test results, there are mixed opinions on the topic and people that will swear on it, as well as people that will swear against it.

My own informed conclusion from reading is as follows:

1. OEM paper air filters filter well, are the safest option, and are easy to R&R at the specified service intervals - just have to throw away the old one.
2. Oiled aftermarket performance air filters (K&N makes the most I believe, aFe makes them too) are bad news. It is more difficult to service/wash and re-oil the filter, often resulting in too much oil on the filter. Regardless of over-oiling the filter or not, there are plenty of examples of MAF sensors going bad (on various makes and models), due to the oil from these filters reaching it. I'm not a mechanic, so I don't know the specific reasons, and whether or not the M119 is affected by this, but I'd rather not risk oil entering the car from the intake. Pros are re-usability, but you'll have some people drop them in and forget about them.
3. DRY aftermarket performance air filters, the only risk I see in this is whether it filters as well as the OEM paper ones or not (letting in too much dirt/debris, harmful towards the engine) - I do not know. If it filters out dust/debris as well as the OEM paper ones, but allow a bit more airflow, I see it as a potentially better option than the OEM paper ones, as long as you don't mind having to service them by doing three things as per the factory recommendations (1. turning them upside down and tapping, 2. vacuuming it afterwards, 3. soaking it in light soap solution and letting dry after). This is the one I'm interested in, as I see potential in it.

With that all said: A performance air filter, or any air filter for that matter, should have a very trivial and almost insignificant effect on performance, but as enthusiasts, it's always intriguing and enjoyable to figure out what gives us that extra 1%. It's really important to remember this may be a subtle change, and might not be worth the costs at all for what improvements there may be.

To the point:
I've shot aFe an email a while back, and noticed that they added the Pro DRY S filter for our M119 engine to their shop! (Hurray!)
Disclaimer: I'm not affiliated, just another enthusiast that cares about our cars and wanted to share this with the community.

Here's a link for it:
http://afepower.com/afe-power-31-10125-magnum-flow-pro-dry-s-air-filter

The little marketing blurb they have:
"Constructed with 100% polyurethane on all four sides, this high flow "oil-free" OE replacement performance filter will outflow stock paper filter for improved horsepower and torque. Two layers of progressively finer mesh synthetic media provide maximum convenience and easy maintenance. Washable and reusable for multiple cleaning cycles, the tall open evenly spaced pleats provide excellent dust holding capacity for longer service cycle between cleanings. Integrated urethane bump seal insures tight, no leak seal over the life of the filter."

I would love to hear some thoughts on using these on our cars. Perhaps someone might have a strong opinion on using the factory paper filter, or have actual experiences with aFe's Pro DRY S filters.




-Kevin

 

[195910]

"oil Free" Filters do not provide the required filtration rate. They never state this information as it would put people off.

We have used a number of Sport filters on 55AMG and 63AMG applications and only BMC and JR offer the correct filtration rate.

Choose engine safety over convenience.

 

[lowman]

i would never use an oiled filter/sports filter on any car with air mass sensor,,as there is to many negatives on what can happen.
There is no power gain...only maybe abit more intake sound..but thats it(or actually not as it still is located in the standard air filter box

i always go standard OE air filters..they do what they are supposed to.

cheers

 

[195910]

Its not a magic solution, but helps on tuned cars especially turbo charged. On a standard 500E don't expect much.. I have been using them for years on many cars and never had a MAF problem.

 

[lowman]

i have SEEN it cause problems.but i guess it all comes down to both luck..and know how.if properly oiled..i guess it "wont" be as much of a problem as IF you do not oil it correctly.
But like you said..on a Turbo car...especially older one withouth maf...AND beeing able to use either a cone filter,and place it somewhere to get cool air...yes..thats another story.

 

[Raffaelli]

I've worked on countless turbo diesels with freight train amount of blow by.

Everything they have in common is a bro-dozer k&n or the like cold air intake that smoked the rings.

Use what you like, but the only thing I would use an aftermarket air filter on is a dirt bike (that would be cleaned every couple days of use). Mercedes has always spent a lot of time and money on the air filter setups on all their cars. 100+ years of experience. If there was some secret, high hp filter, they would have used it.

Not meaning to rant. But k&n style filters are a really really bad idea for most people.

 

[195910]

I've worked on countless turbo diesels with freight train amount of blow by.

Everything they have in common is a bro-dozer k&n or the like cold air intake that smoked the rings.

Use what you like, but the only thing I would use an aftermarket air filter on is a dirt bike (that would be cleaned every couple days of use). Mercedes has always spent a lot of time and money on the air filter setups on all their cars. 100+ years of experience. If there was some secret, high hp filter, they would have used it.

Not meaning to rant. But k&n style filters are a really really bad idea for most people.

K-N are the crappiest filters out there, the MAF oil problems are common and the filtration rate is not suitable for road use!
The original M-B filters are 4.8 Micron, While K-N, british brands and Chinese brands all are around 9 micron. This allows fine dust to pass and this will find it self into the chambers.

If you need a safe and desert tested filters, I recommend JR, we have been using them on all sorts of AMG cars and 500E for years with no issue.. filtration rate is 2.8Micron! the drawback is they need to be cleaned every 18 months at most.

 

[Funny Bunny]

What's the verdict on this oil-free filter vs OEM? Worth it when changing filters?

 

[gsxr]

The M119 has oversize filters vs airflow requirements, no need for additional flow. Stock OEM paper filters are fine, will not restrict power even for a 6.4L engine, and they last a LONG time. I wouldn't bother.

 

[Funny Bunny]

The M119 has oversize filters vs airflow requirements, no need for additional flow. Stock OEM paper filters are fine, will not restrict power even for a 6.4L engine, and they last a LONG time. I wouldn't bother.

Someone made an intake kit for the M104, claims dyno improvements "luftkraftr129" on instagram.

"We recently took our ‘97 SL 320 to the dyno equipped with our high flow cold air kit AND the factory intake for a direct comparison. 3 runs each, the intake was swapped while it was on the roller.
First lesson: Don’t dyno an R129 in 3rd gear. The gear ratio puts higher mechanical load on the engine and results in lower numbers across the board. 4th gear is the ticket.
Second lesson: Our intake works. The numbers are all low but they’re at least consistent. We saw a solid increase in torque and a slight bump in HP, however HP peaks sooner than factory and it drops off less in the high end than the factory system.
This results in a better driving experience all around. The extra torque is quite noticeable especially on the freeway and off the line. More power when you actually need it. The car downshifts less and pulls strong from the low end.
Anyway, we’re going back in 4th gear to get accurate numbers."


He says he's making M119 and M120 kits very soon. Will it work for our engine too?

 

[gsxr]

Someone made an intake kit for the M104, claims dyno improvements "luftkraftr129" on instagram.
First lesson: Don’t dyno an R129 in 3rd gear. The gear ratio puts higher mechanical load on the engine and results in lower numbers across the board. 4th gear is the ticket.

You typically DO want to dyno in 3rd gear with a 722.3/722.6 transmission and rear axle ratios in the 2.65-3.06 ballpark. Dyno in 4th gear with those gear ratios (on 500E and SL500) means spinning the drum to 150-170mph at redline which is dangerous and stupid and offers absolutely zero benefits. (On the 400E with 2.24 axle ratio you dyno in SECOND gear!)

Now, since he's testing a 1997 SL320 that is a slightly different scenario, since this model has a 3.45 rear axle ratio. In 4th gear it will redline at 140mph which is pushing the safety limits on the dyno - I wouldn't do it. 3rd gear spins to about 100mph which is plenty high enough for accurate data.

"Lower numbers across the board" is meaningless. The point of the dyno (in this scenario) is to measure the difference in power before/after a given change. Doesn't matter if it's 160 vs 165hp or 170 vs 175hp, the change is still 5hp (or in this case, torque). The difference is typically low single digits between gears (3rd vs 4th), if anything. I personally tested this at the dyno years ago. More details here.

Second lesson: Our intake works. The numbers are all low but they’re at least consistent. We saw a solid increase in torque and a slight bump in HP, however HP peaks sooner than factory and it drops off less in the high end than the factory system.

I'd want to see the condition of the original filter for comparison, along with the FULL dyno graphs, and also engine temp for each pull. Showing a tiny portion of the graph isn't telling the whole story. +10tq (peak) from an "intake" is a pretty big claim and I'm not convinced it's accurate. At least the +2hp gain is realistic (and, 2hp can be a simple variance in temperatures between dyno pulls). Remember, this guy is trying to get you to buy his warez, so he's going to spin you a fabulous story. The real proof would be if a customer could repeat these results on their own car. I remain skeptical.

This results in a better driving experience all around. The extra torque is quite noticeable especially on the freeway and off the line. More power when you actually need it. The car downshifts less and pulls strong from the low end.

Nobody is going to notice a +10tq peak increase from the driver seat. This isn't gaining 10% across the powerband! It will NEVER be noticeable off the line (at 1800rpm). It's also not going to downshift less. This is pure marketing fluff.

Anyway, we’re going back in 4th gear to get accurate numbers."

The 3rd gear numbers are accurate. In 4th gear the gains should remain almost identical, but you might get a tire explosion if you're lucky.

He says he's making M119 and M120 kits very soon. Will it work for our engine too?

I don't see how they'd make an "intake" for the M119, but let's wait and see what they come up with. I'd be surprised if any aftermarket air intake could produce a substantial power gain. The stock airbox + filters wasn't causing a restriction at 400-420hp so AMG didn't feel the need to change it for the E60/SL60... so it's unlikely that there will be any improvement in power or torque for a stock 325hp engine.

 

[Funny Bunny]

Thanks for the thorough write up gsxr!
All performance modification attempts always lead to "6.0 conversion"
They tuned the M119 so well from factory everything from the intakes to the exhaust manifolds it's just hopeless for us trying to get 1 extra hp.

 

[duuder]

that or the supercharger that Stern makes... anyone try to order one yet?

 

[gsxr]

that or the supercharger that Stern makes... anyone try to order one yet?

If someone will fund the $30k, I'll be the guinea pig to install! Complete with dyno graphs and dragstrip timeslips.

Odd that Stern doesn't supply this data as marketing material. I mean, they have built one of these M119K engines, right?

 

[Funny Bunny]

Stern garage removed their 6.0 M119 and supercharger kit plus other stuff from their website. NLA? Shame I was about to drop $100K on their website (real).

 

[gsxr]

Stern garage removed their 6.0 M119 and supercharger kit plus other stuff from their website. NLA? Shame I was about to drop $100K on their website (real).

I had noticed some of their M119 offerings - 100mm piston kits for example - had vanished earlier this year. Possibly some of their 6L head gaskets also. I was wondering what was going on. Maybe there were kwality issues with those products sourced from offshore vendors?

Really odd they would pull the supercharger kit. Maybe one of the German forum members can drop by the werkshop and inquire was ist lost.

 

[duuder]

Stern garage removed their 6.0 M119 and supercharger kit plus other stuff from their website. NLA? Shame I was about to drop $100K on their website (real).

For reals!! I get bored a lot and am constantly looking at other brands (sorry guys) like an e60 M5 but I really like my car sometimes, a supercharger is kinda up my alley but that's gonna be a lot of heat in the bay

 

[Funny Bunny]

@gsxr

 

[gsxr]

Nice design. Wonder what the price is. Expect near zero gains on the dyno.

 

[Funny Bunny]

Nice design. Wonder what the price is. Expect near zero gains on the dyno.

Is it worth it potentially just for the intake sounds? Any negative effects on engine life or ecu or maf? Potential power loss? Airflow problems? I know this is all speculation at this point but I’m curious.

 

[gsxr]

Is it worth it potentially just for the intake sounds?

I wouldn't expect any difference in sound, but until someone tries it, hard to say for sure.

Any negative effects on engine life or ecu or maf?

Nope, no issues there.

Potential power loss? Airflow problems? I know this is all speculation at this point but I’m curious.

Possibly, yes... again, difficult to tell until someone tries it out. Note that the LH-SFI systems tend to be more sensitive to airflow issues than the later coil-on-plug engines with ME 1.0 injection, so the aftermarket intake system needs testing on both.

 

[TerryA]

@Benzy Boy,
If you want more intake sound. I have been running K&N filters on my 500E for years. In place of the stock MB filter. They will emit more intake sound when you mash the peddle but don’t expect any added power.

BTW, Cleaning & Oiling the K&N is not a problem as long as you re-oil sparingly.

Just my opinion.

 

[maw1124]

For reals!! I get bored a lot and am constantly looking at other brands (sorry guys) like an e60 M5 but I really like my car sometimes, a supercharger is kinda up my alley but that's gonna be a lot of heat in the bay

Not a lot of heat, too much heat. There's already a lot of heat, arguably too much.

Grab a M113k car and have a nice day. Comes stock as easy to boost and with all the heat management you'll ever need. I prefer the S/SL/CL that all came with an extra heat exchanger v the E/CLS.

4v or 3v twin spark, I'll let the real gear heads have that debate -- angels on the head of a pin for me.

maw