12/31/2002 - Tech Articles

Closer Look: Summit Racing Reusable Woven Fabric Air Filters

At first glance, a Summit Racing Reusable Woven Fabric Air Filter looks a lot like any other aftermarket filter. But then you realize that--well, the thing is coloful. Very colorful, in fact.

That's because the Summit Racing Reusable Woven Fabric Air Filter features something called Color-Coordinated Stainless Technology, or CCS. In English, the filter has a oiled cotton filter element wrapped with a stainless steel mesh. You can color-match the element to your engine detailing by using one of six cotton filter element.

As cool as a color-coordinated air filter is, The Summit Racing Reusable Woven Fabric Air Filter is not just a pretty face--it works for a living, too:

Filters dirt and particles down to five microns
Delivers up to 6.7% more horsepower over paper filters
Increases mileage up two to four extra miles per gallon
Reusable with a lifetime warranty

Woven Cotton Works Better
The key to this Summit Racing air filter's outstanding flow and filtration qualities is in the cotton filter element. It's made with two-layer woven cotton material, similar to the cotton used to make your good Sunday shirts.

The biggest benefit of this filter element is its ability to flow more air than the four-layer cotton gauze or pleated paper elements used with typical air filters. The reason is simple: two layers of cotton are thinner, so there’s less air restriction. This increased airflow capability helps your engine make more power—up to 6.7% more horsepower over paper filters.

Even though it is thinner and less restrictive, the two-layer woven cotton element provides superior filtration. There are two reasons for this. Oil spreads more evenly through woven cotton, so the dirt-trapping oil covers the entire surface of the element. Woven cotton holds oil better than cotton gauze, reducing the tendency for the oil to be literally pulled out of the filter under high intake pressure. It all adds up to superior filtration of particles as small as five microns.

Another benefit of the woven fabric filter element is its strength. It features a fine-mesh and a medium layer crossweaved together to resist everyday wear and tear. To illustrate the advantages over cotton gauze, compare a oxford-style cotton shirt to a gauze bandage. When you rub the bandage for an extended period of time, the gauze will wear down and break apart. When you do the same thing to the shirt, it doesn't wear nearly as much as the bandage. Less wear means more strength and longer life.

To take maximum advantage of woven cotton’s flow and filtration characteristics, Summit Racing gave the filter element extra deep pleats. These pleats increase the filtration surface 10 to 20%, allowing more air into the engine. The pleats run parallel to the width of the filter. This arrangement allows more pleats to be used, increasing the surface area of the filter. The pleats also make the filter stronger and more rigid.

Better Mesh
The “S“ in CCS Technology stands for stainless steel. Stainless is much stronger than the aluminum mesh used on most filters, so it resists dings and dents better. The stainless mesh also won't collapse as readily under high intake pressure, so the Summit Racing Reusable Woven Fabric Air Filter holds its shape and lives longer. A polished stainless steel end cap and mounting hardware gives the filter a custom look.

Doing the Four-Step
Most air filters have an injection molded rubber seal. Although injection molding saves significant manufacturing time, it also allows a large percentage of the rubber to leak onto the filter's surface area. That leads to blockage of the filtering area—up to 20 to 25% in some cases.

The molding on a Summit Racing Reusable Woven Fabric Air Filter is made in a four-step molding process. It takes longer and is more expensive than injection molding, but the end result is a seal with virtually no ovelap on the filtering surface. This means more airflow—and greater horsepower production.

Oil's Well
Like other cotton element air filters, this Summit Racing reusable filter uses oil to help trap dirt and grunge. It creates a positive magnetic charge with the stainless steel mesh. The oil literally attracts negatively charged particles, forcing dust and dirt to build up around the mesh. This helps promote greater airflow by keeping the cotton element cleaner and unrestricted.

And yes, you can change the color of your filter whenever you feel like it. The filter oil is available in red, blue, green, purple, turquoise, and clear. Since you have to clean and re-oil the filter for best performance, Summit Racing sells the filter oil and cleaner together in one convenient kit.

With superior airflow, better filtration, stronger construction, and hot colors, a Summit Reusable Woven Fabric Air Filter should be feeding your engine. The filter is available in popular diameters and lengths.