Air box pre air filter damaged

On checking my filters, I note the bottom of the box pre air filter has some damage on the driver side. I don't want to risk it pulling the cotton material into the engine (even though filter should stop it, and the filter indeed had a bunch on it). Has anyone removed this filter on the 3rd gens? If so, is it just drilling out the plastic welds?

 

Removed mine 3 days after I bought my truck that is Sound absorbing material.You will have a bit more turbo whistle even with stock filters. Sounds good go for it.

 

Removed mine about 2 years back and its been file ever since. Simply drill the plastic welds and it pulls right out. Doesnt take much to remove the weld. Very little drilling is needed.

 

Thanks, came out easy, no drilling needed.

 

I haven't popped open my airboxes yet so I'm just going by pictures here and in other threads.
Dumb? question: Does the thin plastic with the hexes get removed as well as the gauze sound absorbing material?

 

Pulled mine out. They may absorb some noise but their main purpose is to catch any emissions coming from the intake when the vehicle is shut off. I used AFE prodry air filters as well.

 

It seems odd that the pre-filter isn't designed to be replaced. What happens when it gets clogged with dust and dirt? It will certainly eventually begin restricting the airflow of the intake.

 

Probably get charged for a whole new assembly if the filter needs replacing.

 

If you look at it. It’s not in the airflow path. Air flows on top of it. It provides no restriction.

 

That's good to hear. I haven't opened mine up yet. Still undecided if I want to remove it.

 

There’s no flow through that carbon vapor mat and even if it did get loose it would just go up into the filter. The damage is from rodents. They chew on it and in some cases make a nest in there. They’ll even chew on paper air filters and no reports of them chewing oiled cotton filters. Theres a very easy cheap 10 min fix per side to stop rodents from entering your air box.
https://www.tundras.com/threads/poor-man’s-intakes.144501/#post-3631293

 

The issue I have with oiled filters is that they leach oil onto any sensors that are in the airstream which may or may not be an issue for a particular sensor. In the old days with MAF sensors it was definitely an issue (especially after you cleaned and re-oiled the filter).

 

If that is happening someone is using way way too much oil. It just takes a whisp of oil spray to catch dirt. 4 trucks and two cars over 500K mi between them and I’ve never once cleaned a MAF sensor in my life.

 

But I had a whole can of K&N oil filter spray. I only used 1/4 of it. LOL

 

LOL. I’ve had to oil motorcycle filters for 50 yrs now and learned early, Less is More ;-)

 

Hold the box down and give the sides of it a yank. It breaks the welds. Put mine in the garbage and installed K&N filters. My engine hesitation when slow rolling a stop and hitting the gas to get into traffic quick seems to have disappeared. I try to get it to do it and can't so I'm pretty happy about the whole situation now.

 

I open my air box the other day to remove the baffles and found this. Dam Mice! I cleaned up the mess and yanked the baffles out. I can hear the turbo a lit
If anyone is interested here the NAPA air filter number 201653.

 

(If you hadn't seen already.)

 

Dont drive much?