SCORE Journal

SCORE Journal Issue - APRIL 2017

SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing

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A CLEAN AIR ACT UTV Air Filtration Is Key To Making More Power By Dan Sanchez and Candace Wittrock Pro UTV racers like Wayne Matlock, Marc Burnett, Alonzo Lopez and many others, often find themselves driving behind the dust cloud of a competitor or two for many miles. Aside from the lack of visibility, vehicles like UTVs depend on clean, cold air to make power and keep clutches and other engine components cool. This is one of the reasons why proper air filtration is key to the overall performance of these vehicles during a Baja race, and why air filter manufacturers are always looking to improve filtration and how UTVs funnel air into the engine. Some of the latest technology in filtration for these vehicles includes larger filter elements, various forms of filtration media, and improved routing to gather as much air as possible. Filter Media Manufacturers of air filters often use different filter media to achieve a higher level of airflow and filtration. In most cases, there’s often a balance between airflow and greater filtration, meaning more filtration blocks airflow and more airflow can mean less filtration. One common form of filter media is foam that is saturated with oil. Most commonly used on dirt bikes, foam filters have moved their way into UTVs. The advantages are that the foam elements trap dirt and allow air to pass around it and allow the clean air to flow into the engine. The oil helps hold the dirt in place and over a long race, the foam filters can be cleaned, re-oiled and used again. Cotton-gauze is another popular filter media, which has an advantage of flowing great amounts of air. These too must be oiled so that the media swells up to trap smaller dirt particles and holds them in place. Many filter manufacturers can utilize several layers of cotton-gauze to promote improved filtration, but the advantage of washing and re-oiling the filters for re-use make it very popular among racers and enthusiasts. Synthetic filter media is growing in popularity, as it can offer some of the benefits of cotton-gauze media, but doesn’t require washing and re-oiling. There are various types of synthetic media that are usually proprietary to the manufacturer, but for off-road racers, this type of filter media can provide a good balance between airflow and higher filtration capabilities. Air Intake Systems While many UTVs utilize the factory air intake systems, some racers have built their own, or utilize new technologies in this area. Utilizing a larger diameter intake tube and filter housing has the obvious benefits of providing more air capacity to the engine. This is why some manufacturers offer new intake systems that fit into the factory compartment but feature some of these benefits from a pre-manufactured unit. Many aftermarket air intake systems allow for a larger diameter air filter which provides greater airflow and filtration capacity. They may also include better protection from extreme dust and dirt, while also providing a catch-basin or baffle that allows heavier dirt particles to fall into and won’t clog the filter media. Some manufacturers offer a unique method to separate dirt and dust particles which several UTV racers have adapted and found that it provides them with cleaner air during a race. This, in turn, provides a greater potential for power from the engine, from an air filter that is less clogged toward the end of the race. What’s New We’ve gathered some of the latest products for UTVs to showcase the different products that are available and how they work to provide more power for greater performance. While these examples are some of the more popular for UTV enthusiasts and racers, there are additional manufacturers who build custom racing applications that are proven in extreme conditions like Baja. K&N Engineering www.knfilters.com Polaris RZR UTV Air Intake Systems K&N offers two new air intake kits that replace the entire factory system on Polaris RZR 1000 and RZR XP Turbo model UTVs. Both kits are equipped with wrapped reinforced silicone connectors, an air box mounting plate, mandrel bent intake tube, and an oversize Roto-molded air box featuring K&N’s XD air filter for added flow and capacity. The airbox is sealed and connects to the factory inlet. Both kits bolt into the factory location with no modifications to the vehicle. Also available for both kits is a DryCharger pre-filter cover for extra protection. K&N XD Universal Air Filters K&N’s Universal XD filter provides extra filter media for greater efficiency and increased protection under high dust conditions. The round and tapered design, part number RU-4960XD, has a deep pleat design and extra fine weave grade cotton-gauze developed for the extreme conditions race teams face during races like the SCORE Baja 1000. This filter fits a variety of applications and is washable and reusable. R2C Performance R2cperformance.com Polaris Synthetic Filter R2C Performance’s Filters For Polaris XP 1000 & Turbo model UTVs, offer greater engine protection and easy maintenance in a long-life, oil-free, high-performance air filter. R2C uses a tough, synthetic fiber structure designed to stop and hold dust down to .3 microns in size. These filters rely on advanced military media technology and are designed for severe duty use and can be easily cleaned by using compressed air from the inside of the filter, out. Yamaha YXZ Filter R2C Extreme Series air filters provide Yamaha YXZ UTV owners a high level of dust stopping capability with simple filter maintenance. The reusable filter element eliminates engine damaging dust and dirt while providing fractional efficiency of approximately 30-percent on very fine dust, three times greater than the OE filter on these vehicles. Off-Road Extreme Series Canister The ORAC air filter canister from R2C Performance measures 8 x 16-inches and is designed as a true dual-stage, super duty air intake system that ensures maximum performance and engine protection. This canister offers a variety of race vehicles a high level of airflow and filtration without sacrificing engine performance throughout a race. S&B Filters sbfilters.com Particle Separator S&B Filter’s Particle Separator is a unique device that separates the dust from clean air and ejects 94 percent of the dust before it reaches the factory air filter. According to S&B, the Particle Separator is guaranteed to make a stock filter last for a year under normal conditions. For racers, the Particle Separator can provide UTV teams with greater clean air capacity and allow the vehicle’s engine to maintain peak performance throughout the race. The Particle Separator is available for Can-Am Maverick X3, Yamaha YXZ 1000R, and Polaris RZR 1000 and XP Turbo models. aFe Power afepower.com Can-Am Maverick Air Intake aFe Power’s air intake for 2013-2016 Can-Am Maverick UTVs, equipped with 1000cc engines, is designed to outflow the factory intake by 81-percent. The filter features a one-piece sealed housing with air auxiliary vents that accommodate most aftermarket high-raised snorkel systems for deep fording capabilities. Additional features include a three-inch mandrel-bent aluminum intake tube that improves volumetric efficiency for better performance. The system includes aFe’s three-angle filter adapter that increases air velocity after the air filter for improved flow, and a clear coated aluminum cover to provide the rider quick and easy filter access. The filter element is washable and reusable, and installation of the system does not require cutting or drilling on OEM parts. aFe Power afepower.com The Universal Pro-Guard 7 Filter aFe offers off-road racers and enthusiasts greater engine protection in the harshest environments with its Pro-Guard 7 air filter. This universal filter fits a variety of applications and offers several benefits, including 99.59 percent filtration efficiency and extreme dirt holding capacity. The filter media is made up of five layers of progressively finer mesh cotton gauze media, and two layers of synthetic media, all designed for the harshest of off-road environments. The Pro-Guard 7 is washable and reusable for multiple cleaning cycles and is available in several sizes. Magnum Shield Pre-Filters The afe Power Magnum Shield Pre-Filter fits over the existing air filter, adding another layer of protection from dirt and debris when riding off-road. The added layer also extends the life of the filter, as well as service and or cleaning intervals. The pre-filter can be easily removed and installed and is available in a variety of sizes to fit numerous applications. aFe Power afepower.com Arctic Cat Wildcat X1000 Pro-Guard Filter Artic Cat Wildcat UTVs can get additional performance and protection from dirt and dust from aFe Power’s Pro-GUARD 7 filter. The filter fits 2012-2015 model Arctic Cat Wildcat X1000 vehicles and is washable, reusable, and features a 100-percent polyurethane frame on all sides to extend the life of the filter. Other features include 15-mm deep rounded open pleats and a progressive bump seal design for a perfect fit. AFE www.afepower.com K&N ENGINEERING www.knfilters.com S&B FILTERS sbfilters.com R2C PERFORMANCE R2cperformance.com

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