Oh yes sir Art, I agree with you and your BS detector!

I read those words "straightened" right on a K&N air filter box! I had to ask myself what the heck are they BS...ing about?

For the money they charge for them they must have bought some insurance to protect themselves from false claims.

They do have a screen in their mesh of "surgical cotton" but nothing different than some other filter to keep them from caving in towards the engine should they get plugged or wet from a day of 98% humidity or some fog and rain. Most just have pleats! Got me?

My other thought was about turbulent air in the first place. I can see it whipping down into the filter box from the small snorkel tube outside and blasting across the face of Any filter.

It then has to get its act together and go through paper so that might take some shake out?

Straightened might take more time to do...is that restriction too? If so, forget straighting if its slowing things down?
The Restriction part or has always been a racer's dilemma. K&N, IMHO, is marketing some snake oil in their filter (oil) treatment in more ways than one.

Screens straighting anything?
Ok, so let say it got straighten by K&N and gets itself sucked down stream.

The air then gathers itself up behind the rectangle air filter just to be twirled around up into a three inch round elbow!
Now it goes Straight?...through the AMM with bug or torn filter media "screens," down through our convoluted duct, that I am sure tumbles the edges of any laminar flow, bends it around just to be smacked directly into that flat, but angled, throttle plate!

The now twisted and straight Laminar flow splits and then alternately gets pulled towards four intake runners that are "tuned." For what ever that entails with its pluses and shock waves?

Considering all of the above, a filter media or twp pieces of widow screen on the AMM that's more likely used to keep prying eyes and fingers out of there is small potatoes! IMO.

Phil

Another side thought about the price of filters. Ever consider what people are paying for small HEPA filters to fit their vacuum cleaners?

Considering their size and air flow compared to a cars engine, who is getting the better deal?
Are cars filters equal to a HEPA , I hope so or are all these things basically the same with different shapes and prices for our benefit because we like things "so" special?

You can guess where I get my air filters.....good "ole" pick and pull! So fresh those tuneups are!
Phil