[John Milner]

Does anyone know if an air cleaner base from a full size Pontiac or even a regular Firebird would work on a 78 Trans Am shaker setup? I know the Olds, Chevy and 301 bases are different. I just wasn't sure if they changed the Pontiac bases up specifically for the Trans Am.

Thanks

[dfektive4]

The Trans Am bases sit lower than the regular car bases. I know because I tried to install one once.

[77 TRASHCAN]

I don't have an exact answer, but from reading here, the TA air filter housings sit quite low over the carb, folks have mentioned this. Possibly air filter housings from 1970-1973 with their seemingly, oh-so closeness to the hood might work...but I don't know if those have any more or less clearance the any of the 70-81 "F" bodies would...

['ol Pinion head]

John, feel free & drop me a PM, might be able to do some trading.

[Grand73Am]

An air cleaner from a different Pontiac car won't work.

It has to be from a Trans Am, or maybe a Firebird "might" work. I've haven't had my hands on one from a Firebird, so I can't say for sure. I think it would, IF the Firebird had a 350 or 400 Pontiac engine with a 4 bbl carb. But it's probably easier to find an air cleaner from a Trans Am with a Pontiac 400 than it would be to find a Firebird air cleaner as described.

You can use a 73-79 Trans Am 400 or 455 air cleaner. There's a small difference between the 73-76 air cleaners and the 77-79 air cleaners, which is the position of the square hole for the air breather tube on the passenger side. The 73-76 have the hole further forward and use a longer breather tube with 2 bends in it to reach the hole. The 77-79 have the hole more in the middle, so a shorter tube can run directly from the valve cover to the air cleaner with just a curve. Either air cleaner would work as long as you use the appropriate breather tube for the air cleaner.

In 77, they only used an air cleaner base with a long trumpet style snout. In 78, they used the trumpet snout on the standard L78 400 engine, and used the other air cleaner with the wide oval snout on the W72. The 73-76 and the 79 have the wide oval snouts. Either one will work, but the wide oval snout ones are preferred.

Clues to an air cleaner that will work is that it has to be for a 4 bbl carb. It has to be 16-1/2" to 16-5/8" in diameter. And it needs to have enough drop to it so that the center "hump" is practically level with the perimeter upper lip of the air cleaner when you lay a straight-edge across the top of the air cleaner base. The straight-edge will actually touch a couple of high spots on the hump. Photo below. Also, here's a thread about shakers and air cleaners with pictures that might help you: http://transamcountry.com/community/...?topic=78929.0

004 by grand73am, on Flickr

[pippintook]

As you likely know the prices of used 77-79 Trans Am 400 air cleaners is getting kinda crazy - when I look at ebay prices are usually way more than what I would pay. Hope I never need an air cleaner for my 78 400. Mine is w72..so that is more than regular 400 air cleaner.

[Aus78Formula]

Originally Posted by dfektive4

The Trans Am bases sit lower than the regular car bases. I know because I tried to install one once.

Trans Am is simply a Firebird model. The bases are the same for what engine they suit, not because they have a shaker or a lid.