70 -Dual or single snorkel? does plant have anything to do with it?
 

I know I have searched the forums before and was convinced that 70 T/A's are supposed to be single snorkel but I still read other places it was dual.
I have a blue on blue 30,000 original that came with a dual and I have a 71 that needs a dual air cleaner.
I find it hard to believe that someone lost the single and searched at length and found a double for my 70, and I have seen others with the dual.The dual I have still has the GM part # sticker on it. Is it possible that cars from different plants got different air cleaners? Mine was a complete dip in red oxide. Is it easier to make a single and that is why some have a single instead of paying top dollar for a dual?

1970 RAIII TAs had a single snorkel. RAIV TAs has the dual snorkel. In 1971-72, all TAs had the dual snorkel. All 1970-72 Formula 400s and 455s without ram air also had the dual snorkel. The formula bases are easily converted to TA bases by adding the tabs for the shaker and the hose ring (for lack of a better name) on the bottom side of the passenger snorkel.

I am assuming the single snorkel would be the wider one and not the smaller opening?

the snorkel on the single snorkle is the same as the ones used on the dual snorkel units.

Agree there seems to be the occasional '70 RA III T/A with a dual inlet air cleaner on it, but at least 9 out of 10 are single. Don't know why some are dual... could have been built that way, or possibly replaced over the years.

Having that sticker would make it an over the counter replacement part - not an assembly line item. Things do get replaced/upgraded on even the nicest and most original lowest mileage Cars in existence. 1000 guesses and might still be wrong answer as to why or when.

Look on the bottom of each snorkel. If only one snorkel has a heat riser mounting provision - it's for a non-Ram Air Formula. If both snorkels have the provision - it's either for 70 RamIV or 71/72 455 HO.

Back in the days when every detail didn't matter so much - a dual snorkel was the preference of most owners. Very little difference in the market value of a TRUE single snork 70 TA base, and dual snork base. I actually notice more duals on the market than singles.

dual snorkel for 70 T/A
 

Hi Baron,
I have seen your many comments on early TA's and am hoping you can find me a 70 T/A specialist in the SF Bay Area. By the way, my survivor 70 Ram III has a dual sonklel. Thanks,
Please call me 415.613.3161

Hello George and welcome to PY Forum.

70 Ram3 TA would be a single snorkel .
70 Ram4 TA would be dual.
There were quite a few versions of dual snorkel , but yours would have to be from a specific Formula or TA car , to fit under the hood.

GTO and G.Prix versions don't sit low enough.

This one I am picturing is from a D-Port engine.
Notice that the driver side snorkel has an attachment point on the underside for a heat riser tube that comes the driver side exhaust manifold shield.
Passenger side does not.

The 70 Ram4 TA , and 71-72 TA were RoundPort engines.
They had an attachment point on the underside of BOTH snorkels.
RoundPort engines had an aluminum factory intake with a separate cast iron exhaust crossover in the mid section.
That separate crossover had a shielding over it , and on the passenger side there was an attachment point for a second heat riser tube that attached to the underside of the passenger side snorkel.

RoundPort engines had 2 heat riser tubes , one on each side , each snorkel.
Dport engines just had 1 heat riser tube on driver side.

If yours has attachment points underneath on Both Snorkels - it's 71-72 TA
Only on 1 Snorkel - it's from 70-72 Formula

https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/AvkAA...md/s-l960.webp

Also , I am in North Carolina.
We have good members on here in Cali , but I'm not sure who is in the Bay area.

You can start a new thread for your car by itself , and many people will be glad to answer questions.
You could also ask in your new thread if anyone is in the Bay area , if there are things you need another set of eyes on in person.

I circled what you need to look for to start a new thread about your car on this screen shot.
Welcome aboard !

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...1&d=1753137752

It is mot not my intent to come off as contrary;
I thought I read from reputable sources that although most 70 RAIII T/A’s left the factory with single snorkles, some legitimately had dual snorkles?

I would think that:
dual snorkle + single heat riser + shaker tabs = legit RAIII dual snorkle.

Maybe I am misremembering that some ‘70 RAIII T/A’s had RAIV shakers from the factory??

one of my 70 ta's that i bought around 1980 from the original owner had a dual snorkle on it. i asked him about it and he had no idea just said that was what was on it when i bought it off the dealers lot. possibly a date thing??? ive owned over 25 70 ta's over the years and have seen them both ways, but most ra3 have had the single.

Thanks fir that.

I recently bought 70 TA from a 46 year owned reputable owner and he told me that the double snorkel was true to the car.

thanks

Hey Baron, thanks for that picture, will check when I return home, by the way, I discovered you on BAT.

Will my double snorkel air cleaner have dates/numbers that will match the car?

It will have an ink stamp date code on the inside or the bottom.
I forget now exactly .

In the 80s we were putting 71-72 dual snorkel pans on 70 TAs for the look.
Still have one on mine.
Everybody would rather have the dual snorkel for looks.
These days originality mean more.

If one was done at a plant as a goof , then it was a goof.

Have never seen a nice original well kept 70 Ram3 TA with a dual.
Always a single.

Never seen a dual with a single heat riser and factory tabs.
This late in the game I wouldn't trust anything , the tabs have been repopped.

Hi baron I sent you a message

George I sent an email to your @gmail address.

In restoring these bases, I have always examined the spot welded on tabs on questionable '70-72 TransAm shaker bases to see if the tabs were factory installed with small spotwelds, brazed on, or sloppy spotted with a MIG.

A thought... quite a few single heat riser dual snorkle Formula bases have been made into T/A bases over the years. I've only examined one factory dual snorkel T/A base with a single heatriser that had factory tabs which did not appear to be effed with. Very uncommon to run across such a shaker base, nearly all of the '70 TransAm bases I've repaired or restored were single snorkel original RA III bases, two were RA4 T/A bases.

It would be VERY beneficial to this discussion if you could post a pic or two of that cleaner showing both the part number sticker as well as the area of red oxide primer you see.

The one I sold on here about 15 years ago was heading for that end result.
I might can search back and find the pictures on the for sale listing
Pretty sure it still had the date code ink stamps.

Tricks have been going on for a long long time .

Wish I would have kept it.
Local guy needs one now for a 70 Formula.
Google search for that picture I just posted showed reproductions now available.
I didn't investigate.

Last visit was 2008, so it's probably not going to happen.




Baron, the air cleaner picture you posted is not Firebird. Chrome lid would suggest '70 GTO (Fremont plant).

I know , it was what I could find via Google on eBay that showed underside for the example.
No drop base or distributor hump indentation.

The one I sold on here was Formula

I can't find the listing doing advanced search with my user name in parts section or sold parts section.
Have so many attachment pictures on here it would take forever to try and find those in my attachment list. I give up. lol

1970 Formula air cleaner and possible ink stamping location. Non-California, California has carb hole. PN would be on decal with pick code (I believe it's wrong on this one).

Here's the ink stamp on my 70 06B Trans Am air cleaner. Seems fortunate that it's still there after all these years, as it looks like it would be fragile to carb cleaner spray, wipe-downs, etc. This car spent most of its life as basic transportation to the original owner, rather than being hot rodded and modified. It looks like 5 19 70.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/9a0f...aea3c2ba0.jpeg

John

Thanks John and Ransom for the pictures.

Would be helpful to get build dates on any dual snorkel RA III cars. I've now seen probably 5 over the years that had the dual snorkel base (and which the originality of the rest of the car would suggest it was probably an original part...), and they were all built late in the '70 model year.

Interesting, these dual snorkel 70 air cleaners have the fitting on the second snorkel for the heat riser hose like a 71 or just a bare snorkel like the formula?

Hey Roger , folks worried about your absence lately .
Can you give us a wink and a nod