1973 Trans Am air cleaner base
 

People have claimed the bases are the same between the '73 and '74. I'm sure the decal is located in different places. Does anyone have a picture of a '73, showing it? Also, does anyone have a picture of the vacuum hose clips (or a count of how many)?

I'm not too shocked no one answered. Seems only a few really do. It is a shame.
Decal is in same location on the '73 and '74 units from what I can find.

The reason I was asking is because of this eBay auction...
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=150826616193

I believe this to be a '73-4 Formula, std. 4-bbl, not a shaker, air cleaner base.

New owner is going to be upset, unless this is the going price for just the base on these.

When I first read this, put going through '73+ Bird aircleaner bases on my list of things to do. Mike. you do not want to know how many I have stacked & boxed away. Off to another doubleheader.

Mike,
how do the Formula 4 bbl air cleaners differ from the T/A units? I always assumed they were the same, except for the lid...

The positioning of the hole for the breather required different crankcase vent tubes. The decal was in the wrong place for a TA/Formula SD base. Seller avoided me with dimensions to verify. Probably why there was no lid. I think $181.77 is high for a Formula air cleaner base. But an OK buy for a TA/Formula SD base.

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...c/cleaner7.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...c/cleaner3.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...c/cleaner5.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...leric/lid1.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...leric/lid2.jpg

Bruce, that's a '75 or '76 unit.

Mike is this the shaker your looking for?

I'll answer that for Mike and most men.... YES!

I bet those shake really good :D :hail:

Would that be 1 shaker or 2?

:D

ok thxs, I had it marked 73 and it looks like most 73TA bases I have seen.. oh well

HfR knows his stuff much better than I do, but I'm guessing he's noticed the side of your base has provisions for two connections, where as the earlier 73/74 just have the one square hole.

No. But that is an original shaker, see how it sits off center.

I'll take it for my Formula :)

Think those carb needles need "adjusting"?,,,,,,,,,:D

Another shot at it...
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...c/cleaner1.jpg
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...c/cleaner2.jpg

Not for a Firebird, that I can tell.

wondered about the debth of the "dish"
I have more LOL we will see....

With the holiday tomorrow and it being too hot to do anything too strenuous, I thought I'd revisit this. Please correct with exceptions. For people shopping eBay, learn here on what questions to ask...

4 barrel Firebird/Formula/Trans Am base will have almost no gap (approx. .16”(1 dime and 2 pennies)) between center hump and straight edge when you lay it across the top. Sensor and carb. vent hole should be across from, not next to, each other.

1973
Has three welded clips for vacuum hoses.
Hole for screw to hold fresh air duct is circular and only on top side.
Sensor is black.
Air flap pin exits to the right.

Trans Am PN decal (Keep your GM car all GM) is located between snorkel and indent.
Measurement between snorkel and air breather hole is 15”.

Formula PN decal (Keep your GM car all GM) is located between air breather and indent.
Measurement between snorkel and air breather hole is 14-1/2”.

1974
Went to four welded clips.
Sensor went to painted black.
Air flap pin exits to the left.

1975
Hole for screw to hold fresh air duct went oval on both sides.
Added a hole in side for vacuum switch.

More...

Thanks HFR!. I know I have been confusing the 73 and 4 for a while now. Great Pics!

Would have loved to have helped on this one but my '73 did not have a factory base.

We're going to need more pictures. How about from the top down & from the bottom up. ;)

Ahhh, the guy watching these parts would NOT have dug that. I think he was worried about getting Top Dollar or something???

Well you gotta have the bucks if you want to get the best parts. ;)

Thanks for deciphering this Mike!

Is '75 T/A base, same as '76 T/A, or 78-79 W72 T/A

Have a bunch of T/A bases to go through

This is great info! Thanks! I am going to need one for a 73.

Roger,
I believe a '75 TA base would look like a '75 Formula base with the air breather hole positioned differently.

I think '76 got the added valve in the base bottom. And, possibly, another clip added to the side of the air cleaner.

Also the lid went from the 13-1/8" diam. to the 14-1/16" diam. at some point.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...m=251521644958

Someone didn't do their homework...
$300, and with no lid? Suckers born every minute.

The seller also seems to be a little confused as to what he's selling. A few examples from his current sale listings.

Following is a '71-72 Formula 400/ Formula 455 D port base
(have a few, not for sale)

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1970-72-TRAN...item3a8fdb4c0a

Following is a '69 or '69 Olds piece (have a few, sale or trade).

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1968-72-GTO-...item3a8fdb6ad7

Note the ribs in the snorkels & the position of the crankcase filter on the base 442 aircleaner. '68-69 Pontiac & '70 Pontiac, the Buick single snorkel, & the '68-69 Olds versions are ALL different from each other.

Irregardless of the price paid....it seems to be a pretty nice piece

Finding ones that haven't had water sitting them for years is not easy....around here,anyways....

I have a question about the air cleaner bases to. I have a base that I think it cake from a T/A but not sure. I've had it for a LONG time. It is the typical 16" base with a single snout. The end of the snout is about 3 1/2 inches wide on the end & it has 4 of the vac. hose clips , with the indentation on the side of it (where the dist sits) Has a place for 2 sensors on the inside of the base, 1 is for a sensor with a single hole post, & then 1 with 2 posts , both would come through the base for vac. lines to be attached. Also has the 1/2 or so hole for where the air port on the top of the cabs would come through it. Can anyone tell me what this base should fit. The smaller snout end is what is confusing me. As i said I've had this for a long time & am not sure about it. Any help ?????

Whole lot simpler/easier if you post a few pics...............:confused:

I'll get a few & have them on tomorrow so you guys can help, sorry for the long winded description but was hoping someone would know from that but I kinda knew I should have had a few pics.

Pic's of the air cleaner base
 

Ok guys here the pics of the air cleaner base that I need help in identifying I have had it for a long time & don't remember what I got it off of. I had it tagged at one time but when I cleaned & painted it , well the tag got blown off in the sand blaster & I need help. Thanks in advance . I don't know if you can tell it does have 3 hols in the side The hole closest to the snout has a hole that looks kinda like a key slot. & it has a baffel in it just inside the snout as in pic 4 . The end of the snout is about 3 1/2 inches wide at the outer end.

Don't think it's a Pontiac unless 80-81 non-Turbo 301?

There is no hole for float bowl vent tube so that would eliminate 70-79 350,400 & 455 Pontiacs..........

Perhaps 70's chevy A body,pick-up or van?

It's nice looking because it's not a Trans Am base (always ask yourself why is there no lid). The crankcase vent tube won't work unless they use/have a non-TA unit. Still too much money, IMO.

Rex, I'm not familiar with the one you've posted. Maybe a small block chevy unit (they put them in Firebirds too, right?).

Sort of doesn't look like it has enough "drop" around carb to be Bird.
Didn't notice any indents for distributor clearance.
dunno what it is

HFR,
What do you think a 74 formula base should go for? And do you have one for sale at that price?

Restorable one (no metalwork, just paint strip and reshoot) with the lid, $150-200. No extras at this time. I do have a couple beat up '74 Trans Am/GTO bases with lids.

Rex, looked at your pics then looked at several bases I have. Your base is from one of the '79 model 301W (4bbl) aircleaners. '79 Pontiac (gasoline) models received the last of the 14" diam aircleaners, only diesels continued on after '79 with 14" diam aircleaners. Your '79 base will measure 16 1/2" across the top of the beaded edge. '80 model T/A's went to a base that was 15 3/16" across the top, & took the smaller diam AC 329C aircleaner. The small snorkel shaped like the one in your pics with the little slots towards the edge was def used on the '79 301 aircleaners. The crankcase vent pipe location is correct for a '79 301 Pontiac & the flat spot in the rear dome of the aircleaner was present in both '79 301 4bbl aircleaners & in the 2bbl version that was stamped for that year. Whether the base originally came from a '79 301 W Bird (with or w/o the T/A lid) or from a '79 301W A-B-G series, can not tell from your pics.

Is there a different shot that I can take to give you a better idea of what you need to see which one it is ????

I have an airfilter housing that came off a 79 301 I had about 20 years ago and am pretty sure the carb hole is offset,like the 403 olds.......this changed in 1980,as I recall.....the 301 4bbl. intake was revised.....so the one in question maybe from an 80 301.

my knee-jerk reaction to that mystery airclaner was something akin to maybe a '70 GP air cleaner;
the lack of a carb fuel bowl vet tube is definately screwing me up, ditto the fact that it doesn't look like it has a big dropped base...
i guess it could be something circa 1979, but (correct me if I'm wrong here) wasn't there something to do with emmissions or engine noise thag required all post-1972 air cleaners to hook up to a flexible duct, then a feed point far from the cabin?

If this helps I do remember when I took all the parts off of it the hole close to the snout had a plastic & brass vac. fitting that went in at that spot. The brass part went on the inside of the air cleaner. Thats the onlt thing I can remember about the base itself.

The Boss had a real nice low mileage all original 79 301 Formula a while back.
Maybe his For Sale listing had an engine shot.
Or maybe he could drop a picture on us.

That air inlet spout does seem a little out of tune for a late 70's Pontiac

I have a 77 301 Catalina Wagon sitting outside i can look at breather tomorrow.

This is all I've got for you....

a few notes...
Rex's aircleaner is not a '70 base 4 bbl Pontiac air cleaner, the snorkels on those are quite a bit shorter & the base itself is different. Have a few in the racks & have pulled many dozen '70-72 455 big car engines over the years. Usually tossed most of their aircleaners, very little value.

The '79 301 aircleaners have the inlet snout exactly like the one pictured above on Rex's aircleaner. The end of the snout has the small slots stamped in it. Both the F body versions & the A-B-G series 301W version use a small diameter fabric type duct (just like in Chris's pics). The rear of the domed area, directly behind the Q-jet, also has the flat area, my '80 301 F body bases don't have that.

For 1980 models, the Pontiac 301 Firebird engines used 3 different aircleaners. The 301 turbo & the 170 horse 301 used versions of a new wide mouth snorkel aircleaner. I have always bought the '80 301 turbo version with the heavily angled down snorkel. Up into the mid 90's, these were relatively hard to come up with & they are different than the '81 version. The base 150 horse 301W '80 Bird aircleaner used a small snout version, but I believe it used a AC329 filter. Such a filter would fit in a 15 3/16" diameter base. Rex, when you lay a tape measure across the beaded edge of the top of the base, does it measure 16.5" or 15 3/16"? That's prob easier than looking for a 14" & 12.5" diam aircleaner filter to drop in...