What air cleaner ???
 

When I swapped the 2bbl for a QJ on my 70 350, I tossed the air cleaner and installed a cheap one.

It doesn't fit well and needs to go.

What air cleaner came on a 70 400 4-bbl ???

If I go shopping on eBay, what other cars had the same air cleaner?

Any aftermarket air cleaners fit well, clear the carb linkage, and are easy to connect to the breather?

Mike

If you want original, I would recommend the factory dual snorkel. Not exactly inexpensive, but correct. And I think they look best (personal preference).

You can also find some single snorkel versions.

EBay or even the classifieds here should have one/both available.

If you don't care about factory, then I would assume a million different 14" open element options in chrome or black or most any color are available aftermarket.

This is the best stock air cleaner set up and it’s still a restriction even with the duel snorkel’s.

If your not going to drive the car at ambient temps where a factory heat riser is helpful to prevent Carb icing then get a open type Aftermarket 14” .

When I see how much these are going for now a days and how many I toss out I get sick and smack my forehead!

Mike, the 400 4-bbl's in Tempest & Lemans' was the black lid dual snorkel like Steve25 shows. I've seen them for $150 at Norwalk and advertised from time to time. I like the stock look best too, but a 14" open element looks good (though like a chevy or '67 HO GTO). At the Pure Stock drags, we lift the lid a good 1/4" with a coil of 1/4" diameter rubber hose wound 2 times around the base under the 212 filter element for better breathing.

Dennis

First question, what year/make Quadrajet are you using?

I have a single snorkel advertised in the big car section with the breather tube and heat tube 90° in ready to install condition take a look it might help you out.

If you must use a single snorkel type or even a duel type then flip the lid over from the way it should go and that will give a gap all the way around for less restriction yet still seal up to the air filter .

I used to do this on my 77 C10 just so I could hear the Quadrajet 4 barrel kick in.

Have you tested that rubber hose mod to see what it gains? On the track or dyno.

If you have to run a stocker air filter set up then scrounge around a see if you can turn up a lid that just fits the filter OD, not the air cleaner base.

In purstock they want it to look stock that’s why no flipping lid on the street go for it. They probably wouldn’t complain to much just not the look for purestock racing.

No we haven't tested it in both configurations, but it can't hurt with the lid a little further from the Q-jet's air horn.

Dennis

Thanks all

At this chapter in my story I didn't want to spend $300 for a dual snorkel and really don't care if the air cleaner is stock. I have no performance goals.. it's a stock 350 with 11 heads, low-compression, Summit 2800, stock logs, dual exhaust. I suspect the air cleaner is not going to influence the performance...

I just thought a stock air cleaner might make it easier to get a low-hassle solution but I'd be happy if I could make what I have work.

I'm surprised to hear a dual snorkel would be used on any 4-bbl 400 in a 70 Tempest/LeMans and expected a single-snorkel... but that's why I asked what would have been there.

What I'm trying to do is fix some issues with my current set-up, which is:

71 Intake
Buick 7029240, Pontiac throttle arm and linkage
Divorced choke
Moroso air cleaner
No heat riser

I struggled to get a breather hose from the valve cover to the Moroso air cleaner base. The routing and fittings did not drop out of the sky, but I can make anything difficult.

When I finally got a breather config I thought would work, the throttle linkage is interfering with the air cleaner.

I haven't spent any time understanding the issue and maybe the fix is as simple as rotating the air cleaner base.

Or maybe you can suggest a better way to run the breather tube?

I'll try to post a couple photos later today.

Mike

I might be wrong but I think the '67 HO GTO, the 4 speed '66 and '67 442 and the L78 Chevelle SS all used the same drop base open element air cleaner from GM. They look cool because they lower the filter around the carb and save on height and hood clearance. Repros are in the catalogs (esp Chevelle).
The base is arched which smooths air flow into the carb unlike the cheap flat base units where air must make an abrupt 90 degree turn into the carb which causes turbulence. Ues the same 14x3 air filter.

Back in my formative years where it was a choice between a $20 air cleaner or 2 full tanks of gas, I modified my stock air cleaner by drilling a series of 3/8" holes in staggered rows across the back of the stock air cleaner base, effectively perforating the back half. I put masking tape on and laid the spacing out perfectly, center punched each location and drilled them out. I cleaned them up with a grinding cone and gave it a shot of paint (Ford Blue in those days). The modification allowed better air flow and still looked stock as viewed from the front and sides of the car.

I run a Z-28 dual snorkel of my 455 (the drop base accepts Holley carbs) that looks similar to the Pontiac but without the air doors. It is still very restrictive. Every now and then I put a plain chrome 14" lid on it which fits fine over the stock air filter element and is much less restrictive but I don't like the look and always go back to the stock chrome lid.

I'm thinking of doing the same as above. with a dual snorkel extra i have.

Good idea, I'll look into this. Thanks.

Photos show what I've got. The breather tube was a PITA... had to get creative with fittings. I have a couple stock valve covers in the pile but don't think that would help much unless I had a stock air cleaner and metal tube. The basic issue is finding a fitting to turn tight corners on the base of the air cleaner.

And I see what you mean about the airflow being challenged with this base design.

Is there enough clearance to avoid this "drop-base" style air cleaner?

Mike

I would not recommend using that air cleaner base. We did Dyno testing with one just like that on a QJ and it lost a surprising amount of power


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Makes sense, thanks. I'll start looking for alternatives.

What did you use that worked better? How did you route the breather?

Are these types acceptable?