[421Carl]

Has anyone out there actually ever seen a 1966 421 356hp (WH or YJ) 3x2 dual snorkle air cleaner with THREE EQUAL SIZED CARB HOLES ???? If these things existed, anyone know the part number. I need one of these breathers for a '66 2+2 421 356hp 3x2 4-spd car. I have info pertaining to this type breather from '58-'65, but NO '66!!! Any info would be appreciated.

[421Carl]

Has anyone out there actually ever seen a 1966 421 356hp (WH or YJ) 3x2 dual snorkle air cleaner with THREE EQUAL SIZED CARB HOLES ???? If these things existed, anyone know the part number. I need one of these breathers for a '66 2+2 421 356hp 3x2 4-spd car. I have info pertaining to this type breather from '58-'65, but NO '66!!! Any info would be appreciated.

[carbking]

Have not seen a part number for these; personally believe they were serviced with small pie-pans, or not serviced at all, but check your mailbox. Jon.

[Blackcat]

Never seen a 66 Big air cleaner. Pontiac went to the small air cleaners. Makes more sense. Why retool the big one when the small ones wirked fine.

[bonneville Joe]

Every tri-power 66 Bonne that I have ever seen had the 3 small aircleaners. No dual snorkels. I agree with blackcat on this one.

[Tom Vaught]

I personally know that all tri-power cats were built with the small Pie Plates as I still own an
original complete 1966 cat set-up off of a 421
2+2. Tom V.

[Tim642957]

Carbking's right, no part number is listed for the dual snorkle air cleaner in 1966. My 1966 parts books show that all T/8 & P/8 1966 tri-powers had 3 air cleaners.

[ March 01, 2002: Message edited by: Tim642957 ]</p>

[421Carl]

In '65, you could get 2 (two) tri-power 421's. One was a 356hp (codes WH & YJ), tri-power, #77 heads, and small log exh. manifolds. THIS version 421 had a single large diameter dual snorkle breather. The 376hp (codes WJ & YK) had tri-power, #77 heads, long-branch exh. manifolds and 3 (three) individual air cleaners. I am wondering if this was same for 1966 concerning the 421 - 356hp version with tri-power, #093 heads, small log exhaust manifolds? I agree, why would they retool for the one year only. I also agree that the big 7" thick '58-'66 Pontiac parts book does NOT list a part number for this dual snorkle breather, BUT in that same book, there is a picture/diagram of this dual snorkle breather on a tri-power and at the bottom of the picture, it says '64-'66'. Who knows, maybe the book has errors in it. It doesn't make since for the retool. In '66, Pontiac only made 1531 (WH & YJ) 421-356hp engines. The same amount would be the number of breathers IF they retooled.
I have had several people over the years claim to have seen one of these breathers with the 3 (three) equal holes and some even claim to have owned one - a retired gentleman emailed me and told me he had purchased a 1966 Grand Prix 421 3x2 car NEW. He swears it had a single large dual snorkle breather on it along with tri-power and that it was a 356hp car.

I think it is possible they were made in '66, but chances are probably pretty slim considering everything. If anyone has documentation on this or knows someone who has one, please contact me.

Thanks for all the input!!!

[Tom Vaught]

421carl,
The factory was not that dedicated when it came to putting the right photo with the right caption.
I have found many errors in this area. There is only a small difference in diameter between a 65
and 66 airhorn diameter. Maybe 3/16 on each side.
Any good bodyman could have opened up the center
hole on a 65 "Big Single" air cleaner to fit a 66
set-up. I have thought about it many times on my
64 GTO as the big air cleaner does a lot better job of air filtration and air management into the
carbs vs the 3 little air cleaners. Several of
my friends use the 64/65 air cleaner for everyday
driving and install the 3 small air cleaners for
the shows. Milt S. (one of the posters on this
board) even created a cowl induction set-up that
used this type air cleaner with a tube to the GTO
firewall. Ask Milt to post on this sometime.
Tom V.

[carbking]

Over the years, I have probably spent at least 100 hours trying to find some factory mention of this air cleaner, and cannot!

However, a gentleman on the West Coast who trades in performance parts swears he has had two of them. I respect this gentleman's knowledge and integrity and do not doubt what he has said.

One anomaly which I have found in my research: production option 805 is listed as a 356 hp 421 engine for catalina, but it listed as a 375 hp 421 engine for police use. Why the horsepower rating difference? The police engines came with many heavy duty items: alternator, radiator, shroud, etc. My police/fleet book is incomplete. Does anyone have a complete fleet/police catalog to check? Possibly this thing was considered heavy duty.

As to the low production tooling, Pontiac probably did not know at the beginning of 1966 that GM would drop multi-carburetion on everything but their Mattel model at the end of the 1966 model year. How do you think the folks at Olds felt when they found out their tripower was a one year only?

Carl, were you able to contact the gentleman I mentioned in my email?

Jon.

[Blackcat]

I've been into Big pontiacs since 82 and have never seen a big car 66 Dual Snorkle air cleaner.
This includes several visits to the nationals.
Only the little ones were available on the 66.

[Ken K]

If someone were to own such a thing as a 1966 Tri Power dual snorkel air cleaner what would it be worth?

[bonneville Joe]

Well, just to confirm the errors in the manual thing. In the 1966 Showroom catalog there are pictures of 66 GTO's and Tempests with 8 lugs with small type listing them as a higher cost option. As all of you should already know, this never happend. Go figure.

[Tom Vaught]

This brings up another question. Has anyone seen a mechanical tri-power linkage for a 1964 Big Car
(not Super Duty 61 style)? Have you Jon?

[Blackcat]

The big car manual carb linkage is a Tube and rod setup much different than the GTO style.
I might have had an early 63 setup a while back. I use the repros now a days. 99% os the origional cstups had the vaccune setup.
I may be wrong and the Big cars all came with the Vaccume. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_wink.gif[/img]

[carbking]

Both the Pontiac and Rochester Master Parts books indicate all 1964 tripowers were vacuum. I seem to remember a bulletin about over the counter mechanical linkage, but can't easily find the bulletin. Same sources indicate 1965 and 1966 tripowers with automatic transmissions were built with vacuum linkage, and those with standard transmissions were built with mechanical linkage. Without chasing all of the parts (which do verify this), simply look at the slotted center to rear control rod (group 3.440). However, it seems we do more of the mechanical linkage (dealer option!!!) than vacuum, due to the perception that mechanical is better. I put mechanical on my own 1964 GTO, but am considering trying the vacuum due to the dogmatic transmission, and the Bonneville Salt Flats rear gear (3.08) in the car.

The 1963 mechanical linkage, as suggested by Blackcat, is much different.

Jon.

[uneasyrider]

Originally Posted by 421Carl

In '65, you could get 2 (two) tri-power 421's. One was a 356hp (codes WH & YJ), tri-power, #77 heads, and small log exh. manifolds. THIS version 421 had a single large diameter dual snorkle breather. The 376hp (codes WJ & YK) had tri-power, #77 heads, long-branch exh. manifolds and 3 (three) individual air cleaners. I am wondering if this was same for 1966 concerning the 421 - 356hp version with tri-power, #093 heads, small log exhaust manifolds? I agree, why would they retool for the one year only. I also agree that the big 7" thick '58-'66 Pontiac parts book does NOT list a part number for this dual snorkle breather, BUT in that same book, there is a picture/diagram of this dual snorkle breather on a tri-power and at the bottom of the picture, it says '64-'66'. Who knows, maybe the book has errors in it. It doesn't make since for the retool. In '66, Pontiac only made 1531 (WH & YJ) 421-356hp engines. The same amount would be the number of breathers IF they retooled.
I have had several people over the years claim to have seen one of these breathers with the 3 (three) equal holes and some even claim to have owned one - a retired gentleman emailed me and told me he had purchased a 1966 Grand Prix 421 3x2 car NEW. He swears it had a single large dual snorkle breather on it along with tri-power and that it was a 356hp car.

I think it is possible they were made in '66, but chances are probably pretty slim considering everything. If anyone has documentation on this or knows someone who has one, please contact me.

Thanks for all the input!!!

You might ask "Why the hel l is someone replying to a post from 5yrs ago?" Well... I was trying to find out if this guys Ventura 421 tri-power 4-spd was the real thing that I just saw again at one of the local cars shows. It appears to be a servivor car. It's SO COOL! Black, WH code w/093's, 4spd, AC (Frigidaire), and 8-lugs! VERY VERY COOL! I looked at the car but I didn't really look at the air cleaners. The guy has shown up at several car shows over the last couple years so I'll look next time.

No one at the car show had a freaking clue what a cool car it was. So sad... I think I will sell my soul tonight for some money to buy this car. The car is not for sale but we all know there is a price out there. Anyone know any rituals for this act?

[65WJ]

Dang it. I believe someone was asking a tremendous amount of mooolllllaaaa for a 421 with dual snorkel air cleaner. Had a picture of the underneith showing 3 small hole for the carbs.
Patrick

[65WJ]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/65-CA...QQcmdZViewItem

[mike nixon]

Originally Posted by 65WJ

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/65-CA...QQcmdZViewItem

that looks like jerry h's car.

mike