[David Jones]

I have a 1" Mr. Gasket air cleaner spacer between my qjet and the drop base of my air cleaner. I need it to clear the throttle linkage. I like my air cleaner as it is and prefer a spacer as opposed to changing the cleaner base.

The spacer I have is a cheapo piece of crap and I'd like to upgrade a bit. I've seen some GM made spacers that came on some TBI engines that looked better (don't know if they'd fit) and also various aftermarket models that vary from chiseled from a solid block of aluminum to some Holley made models composite models that look nice but appear to be....designed for a Holley.

Do any of you use a spacer to lift the air cleaner? Recommend one?

[77 TRASHCAN]

I used to sell auto parts. I have NEVER seen an air cleaner spacer that looked like it was worth more than 25 cents.

A Holley and Q-Jet can use the same air cleaner base, may need an adjustment.

I had a part number in my rolodex I wrote down from something we worked on it our shop (GM) it's obsolete...of course...

I'm still looking...

[ta man]

I know you like your air cleaner but your using a drop base then adding a spacer so it clears... why not just buy a new air cleaner not a drop base?

[screamingchief]

B&B performance (stefs) makes some nice aluminum ones.

B&B sure seal air cleaner spacers.

Not too pricey either,check Summit or Jegs,IIRC they're like $20.00 to $30.00 or so.

They have them in 1/2" increments from .500" to 2" thick.

And any air cleaner spacer that fits a holley should fit a Qjet unless there is something peculiar that I'm not thinking of,the OD for both those air horn flanges is the same.

I have an OE DSAC on my holley 3310,fits no problemo.

And I've run aftermarket 4bbl. air cleaners on Qjets too...

Also,Goodmark makes @ least one of the OE types of spacers,they have those @ Summit.

http://www.summitracing.com/parts/GMK-4033-230-706/

Not sure how tall it is though...

But just about anything is going to be better than those plastic spacers.

HTH

Bret P.

[HaloMedic]

cool I need to get one of those, the one im using is broken and is held together with tape and it been on the car like that for 3 years

[David Jones]

Bret, the GM replacement unit is similar to a couple I've seen on Ebay from various TBI GM engines in the past. I think I'm going to go out to the Pull-A-Part with a tape measure and see if anything out there may accidentally work.

I like the interior shape of my drop base and prefer to keep it. In my own little mind can picture that shape (nice gentle radius) along with the roughly one inch straight shot into the carb (as dictated by the 1" air cleaner spacer) as a good thing.

[Craig Hendrickson]

Originally Posted by David Jones

I like the interior shape of my drop base and prefer to keep it. In my own little mind can picture that shape (nice gentle radius) along with the roughly one inch straight shot into the carb (as dictated by the 1" air cleaner spacer) as a good thing.

The QJet does NOT like a straight shot into the air horn, but rather wants an immediate radius out to a flat or dropped base. In other words, using a straight spacer is costing you HP. Get the proper flat base air cleaner instead.

How do I know? Back-to-back-to-back tests at the drag strip.

[Cliff R]

They are also sensitive to how close the lid is to the top of the carb.

A few years ago I did some testing with a K & N X-Treme lid. It did NOT work at all. Using it produced huge "stumble" going to full throttle that would not tune out.

Running the factory air cleaner lid (it has a pretty tall rise in it, not flat), or no lid at all and everything was fine.

I also tested a Shorter Shaker top so I could use the RPM intake. This required a shorter air filter element as the stock lid would hit the Shaker assembly. Same deal, moving the stock lid 1" closer to the carburetor produced the same stumble I experienced with the X-Treme lid a few years earlier.

Q-jets can also drop some power when bolted directly to single plane intakes. We've seen some DRAMATIC improvments on the dyno installing a spacer to get the carb up off the intakes some.

I think what happens is that the huge secondary throttle plates extend too deep into the plenum. Being deeper than the primary plates, some turbulence is created, or something that effects airflow and distribution into the cylinders. Edelbrock may have suspected this, as they put a "step" into the early Torker intakes. It was stated someplace that this was done to reduce fuel impingment, or something like that. It may have also been added to combat turbulence and distribution issues invoked by the spread bore design?

Even big Holley style carburetors respond favorably to adding a spacer to a single plane intake, at least that's what I've seen from the testing we've done here......Cliff

[David Jones]

I woke my youngest son at 10:30 this morning and drug him up to the Pull-A-Part with me for a little spacer searching. Turns out GM produced a number of spacers for use in their V-8, throttle body combinations. I found one that is 1.25" tall. It carries a port on it that I don't need (and will remove and plug) and also has a small piece of angle inside that I'll take off. The top of it perfectly meshes with the bottom of my base and the rolled lower end seems to lay nice and flat on the air cleaner gasket.

One thing I've noticed since I've had my car. What works for one doesn't always work well for the next guy. Since I have $1.61 tied up in my spacer I'm going to play with it for a while. Thanks for each of your input.

[Firebob]

I have a somewhat related question...
I have a RPM that I'd like to replace the Performer with. I though I would have to wait till I cut the hole in the hood to do it but then I got hold of a drop base to use. It only seems to have about 3/4" more drop than the one I have already which isn't enough to make up the difference in height and I don't have any wiggle room to work with. I'm already at the limit under the hood now. So I thought I might install the RPM and use a 2" filter instead of the 3" I use now.

Question is will I get enough air flow through the 2" filter?

[David Jones]

Originally Posted by Firebob

I have a somewhat related question...
I have a RPM that I'd like to replace the Performer with. I though I would have to wait till I cut the hole in the hood to do it but then I got hold of a drop base to use. It only seems to have about 3/4" more drop than the one I have already which isn't enough to make up the difference in height and I don't have any wiggle room to work with. I'm already at the limit under the hood now. So I thought I might install the RPM and use a 2" filter instead of the 3" I use now.

Question is will I get enough air flow through the 2" filter?

http://forums.maxperformanceinc.com/...ghlight=filter

I went to a 4". 2" doesn't seem like near enough, according to what I've read.

I've cut and filed as needed on the spacer and have some Marine Tex epoxy setting in the former vent hole right now. A trial fit says that I have room under the hood. Silly thing fits like GM made it for my car.

[b-man]

Using a 2" tall air filter would defeat the purpose of the intake swap.

Any possible improvement in induction flow with the RPM will be negated with the smaller filter.

[Greg Reid]

Originally Posted by Cliff R

They are also sensitive to how close the lid is to the top of the carb.

A few years ago I did some testing with a K & N X-Treme lid. It did NOT work at all. Using it produced huge "stumble" going to full throttle that would not tune out.

Running the factory air cleaner lid (it has a pretty tall rise in it, not flat), or no lid at all and everything was fine.

I also tested a Shorter Shaker top so I could use the RPM intake. This required a shorter air filter element as the stock lid would hit the Shaker assembly. Same deal, moving the stock lid 1" closer to the carburetor produced the same stumble I experienced with the X-Treme lid a few years earlier.....Cliff

By your estimate Cliff, what is the optimum distance between the top of the airhorn and the lid of the aircleaner? I'm wondering because I, like many here I'm sure, have an aftermarket air cleaner, but have no stock air cleaner to gauge it by.

[Cliff R]

Greg, I never measured the distance the X-Treme lid was to the top of the carburetor, but it was very close.

When I installed the shorter Shaker top and shorter air filter, the stock lid was also very close, less than an 1" but I didn't do exact measurments.

Since my engine hated that scenario, I built a custom air filter assembly in the Shaker opening, using furnace filter media and wire mesh screen.

I have since went back to the stock intake and taller Shaker assembly, stock height filter, etc. I didn't see any performance loss anyplace going back to the stock parts, so won't be doing any more testing in that area.....Cliff

[Greg Reid]

Ok, it should be easy enough to find next time I look at a stock setup. I expect mine is close to that. Just a basic chrome open element air filter kit.

[Tom Vaught]

Holley Data said you needed 1.75 inches from the choke tower to the roof of the air cleaner. Front bowl vent tube is in the choke tower casting.

If you remove the choke tower, you need 1.75 inches from the tallest vent tube.

Tom Vaught

[David Jones]

This is the finished product.

[Greg Reid]

Nice looking mill there David.

[77 TRASHCAN]

Is that a Cliffster Jet carb???.........LOL

[David Jones]

It is an offspring of Cliff's book, my workbench and a Pull-A-Part 79 Toronado.