air cleaner clearance

emf

emf

Well-known member
I searched the forum, but could not find. I have a 1954 Crestline with the 239 overhead and the Special Oil Bath air cleaner. I want to put a pcv valve in the valley pan and connect a hose to the carburetor base. Rather than drill and tap the intake, I want to put a 1" riser with a port for the hose. Question is, will the air cleaner clear the surface of the hood with the 1" riser. Short of asking my wife to crawl into the engine compartment with a tape and flashlight while I close the hood, I figured asking here would be safer...


Frank
 
Loosely form a few large-ish squares of aluminum foil into tennis ball sized shapes.
Stick them with a little bit of tape to the top or any edges of the air cleaner where clearance might a problem and close the hood.
Observe how squashed, or not, the foil is after you open the hood.

.
 
Last edited:
Whatever you do, don’t crawl in yourself. My wife wouldn’t let me out until I agreed to the shopping spree.
 
Great idea with the foil. My wife's response was, "There is not enough jewelry...."
 
I let Shirley read the thread. From my wife to yours, at her request.

Edit. The “thumbs up” won’t post in the reply.
 
If you did try to raise the air cleaner 1 inch by making a collar out of tin and have a piece of thin-wall tubing welded through a hole in the collar, there are two considerations.
1) Notice how the bottom of the air cleaner bows downward from the center outward. The metal tubing in your home-made collar will need to also bend downward so that the tubing and/or hose will not hit the bottom of the air cleaner.
2) Attaching the collar to the carb throat should be fairly easy by drilling two or three holes through the collar and welding a threaded nut at those holes. Then you can use machine screws at each nut to clamp the collar to the carb throat. BUT THEN, how will you clamp the air cleaner to the top of your new collar? It wont work with the original clamp unless you can duplicate all the divets around the top of the collar to match the locations on the air cleaner clamp.
 
emf said:
Short of asking my wife to crawl into the engine compartment with a tape and flashlight while I close the hood, I figured asking here would be safer...
Click to expand...


I actually can crawl into the engine compartment of my '55 Courier with the 223 I-block six and have the hood closed on me, but I doubt I could do it with the Y-block in my '55 Sedan.
 
Daves5Sedan: Not sure what you are getting at with your explanation above. My idea of a riser is to put it between the carburetor and the manifold. This is the one I will use:


s-l500.jpg
 
emf said:
Daves5Sedan: Not sure what you are getting at with your explanation above.

My idea of a riser is to put it between the carburetor and the manifold.

This is the one I will use:


s-l500.jpg
Click to expand...


I think Dave is referring to having the PCV inlet at the top of the carb, such as with an ACL spacer that raises the ACL from the carb body. That will lead to engine fumes being ingested into the carb barrels which can lead to fouling the carb.

What you show is correct if the hood will close after install.

One thought, during/after install, remove the ACL stud for confirmation of fit so it will not possibly dimple the hood. After fit confirmation, re-install.

Also, after fit test and you still possibly have a little room, consider also a 1/4" phenolic spacer or at the least a thicker base gasket to isolate the carb somewhat from engine heat.
 
Results of test:



I placed a tennis ball size clump of tin foil as suggested above on the top of the air cleaner and dropped the hood. The tin foil after the drop measured 1". As you can see there is already a 1/4" phenolic spacer for heat. I think my choices are few. Either have a thinner pcv spacer made or use the 1" pcv spacer and remove the 1/4" spacer that is currently there. Maybe a 1" phenolic spacer to replace the 1/4" one that is there may be a good option. I'll have to see what is available, or make my own...


Frank
 

Attachments

  • IMG_8169.jpg
    IMG_8169.jpg
    56.8 KB · Views: 30
  • IMG_8171.jpg
    IMG_8171.jpg
    54.1 KB · Views: 27
  • IMG_8172.jpg
    IMG_8172.jpg
    59.7 KB · Views: 93
I would like to see a two hole spacer with small holes to each side. Just to try to keep up air velocity for low RPM throttle response. You can make one from hard wood.
 
I also was concerned about the one large oval hole but I have no data to support my feelings. I/m not sure hard wood would support the threading operation to hold the hose barb fitting for the pcv.
 
At least on the 4 barrels Ted Eaton and others have had good results with individual hole spacers. I’d suspect if you posted it over on yblocksforever someone could suggest a 2 barrel spacer that would work. Might get a suggestion here too.
 
From what I see, I don't think you will be able to put a spacer of any type under the carb.

What size vacuum line is it running from the front of the carb to the firewall? That fitting position on the intake was the same vacuum source as used on the 1960/ 292 PCV System.

374747



That may be your out w/o changing the appearance too much.

Beautiful detail BTW. Is it a restoration or survivor?
 
I wondered about the vacuum port in front also. I was not sure if that port went to all of the intake valves or only the front ones. Not even sure I know what I'm talking about, but somewhere I read that the proper place to introduce the pcv hose was at the carburetor. If that port was used by the factory in 1960, who am I to argue??? The line leaving that port is the vacuum to the wipers. Maybe a 3/8 Tee bushed down for the wipers is the way to go. This car has been in my possession for a little over a month. It was restored body off about 10 years ago and this is the way I bought it. I could easily route a 3/8 line around the other side to the valley pan....


Frank
 
For that matter, the line to the wipers could just as easily be disconnected, for all the effectiveness of the vacuum wipers. RainX might just do the job as well as these wipers...
 
emf said:
I wondered about the vacuum port in front also. I was not sure if that port went to all of the intake valves or only the front ones. Not even sure I know what I'm talking about, but somewhere I read that the proper place to introduce the pcv hose was at the carburetor. If that port was used by the factory in 1960, who am I to argue???

Frank
Click to expand...

You have the theory correct. That fitting if you notice, is at the front of the intake manifold carb plenum so the ingested fumes should be distributed to all cylinders somewhat evenly.

If done in a certain way, it would be almost unnoticeable and easy to convert back for shows if desired.

Below are ILL of the later 292 2V setup. Notice the later valley cover pan detail-
 

Attachments

  • Valley Pan- 64 2V LT 292 2V _1.jpg
    Valley Pan- 64 2V LT 292 2V _1.jpg
    75.8 KB · Views: 16
  • Valley Pan- 64 2V LT 292 2V _2.jpg
    Valley Pan- 64 2V LT 292 2V _2.jpg
    10.7 KB · Views: 16
  • Valley Pan- 64 2V LT 292 2V _3.jpg
    Valley Pan- 64 2V LT 292 2V _3.jpg
    65.8 KB · Views: 16
emf said:
For that matter, the line to the wipers could just as easily be disconnected, for all the effectiveness of the vacuum wipers. RainX might just do the job as well as these wipers...
Click to expand...

Nah... The STATE BOYS and INSURANCE CARRIERS frown on that. I know you most likely don't drive it in the rain but you might get caught out. Also frequent use of the vacuum wiper motor keeps it lubricated.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top