Free magic air filter

Willit Stop

Willit Stop

Well-known member
Do you have a good running flathead and want it to run like crap?Do you get 18 MPG and would rather get around 6?Do you have a top speed of 70 and only want to go 40?Do you get tired of passing everyone and would rather they pass you?Do you want your gas-sipping Stromberg to act more like a Kholer toilet? If so,I have just what you're looking for.It's a no-name air filter about 4 inches in diameter and is 2 inches tall,chrome top and bottom with a replaceable filter. Yessiree...Bolt this baby on top of your carb and it will do all of these things in one felled swoop.A little friendly advice here....if you already have one of these on your old flathead and are having performance problems,this could be the culprit.
 
I found the same thing when I put one on top of my 8BA. It overfueled the engine and caused the rings on one piston to grab the cylinder wall so hard it tore the top off one of the pistons. What a racket when it happened. After about 100 yards, it got quiet again and ran pretty well, considering it was running on 7 cylinders. The top of the piston was pushed up to the top and the rest of the piston just slid up and down after it pounded any interferance down on the skirt. It ran pretty well all the way home. They seem to be OK on multiple carbs, but I would never run one on a single carb again.
 
Funny thing, a recent episode of Fast N Loud built a 38 sedan with what they said was an H&H flathead. Dummies put those filters as described on it????
 
Hope...I can't find the camera so I'll describe the filter as best i can.Chrome top and bottom.It attaches to the carb with a set screw.The bottom piece has a stud attached that goes through the cartridge and secures the top to the bottom with a wingnut.The cartridge measures 3-13/16"Dia. x 2"H.Did you waste your money too?
 
My thoughts on this...modified flatheads should have their first tuning and their first test runs done with no air cleaner. Then if anything changes when you slap the things on there you have your warning!
Original oil air cleaners can be choked up with crud bonded to the medium, either totally or at higher speeds...any hotrod air cleaner that looks right on multiple carbs is very small and highly suspect! Solution?? I have no idea...good air cleaners all look wrong omn there! many of the little ones are like yours, no good at all, and the good ones are still SMALL...there is very little area to get dirty before you are getting towards trouble. The really good, almost restriction free air cleaners like the huge muscle eral AC's and Fords would probably run almost forever on a little flathead before plugging, and are big enough to span multiple carbs...but who wants an aircleaner that occludes the entire engine room??
Some aftermarket 4-barrel cleaners are small enough to be fitted on a 2 carb setup, have far more area than the traditional little ones, and can probably be fitted with some decent OEM elements. A possibilty for some applications...
Remember that a serious rich condition can wear out your rings in just a few hundred miles!
 
I agree with you Bruce.This POS air cleaner,although small,LOOKS like it'll work.It's new,clean and you can see light through it.Around 1500 RPM's or so, the engine would become sluggish and my last thought was to think that the problem could be the air cleaner. Simply put, not enough filter.Do you know anybody that has a Crosley?
 
Willit - I feel your pain. Had the same thing happen to a good running 59ab. I fixed mine by using the base of the cheapo filter, adding an appropriately sized K&N washable filter ($30+) and made a flat top by turning a disc out of 1/4" aluminum plate. The original stud had to be lengthened and I topped it off with a chrome acorn nut. The little dude works fine and REALLY sucks air when requested by the engine.
 
Thanks Henry.... B-O-B,who visits this site,suggested kinda the same thing.He just stacked one on top of the other.Makes sense huh? twice the area, twice the flow.Now I wish I hadn't jumped up and down on top of it.:(
 
B-O-B's idea makes a lot of sense. I also think that removing the chrome "shroud" and using just the filter element would help.
 
K&N makes that size filter. Another route is get their #60-1331 which has a
2 5/8th throat, keep "el cheepo" base and cut a slot on each side of new base to fit over where the bolt/screw strap is, then cut down "el cheepo" base. Works like a champ.
 
Just out of curiosity I measured the filter on the SBC in my 49 pickup. OK....roughly half again as many cubic inches.But,it measured out to 110 square inches of filter surface area compared to 24 square inches of area on the "el cheepo".It sounds like a big fat K&N is the way to go.
 
Willit Stop_ Does this look like the one you described as beeing "CRAP"???

Hope
 

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Hope...It's similar.My cartridge looks to be the same size but has a finer screen. The chrome top is flat and does not cover the sides when installed.It's easy to test,just drive it and see if your car runs better without the cleaner.I noticed the difference right away.You may have a good one.I dunno.I'm not a mechanic but it seems to me that at 2000 RPM's,a whole bunch of air has to be drawn through that filter and if it's too restrictive it will become a choke. I hope this has helped you.
 
Thanks for the reply Willit, I guess i may have one that's acceptable i'll have to try and find out when i get the car running.
I dont know how much i paid for it as i have had it for a long time, and i'm one of those old geezers that forget everything.
I know its made by Vintique if that's better or not i dont know.
 
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