409 Glass fuel filter bowl

Iowa409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
So in my engine build I am in the middle of doing fuel lines now for my engine stand start up to be happening soon.

This fuel bowl to me, mounts upside down, glass down towards the intake.

This seems correct but they slant down towards the intake.

I ordered new element/filter and gasket, it sure does not seem to fit real well, but I am told this is how it goes.

Now the question is on the installation, I did the install in this order, if this is not correct, please by all means correct me.

I put the fuel filter in first, then the rubber gasket around the element, then the fuel bowl/glass top and tightened the thumb screw down,, it sure seems like its going to not want to seal properly, but I wont know til I add fuel and fire it up.
it.thumbnail_IMG_3051.jpgthumbnail_IMG_3052.jpgthumbnail_IMG_3053.jpgthumbnail_IMG_3054.jpg
 

Iowa409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
I might have to use a 3/8 x barb to connect the outlet of the fuel pump, to the 3/8 SS fuel line to carb, but if I could locate a 3/8 Mthrd NPT x 5/16 Fmthrd NPT, 90 degree fitting that would be the ticket.
 

55Brodie

Well Known Member
Looks to me like you should move the 45 degree adapter that is currently on the filter housing to the carburetor inlet. You would then need another straight piece of flared fuel line and a straight adapter to the filter.
 

oldskydog

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 10
Is that the right carb? I don't remember the fuel inlet slanting down like that but I never had a 340 so I'm probably wrong.....right Phil?
 

Iowa409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
As far as I knew the 64 409/340 slanted down like that, as far as plumbing and level, I do not like it, I would want to plumb it straight., and I may still do that, I need to set the breather on it and see if thats going to hit if it is straight, I am not sure why else it would be there that way, yes it is the correct carb 4GC, big throat, the numbers book say its the one anyways? I have some time set aside today for work on it, so we shall see. I was told to be accurate it should slant downward, but since I started this I have become much more educated as I go, it seems.

when I first started acquiring stuff 4 years ago, I am sure by the pile of parts in my shop that is not going to work, I bought a whole lot of of horseshit with frosting on it disguised as cup cakes , lol, live and learn I guess, lol
 
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Iowa409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
Yep Phil, good eye, it is in fact clocked wrong and not the right fuel pump, it is capable of doing the job as far as delivery, etc.

But I am going to have to modify/match up the plumbing to make it work right, that fitting I need to find will get it done I think.

The fuel line is a SS line from Show Cars, by the part number, it should be right and correct, I think it just that I did not use the right fuel pump.
 

gwagon

Well Known Member
The fuel bowl does slant like that. The show cars lines are whats on mine in the pictures. I had trouble after first driving mine with running out of fuel. I am sending pictures of filters to show that they are not all alike. I don't remember which one worked. I think the one with holes closer to the center.
Maybe just my luck but I got different filters with same part number. You can put the paper filter in the base and tell which one lines up.

fuel line.jpg fuel line2.jpg filter.jpg
 

Iowa409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
Great pics gwagon......... I have the one on the left, the element, hopefully that s the ticket., I just need to reclock my fuel pump tonight and that should get me all aligned up perfect.
 

drc409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
My 2 cents: use original AC 149 ceramic filter vs. paper element filter especially if you use ethanol fuel. My experience is paper does not hold up very well.
 

gwagon

Well Known Member
My 2 cents: use original AC 149 ceramic filter vs. paper element filter especially if you use ethanol fuel. My experience is paper does not hold up very well.

I agree but they are hard to come by around here. Maybe I'm not looking in the right place. I do not run ethanol fuel.
Got rid of a lot of problems after using non ethanol.
 

Iowa409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 3
Thank you drc409, This is what Bruce sent me from Show Cars, if it does not work, I'll go grab the one you are referring to.
 

gwagon

Well Known Member
Thank you drc409, This is what Bruce sent me from Show Cars, if it does not work, I'll go grab the one you are referring to.

When I said I had trouble running out of fuel, the car ran just fine. Under certain conditions it would surge from lack of fuel. You might not have that problem. Changing the filter fixed mine but no two cars are alike.
 

Junky

Well Known Member
The AC 149 filters can be found on eBay; not cheap though---around $20 (gasket included).

I just did a eBay search for AC-149 fuel filter, and the prices are about $10 more when you factor in the purchase and shipping. I have been using the Wix replacement filter for a number of years now, with the ethanol laced gasoline, without any problem. I switched to the paper element, since I wasn't sure how well the brown fiber (coconut fiber) would react with the alcohol. A lot depends on how far you want to go to keep everything original looking. I did find a Union 76 brown fiber filter on eBay for $14 plus $3.50 shipping, and it looks identical to the AC unit, but isn't stamped on the top with the AC part number. I am inclined to believe that all these filters were coming out of the same factory, using the same machinery to manufacture the part. I remember before the brown filter, AC had a ceramic stone filter, that was a very light tan, almost white. I looked for that filter on eBay, but couldn't find any. They all probably got used up, when the brown filter were introduced, since at that time, people thought that the stone was superior to the brown fiber filter. No different than today, when the general consensus is that the brown fiber is better than the pleated paper filter. My only comment on this is "do you think that a 1960's technology oil filter is superior to a 2018 technology oil filter? Would you use a 50 year old oil filter on your newly rebuilt 1962 engine? I realize that filtering oil is a lot more important than filtering your gas, but you are more likely to get contaminants in your gasoline, than in your newly rebuilt engine. I find it surprising that some who espouse modern technology in engine rebuilding would favor old technology in fuel filtering. Yep... it is my grumpiness coming out again at the ends of my finger tips.. :confusedGF149A.jpgGF149B.jpg
Both of the above filters are genuine AC fuel filters. Note that the paper one doesn't have any numbers stamped on it, so it is probably made under contract between AC and one of the other major filter makers. Just like so many other parts today, the only difference is the price and the packaging, but the product inside of the box all come from the same production line, even if it does or doesn't have a brand stamping on it.
 

drc409

Well Known Member
Supporting Member 2
A white paper element filter I tried turned to mush after a fairly short time. A brown paper element did last much longer but I found less sediment in bottom of filter than I do with the old ceramic style---just my personal experience.

Filter material aside, I found a lot more sediment in filter using ethanol gas than non-ethanol gas.
 

lennyjay

Well Known Member
I like that your trying to keep things original. You may want to do a search on glass fuel bowls . Once the parts are replaced, it seems the bowls start leaking, which leads to tightening the knob on the bowl. End result is the bowl cracks and you have a fire. Don't want to scare anybody but even GM did away with them. I will be using a good inline filter. I have all the 2x4 fuel lines and bowl, but not using it.

This one was in a boat......
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