Least restrictive air cleaner

[GasNOil]

One should always ask, "do we drive dynos?" No. Real world in-car experience here with air cleaner filter tops because I was there and I witnessed it. My friend had a nasty 63 Nova with a full roller, 8,000 rpm small block in it. It had a Brodix single plane intake on a flat hood so space was tight. After he built the car, he drove it around a bit with no air cleaner. My buddies and I gave him much crap about it and he ended buying a 14" x 3" air cleaner with a solid top. It was CLOSE to the hood but it fit. Drop base air cleaner. Took it for a drive.... would barely RPM past 6,000. Came back to the garage, scratched our heads... Put a filter top on it, BOOM. Almost, if not all, REV-ability restored.

Granted, this is just one example where they did work. Every engine, every car is different.

 

[Ishiftem]

This doesn't relate to the discussion of air filter flow, but while flowing a 750 edelbrock on my flow bench showed just removing the choke plate and shaft, flow jumped 30 cfm. Quick and easy gain, all gains after this is not so easy.

True! Removing the choke horn on my 750 only showed a 1.4% improvement. I never tested with the flap. Profiling the throttle shafts was 8%! That was on an original afb that has thicker shafts then the edebrock. It was really shocking to see those changes. I would of put down money that the choke horn would of been a big improvement and the throttle shafts a waste a time.

 

[Ishiftem]

One should always ask, "do we drive dynos?" No.

Right on! A change could show 40 more horsepower or 20 cfm on a flow bench and actually be slower on the track. It happens all the time!

 

[ROYALOAK62]

When I changed to the Edelblock 1406 & 1405 carburetors atop the stock 881 intake manifold from the stock carter’s (just worn out & tried twice to have them rebuilt $$$$, with no luck), I found the the Edelblocks have different size air horn size & spacing, as of has stated. Also I purchased from a 1962 dual snorkel air clear base.p from Show Cars.
Also found that the 1962 has a unique year dual snorkel spacing in its air cleaner. Because it used the long generator.
Then if you combine a after market power brake booster, it only makes things worse.

To keep the stock look of the dual snorkel. I cut and repositioned the new base plate to allow the snorkel ring to be welded, so the drivers side fit between the generator & brake booster.

So for the stock look on the 62 you will have to some work so everything fits and looks as best as possible.

 

[1964SuperStocker]

Watched the video, interesting. I’m curious, the air cleaners that 1964 super stocker is showing, the dual quad witH open tops, can you get those for a dual quad 409? If not, seems like the stock air cleaner isn’t that bad.

Maybe Nathan can chime in. I sent him links to 2-3 different dual quad oval air cleaners. K&N or Edelbrock is all I found I think.

 

[1964SuperStocker]

Right on! A change could show 40 more horsepower or 20 cfm on a flow bench and actually be slower on the track. It happens all the time!

After seeing the chassis dyno at my engine builder go to work I was shocked how a simple air cleaner/timing tune on the car with the wheels spinning could produce 50 more hp. As my builder pointed out..."Every drive train is different and the engine dyno won't tell you what it can/will do in the car." Variables can be hard to see/find and we must all keep them in mind but we will never account for them all.