CCLARK'S SMALL CHROME AIR CLEANERS

[jmcasaleiz@gmail.com]

I am thinking about installing Clark's small chrome air cleaners on my 1966 140hp. The installation shown looks kinda hokey. Has anyone installed these ? Okay results? A better way of installing? All idea's appreciated. Thank you, Duke

[66vairguy]

I am thinking about installing Clark's small chrome air cleaners on my 1966 140hp. The installation shown looks kinda hokey. Has anyone installed these ? Okay results? A better way of installing? All idea's appreciated. Thank you, Duke

I have no experience with the small air cleaners, but note 66 engine will have a Positive Crankcase Ventilation system. Clark's does sell the small air filters with a PCV hose adapter that should be used. Some who install the small individual air filters just put a small filter on the PCV tube that went to the removed stock air cleaner. That lets crankcase fumes (and carbon monoxide) go into the engine fan and into the passenger compartment if the heater is used.
See PCV explanation.

[SkidRo]

I installed them on my 140. At first, I used the rubber type hose included with the cleaners. I had to notch relief cuts into the rubber to so it would slip over the carburetor. It would still lift off the carbs though. Then I tried using exhaust reducers, I cannot remember the size, that mounted between the filter housing and the carbs. I still had to cut the notches in the reducer and use the rubber, but it worked so much better. If I was just buying a new filter housing, I would buy the performance one instead. It is more expensive but so much easy to install.

[Frank DuVal]

Yes, just putting a small filter over the PCV tube lets crankcase fumes flow through the heater into passenger noses. Not a good smell and certainly not good inside the body.

[jimbrandberg]

How about the idea that just a filter is just a vent rather than positive crankcase ventilation from engine vacuum or air flow through carburetor during low vacuum situations.
Someone said even the road draft tube has some scavenging effect when the car is underway.
Jim Brandberg
Isanti, MN
CorvairRepair.com

[Frank DuVal]

Someone said even the road draft tube has some scavenging effect when the car is underway.

Um, that's exactly what the road draft tube is supposed to do! Suck crankcase vapors out of the engine and put them into the air outside the car/engine compartment. In order to suck air out, there is a filter, usually on the oil fill tube cap on other cars (not Corvairs) to allow air into the crankcase. The road draft tube is cut at an angle to make this suction effect.

I'm old enough to remember engines sitting at red lights spewing crankcase vapors (blow by) out as a smoke screen on worn engines, which most engine were back then before 100K miles. The PCV system was essential in fixing the smoke problem.

[RexJohnson]

The big problem with using a filter for the PVC system is any and all blow by will be sucked into the engine fan and coat the entire engine assy. This will cause dirt to stick to the fins and make it harder to cool.

[jmcasaleiz@gmail.com]

Why can't people try to stick to answering the original question. In this instance a better way of mounting the Clark air filters!

[azdave]

Why can't people try to stick to answering the original question. In this instance a better way of mounting the Clark air filters!

I did a similar trick with shorter exhaust pipe couplers and notched them so I would not need to make any changes to the carb tops. Now that I have a 3D printer that can use fiber-reinforced Nylon, I'll be making a coupler set soon to test those out and I can make them the exact OD/ID I'll need.

[Frank DuVal]

Why can't people try to stick to answering the original question. In this instance a better way of mounting the Clark air filters!

Because we like to see the engine as a whole system and make sure the result is not less than what was started with. With a question of how to mount the small chrome air filters one knows the PCV system needs to be addressed also, otherwise you could be sending fumes into the passenger compartment. So we should just let people make mistakes? And wait for the next question of why does it smell so bad? Or why does smoke come out of the pretty little filter? Address all issues now. Then proper decisions can be made. You may have already made allocation for the PCV system, we do not know, but many have not over the years, hence why we mention these little things. Just warding off future questions.

Are we Facebook?

At least we didn't explain how to rebuild the engine and change the muffler bearings (swappable with the left front wheel bearings on certain models, everyone knows that).

[jmcasaleiz@gmail.com]

Not yet!

[Dennis66]

So to take it back to the original question "I'm thinking about..." I have to ask: Is your OEM air filter system so bad? Think about it: You're taking ONE big air filter, and replacing it with 4 SMALLER air filters that while it looks cool, will be less efficient (not to mention the whole PCV thing. There's also the possibility of a fire if it backfires through a carb. You could go to a single aftermarket (read chrome hot rod looking) on top of the cross piece if you wanted more air. This may, or may not still give crankcase fume problems. Food for thought. Dennis

[66vairguy]

So to take it back to the original question "I'm thinking about..." I have to ask: Is your OEM air filter system so bad? Think about it: You're taking ONE big air filter, and replacing it with 4 SMALLER air filters that while it looks cool, will be less efficient (not to mention the whole PCV thing. There's also the possibility of a fire if it backfires through a carb. You could go to a single aftermarket (read chrome hot rod looking) on top of the cross piece if you wanted more air. This may, or may not still give crankcase fume problems. Food for thought. Dennis

Dennis - If I recall correctly, the PCV pipe comes in INSIDE the air filter element (stock). This provides filtered air to the vacuum pipe or keeps fumes inside the air filter to be ingested during engine run, or trapped after the engine is stopped. Could some minor fumes penetrate the paper filter after shut down? Maybe, but would be very minor IMHO.

[SkidRo]

As a follow up, on my set up, the pcv hose connects to the underside of the passenger side (right) and is ingested into that carb to be burnt. I believe the Clark's kit comes with all the necessary hardware to accomplish this.

I am also liking AZDave's solution with the 3D printing. I also like Frank's idea (from another post) of just putting back the original cleaner and flipping the lid. I installed the Clark's filters for the cool factor but now that I am older and wiser, simplicity is easier than cool. And, as some have noted and my research suggests, the stock air cleaner breathes better than the Clark's set up.

So, to answer your question, the Clark's air cleaners are a PITA to install and they hinder performance. They had some bling but it's a lot of money for no one to really notice or care while they are telling you how well they know Nadar.