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I am fitting an oil bath air cleaner to my '54 clipper (2 bbl -327). I need to replace the filter element (falling apart). Does anybody have a source? As a second solution - I would consider putting in a paper or K&N type filter and skip the oil. Anybody find a good solution for this?

54clipper,

This is a popular and reoccurring topic, and has received much discussion. If you search the topic on this site you should discover enough information to guide you to a decision. Opinions and experiences that have been posted vary widely on whether to keep the oil bath or go to a modern replacement filter element. Good luck, and let us know what you decide.

(o[]o)

As to finding a replacement filter, think advertising for a used and good cleaner is the best option if you are staying original.

New coarse strand fiber material like used in the element doesn't seem to be readily available -- just the very fine fluffy material used as insulation. Even if the proper material is found, since the filter pieces are crimped together don't believe there is any way to install any new fiber without opening the crimps and possibly destroying the filter.

The original shredded fiberous material in most oil bath filters of the era was shredded seed pods or more probably the bark from the kapok tree, the same tree that provided the bouyant material for marine life preservers years back. Kapok fiber is a very oily vegetative material, pretty much impervious to water with an oil-loving surface. Unless mistreated it seems to last forever in most cases. There are still kapok farms in Mexico and the Far East so there must still be a market for it in some applications - "google" kapok and see what you find.

O-D,

I read your reply in amazement. I never thought about the material, and at 1st thought you were BSing.

Learn something new everyday.

Me? BS? I'm so poor at it, it would be more obvious.

But some years back I took a train ride on the Chihuahua al Pacifico railroad from Topalobampo Mexico to the Copper Canyon, passed thru a kapok farm and picked up a bit of (trivial, and until this subject came up, nearly useless) information on kapok. As you say, it's a dull day you don't learn something new.

As a kid in the 1950s I helped my dad with his upholstery business. I recall he used Kapok as some of the fluffy filling material in cushions. It was like cotton but a lot more silky.

The fluffy stuff is readily available but don't think it would make a very good filter. In lieu of the coarse kapok, what about the copper mesh some other filters used -- maybe more densely packed if used in this application?

Thanks - I did look at old posts on the subject, and never really found anything specific - like a particular aftermarket filter that fits.

My current idea is to find a normal round air filter and put it in the oil bath canister with no oil. The way I understand it, the original filter took air in around the solid sides, then it passed down over the oil and up through the oiled mesh then across through the big canister, then down to the carb.

In order to use a normal round filter (needs to have a diameter of about 8 inches) I would block off the path of air from the bottom of the filter. The air would simply pass through the sides of the filter and up in to the big canister. Without a diagram - this may be hard to see. I thought maybe somebody has already done this, and could let me know which filter and how it worked out.

If not, I guess I'll try it, and report back.

Check out a Purolator A30057-fits perfect on my 47Clipper-JW is right it has been talked about quite a bit