Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Called the garage to cancel and they asked what I was going to do. Told them, whereupon the owner said that that was an excellent suggestion. If needed, he would be happy to drop around and install, set the idle and check.

Not the man who rebuilt the carb, but someone I have known for 25+ years....

For my 55 Clipper, 352 cu. V8, after 2 different carburetors and 4 rebuilds including those 2 carburetors, I finally got an Edelbrock 1406 Performer Series carburetor and all my hesitations stopped and the car runs great. I guess I too, found the local 'carburetor Doc' and he didn't do very well either. If Daytona works and they say they're great, I'd try them but I'm going to enjoy my Edelbrock. I do have a spare Rochester 4GC just in case I want to go back. I did have to modify my air cleaner to accept the new carburetor, but I am using my bat wing air cleaner with a paper filter.

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If you have a single carb and your air cleaner is round with scoops left and right.....that isn't a bat wing. The bat wing is a somewhat bizarre contrivance that links two smaller air cleaners and costs more than a regular air cleaner built of platinum.

Did you know that the original oil based air cleaner is more efficient than paper?

Here is a link with a photo of a 56 Carribean with dual carbs and barwing air cleaner.

http://bayphoto.blogspot.com/2012_06_01_archive.html

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A very large percentage of the world appears to disagree. Google batwing air cleaner and see what you get. Not saying they're right, just that it's a very common perception particularly in the non-Packard universe.

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IMHO, misuse of the term began with some unscrupulous sellers who were trying to dupe prospective buyers into thinking that they've got something much rarer than it really is. You see, even twenty years ago, sellers - hoping to skim the cream in the marketplace - were asking $1K for a genuine batwing, which was used ONLY on 2x4 set-ups.

The large, round Rochester air cleaner assembly with an air inlet/scoop on each side, which was intended for use with Rochester single 4-bbl. carbs, was more widely used - 51-56 Olds and Caddy. (However, I've found some details vary between 55 and 56 versions used on Packard.) As such, it's not that hard to find and can be had for a compartively small fraction of the price for a genuine batwing.

In fact, a brand-new retro version of that air cleaner is now available, which uses a pleated paper element:

http://www.cool-leds.com/olds-air-cleaner.html

It's something for those who dislike oil bath to think about - rather than molesting an OE unit. It even provides built-in clearance for an HEI distrbutor.

no molestation of the original unit takes place...you dont cut anything...you just plop in a paper or K&N filter, taking out the oiled filter canister.

i wish they were still reproducing the true batwing though. the one outfit that was, isn't anymore.

and a few on ebay have turned out to be total dicks when i have asked questions.

if anyone has a true batwing...pm me.


and to add to the subject of this thread...i wouldn't send a carb to anyone except daytona personally. i dont care what it cost. you get what you pay for.

The Carburetor Doctor in Alberta Canada is a well recommended rebuilder. His sight has lots of free resource materials for people to use. He is a legitimate enthusiast.

The only reason to use a rebuilder is when a carburetor needs to be rebuilt rather than overhauled. What's the difference? Repairing worn throttle shaft bushings, machining new float needles and seats for early carburetors, removing main jets on Stromberg carburetors, leveling overstressed castings, etc., etc..

Of course the rebuilders also do the fancy work, but in the old days we used to send parts to platers and do the painting ourselves(that was for senior cars). I don't know what effect all the fancy cleaners have except that a brand new carburetor always performs better than a rebuild.

There is really no big mystery to those things because they use static approximations. Of course understanding the engineering is a different story, but technology always allows for the triumph of intimidation over intelligence.

I never ran into a carburetor situation where I didn't understand what was wrong with it, only where I needed superior resources, wanted the cosmetic work, or was pressed for time.

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Glad to hear you were able to do so, but there have benn other, in the past, who thought nothing of taking a "can opener" to the oil bath unit to accomodate whatever paper element they were able to lay their hands on.

Does anyone make the "pods", or air cleaners that hang down from the air distribution chamber of the batwing?

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We clearly come from opposite sides of the problem....

When you are an expert at something, I imagine it's a lot easier to weed the incompetents. Since I'm not an expert, I want to ensure-if possible-that the job is done well with minimal problems. Hence the hesitation and the searching...