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Taking off the "alleged" air cleaner atop the carburetor of my 1949 Standard 8 I examined it to see if it came part, either from the top or bottom.

As it stands now there is no filter material in the "alleged" air cleaner. This is the pot atop the carburetor. It appears at one time it had a wing nut affixed to it for some reason, but it is long gone.

If anyone has suggestions about it please inform me. I do not want to attempt to open it, but would like to know how to put filter material in it if that was what was in it upon leaving the factory.

Thanking all in advance for their advice regarding this "alleged" air cleaner.

Zougeride

There were two types in use, an "oiled mesh" and an "oil bath" type. The oil bath was the superior unit and was standard on the 356 engine and perhaps optional on the lesser models, someone else can check that out. The filter media in the "oiled mesh" type is a copper mesh that can be obtained in bulk from Classic & Exotic. As I recall, the mesh was enclosed in a perforated steel shroud.

Both the Standard and Oil Bath cleaners had elements. The Standard element that was made of metal turnings. Looks like a metal chore boy scrub pad type material between two rings of expanded metal. If you have the rings, those scrub pads can be used to replace the original material.

The oil bath used an element made of kapok i believe (what they used to use in old life vests), which would wick up the oil. I don't believe that is reproduced and most people just clean their old element with gas and reuse.

Quote:

Yes, there was an oil bath unit that was available as an accessory for all the non-356 engines. It had a different part number than the 356 oil bath but except for a few minor details is essentially the same.

My 1954 oil bath air cleaner is the type that mounts across from the carb with a connecting duct.

The element in there is the chore-boy like material which I have rinsed out several times with gasoline.

The oil fill line sets the level well below the element. When I got the car oil was filled to the point the element was soaking in the oil. This made the car run rich and essentially choked the air flow.

I don't oil the element and it picks up a very light film on its own.

The dirt separation is actually similar to how your cyclonic vacuum works in that the air flow does a couple of 180 turns and the heavier dirt particles can't make the turn and go into the oil.

Jim

Thanks to all for your comments.

So, can the pot be opened to place filtering material in it?

Surely there must be some way to place filtering material in the pot!

Sorry to be so slow on this, but I don't want to bang up the "alleged" air filtering pot if it cannot be opened.

I am certain that on my Standard 8 Packard that it is not an oil bath pot. It must have had some sort of filtering material in it at one time. Now it has nothing in it.

Looking forward to your replies.

Zougeride

There is a paper type filter that will replace all that stuff inside-A30057 purlator or equivalent-JW is the inventor

Surely there must be some way to place filtering material in the pot! Sorry to be so slow on this, but I don't want to bang up the "alleged" air filtering pot if it cannot be opened.


The original oil mesh filter was an assembly, probably either crimped or soldered, so you should be able to get or easily make the correct "guts" for it, diassemble, install and reassemble. But it's probably going to be easier to just find another complete unit. Or better yet, find one of the optional oil bath air filters, they are more efficient than the oiled mesh and modern dry paper filters.

The Purolator A30057 air filter element fits the 21st series oil bath-silencer unit on the 21st series Super 8s. I do not know the modern pleated paper filter number for a 22nd series Standard 8. A few measurements and a trip to an auto parts store can probably find one that will fit. One of these modern air filters may be a good temporary solution until a proper original type filtering element can be located.

(o{}o)

John-I think it will fit the 22 and 23 but have not tried it.