MeZapU
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2011
- Messages
- 830
- Reaction score
- 11
- Location
- Southery, UK
- My Car
- 12 GT
73 Mach 1
85 GT
66 F-100
Even before getting my new engine all done and running, I had suspicions that my original ram-air air cleaner might not fit under the hood. Primarily because of the differences between my then 2v Weiand X-cellerator and now 4v Blue Thunder intake manifold. I wouldn't know for sure until after it was all installed and I could start checking. Well, this combo and original air cleaner had it being too high by about 1/4", flat to the metal lip of the air cleaner.
I was not about to cut up my original air cleaner so I ordered one of the Dynacorn reproduction units to modify to fit. It wasn't really all that cosmic, but it did take some time as the welding was awkward and the metal was thin. Here are some pictures of the beginning phases of the project. I saw this done with a 429 Ram-Air assembly in the past so I figured I could do the same.
I determined that with the crush of the seal that I wanted and the space available, I ended up installing a 5/8" sheet metal spacer ring around the circumference of the carb mounting hat. I first tried a 1" spacer but the outside bottom edge of the air cleaner was rubbing on the throttle linkage. I next tried 3/4" and I realized the air gap for air to enter the barb(space between the air cleaner plenum and air cleaner lid) was pretty small and I wanted to keep it as large and free flowing as possible. 1/2" would not really be enough to give a good hood seal squish. It would, but the seal would be squashed flat. That's how I ended up at 5/8". A lot of give and take with this decision.
I was not about to cut up my original air cleaner so I ordered one of the Dynacorn reproduction units to modify to fit. It wasn't really all that cosmic, but it did take some time as the welding was awkward and the metal was thin. Here are some pictures of the beginning phases of the project. I saw this done with a 429 Ram-Air assembly in the past so I figured I could do the same.
I determined that with the crush of the seal that I wanted and the space available, I ended up installing a 5/8" sheet metal spacer ring around the circumference of the carb mounting hat. I first tried a 1" spacer but the outside bottom edge of the air cleaner was rubbing on the throttle linkage. I next tried 3/4" and I realized the air gap for air to enter the barb(space between the air cleaner plenum and air cleaner lid) was pretty small and I wanted to keep it as large and free flowing as possible. 1/2" would not really be enough to give a good hood seal squish. It would, but the seal would be squashed flat. That's how I ended up at 5/8". A lot of give and take with this decision.