Billb442

I recently purchased an OAI kit for my '69 442 W-30 and need some help. I also bought all new grommets and pipe parts to connect the air cleaner to the valve cover but can't seem to get them to fit (see picture). The air cleaner snorkels are evenly facing forward in the pic. No matter how I turn the breather or grommets/pipe I can't get it to where they fit together. Is the hole in the air cleaner maybe not cut in the correct place, the pipe too long? Can anyone help me, maybe with a pic of how it should look?

4fortwo

You have the wrong pipe. That is likely from a 350 engine.

The 400 engine used pipe, GM # 405087.

Billb442

I bought the pipe from Fusick's. Here's the description:

Valve Cover to Air Cleaner Vent Pipes: Reproduction pipe replaces
original perfectly. Fits into grommets on the valve cover breather and air
cleaner. Applies to 1969 400 & 455, 1970-71 350 & 455, 1972 455, 1973
350, and 1976 455. One or two used per car.
405087 Air Cleaner Vent Pipe 16.50 ea.

They even give the GM part # you mentioned so it looks like I have the correct pipe. I'm really wondering if the hole in the air cleaner was cut in the correct place. Maybe it should have been farther back?
Anyone have an original '69 dual snorkel that can measure the gap from the snorkel to the hole? or post a pic of it please.

4fortwo

I show the 350 pipe part number as 403299 and the 455 as 403302. If Fusik says they are interchangable, they're wrong.

Billb442

Any idea what the correct length the pipe should be for a 400? The one I got from Fusick's measures around 6 inches.

4fortwo

Just line them up to fit, take out the hacksaw and you're done. Down the road you will no doubt find the correct pipe.

joe_padavano

That method sort of defeats the purpose of buying a repro with the correct bend and beaded ends...

Billb442

Agreed, I'd rather not cut something up I just paid $20 for that is supposed to be the correct part.
What would really help is if someone with an original 68/69 dual snork can take a quick measurement of the pipe and distance between the snorkel and hole in the air cleaner. If the hole is supposed to be 2 or 3 inches farther back then that pipe would work. That would definitively tell me which is the issue.
anyone? Please?

4fortwo

DSCN2194.jpg
This is the 405087 from my '69 (dot OAI air cleaner. The assembly manual states the same part number for both air cleaners on the 400 cid.
Also 403299 was the pipe number for the 350 engine.

The diagram shows the passenger side snorkel more perpendicular to the engine with the drivers side facing more forward. If you rotate it into this line all should fit up.
scan0001.jpg

Billb442

4fortwo, thanks a lot for the pic. I measured mine the same and they are almost identical (mine seems ever so slightly longer, not enough to matter). So that at least eliminates the pipe as the issue. As for the diagram, I don't think that page is indicating orientation of the snorkels, but rather the orientation of the decal on the lid. Every picture I have seen of the ram air setup shows the snorkels square to the front of the vehicle not cocked to one side, so I don't think that is the answer. I'm really starting to think the hole is punched in the wrong place. I am going to contact the place I bought it from and see what they have to say. Anyway, here are some pics of the pipe correctly installed with the hole rotated back to fit, but notice how skewed the snorkels are.

4fortwo

Seeing it, I'll have to agree with you.

Good luck with the supplier.

Billb442

Still trying to resolve this issue. I contacted the supplier (BAP) and they had me check my intake manifold, valve covers, carb, etc. All check out as correct. They pulled some of their stock and from their manufacturers stock and they all measured 4" from the back of the snorkel to the center of the hole, same as the one I got from them. They also stated they sold hundreds of these with no complaints of holes being wrong. They think it may be the pipe, although it seems to be correct to me. Attached is a side by side comparison of the repro one(left) and a pic of a supposedly original on the right. It looks to me like the pipe and grommets are the same but the hole is farther back on the original. I don't know what to do at this point. Any suggestions? I think the only way to know for sure is to find someone with an original '69 W-30 air cleaner that can take a measurement for me. Anyone know of someone that has one?

slaughter442

Billb442,I have a original W-30 air cleaner on a 1968 should be the same I can take some photos and measurements next weekend I will be in GA where the car is.Hope this will help out Darren

Billb442

slaughter442, That would be fantastic! If you could, please take the pic with the tape measure included in the picture from hole to snorkel as a reference. This way if the hole is farther back I'll have solid proof of it. Thanks a lot.

joe_padavano

1968s are not the same (that's why I haven't posted any pictures of mine). The 68 cars use a "U" shaped pipe on the driver's side valve cover and no breather - the pipe fits directly into a flat grommet in the valve cover. The 1969 cars use the breather and pipe on the passenger side valve cover, which is why the air cleaners are different.

slaughter442

YOU GO JOE something new to learn can I get a photo for ref, Thanks Darren

Billb442

Thanks for the info Joe, I wasn't quite sure myself. I thought I heard somewhere that they were the same except for the hole was square instead of round, but I probably misunderstood. Slaughter442, thanks anyway for the offer. I guess I'll have to keep looking. Anyone else?

Cameo White

Looking at the side by side pictures, the passenger side air cleaner trumpet is not in the same place relative to the valve cover as on your repro picture. Thus a simple parallax error helps make things look incorrect.
There is a good clue in that picture though--you need to get the heat stove bolted up to the exhaust manifold and attached to the underside of that passenger side air cleaner trumpet. That will more correctly position the air cleaner, and then allow you to correctly position the tube. Also, it looked as if the rotation/angulation of the tube was different between your car and the original--adjusting that should also help.
Hope this is useful.

Billb442

Cameo, Thanks for the reply. I understand that the pictures are not at the same angle and may make things look off but please look at my post #10. The pictures there show the air cleaner and vent pipe hooked up correctly but notice how skewed the snorkels are? No amount of rotating the pipe or breather will correct that. Irregardless of anything but the air cleaner itself the one thing I keep looking at is the gap between the snorkel and hole. Side by side the gap looks noticeably larger on the original, unless my eyes are deceiving me.

4fortwo

Cameo makes a good point. The heat stove and adapter are also unique to the OAI cleaner.

The riser pipe is part # 399665 for the 350 engine.
404501 for the 400 engine.

The adapter assembly for both is 399465 using # 401852 grommet.

With these in place the relationship of the snorkels to the front of the engine would be locked in.

Billb442

Unfortunately I do not have the original heat riser pipe or the adapter assy that goes to the snorkel and because they are rare, cannot find anyone that reproduces them. Anyone seen these available anywhere?

ReallyWildStuff

what became of this?

Billb442

I contacted a member of an Olds club who told me, "I looked at an original air cleaner and the center of the vent hole is almost 6 1/2" from the rear of the snorkle". So the 4" on the repro seems to be incorrect. I ended up using a metal hole saw the same diameter as the original hole and cut a new hole at 6 1/2". I then took the piece I cut out and welded it back in where the original hole was (after grinding the metal lip off). Ground the welds flat, little bit of putty, repainted black and it was good to go. Everything lined up nicely then.