DAN76

Hello, i need a nice original red air cleaner for my 1965 425 Rocket.
Engine is High Compression and now has 4bbl Q-Jet on top.
Only problem is, i'm in the UK!!!

Can anybody help please?

DAN76

found this on ebay, is it one of you guys?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...K%3AMEWAX%3AIT

wmachine

Don't know who that is, but that *is* a '65 (not '66) unit, and is exactly what you're looking for.
Let us know if you want to get it and he won't ship there. One of us can be the "ship to" for him, and we can ship to you.

aliensatemybuick

Something to keep in mind is that since the car now has a Q-jet, the air cleaner base for that '65 air cleaner will not work. You can try to find an air cleaner for a 1966 car. Also, the 65 air cleaner snout has a hole to accomodate the 65 style PCV setup (which appears to be included in that auction).



But if your car was converted over to Qjet, you may be using a more "modern" PCV setup (PCV valve embedded into the valve cover grommet with a hose leading to the base of the carb or manifold fitting rather than the air cleaner). If so, finding a 66 air cleaner is definately the best way to go.

If by chance you are still using the old PCV setup as in that auction pic, you can use the 65 lid but will then need a 66 base.

aliensatemybuick

One clarification: I believe the orignal "square-bore" Rochester 4 bbl carbs used up to 1965 were also known as "4-Jets" (and were stamped as such). I assumed that by "Q-jet" you meant the car now has a "spreadbore" (larger secondary bores) Quadra-Jet on it (which would have required an intake manifold change as well).

ON EDIT: I gather from prev. posts that your engine does indeed have a Quadrajet carb on it.

DAN76

yeah originally it had a 2barrel rochester for which i already have an air cleaner, but it's not like this one. Perhaps it was changed at some point, however i have since replaced the intake with and edelbrock performer and fitted a 4bbl q-jet which has the larger fitment.

DAN76

sweet, auction ends in a few minutes so will bid and hopefully win. I'll let you know if shipping help is required. Thanks for the offer!
You guys rule!!

aliensatemybuick

As I type this, I see you have not yet bid on that air cleaner. Despite what WMACHINE has said, I think you may want to reconsider, as that air cleaner will not fit on your carb (wrong base opening diameter..too narrow). After paying a minimum of $70 you'll still need to find a different air cleaner base. Might be best to wait for a '66 air cleaner. Hate to repeat myself, but if will prevent you from buying something you might not be able to use, I'll take that chance!

DAN76

yes i see your point. thanks for the info, i think i'd rather not chance it!
if i'm going to mod the base then i might as well mod the one ive got!

DAN76

would a 65 starfire cleaner fit? a guy has one in the parts for sale section

Oldsmaniac

No a 65 Sfire uses the same carb and would have the same base.

DAN76

OK, so 66 onwards it is then. If anyone see's or knows of one then please let me know!
thank you my friends

wmachine

Though you'd have a problem with the '65 base, you'll have a problem with the '66 top. The snorkel goes on the drivers side on the '66 units, and the hole for the crankcase connection is on the other side of the snorkel.
Hummmmmm..... '65 top and '66 bottom?

aliensatemybuick

Kurt, are you sure about that? For starters, I thought I've seen snouts facing either direction on the 66 cars. And as I mentioned above, there is no breather hole on the 66 air cleaners.

Oldsmaniac

On some 66's while others have no hole in the snorkel but the snorkel is on the drivers side on all 66's.

Red Delta

They are more orange, than red too...

wmachine

Yes, and the same air cleaners for '67 too.

aliensatemybuick

Oh my God, what have I done?! I discouraged you from buying the air cleaner based on bad info!

Sorry to make like of this...OK, I am thinking that it may be re-listed, perhaps later at a lower price. Then you can try to find the 66 base to fit your carb, as discussed already. But here's a different idea:

Since you are running an Edelbrock manifold and Q-jet anyway, maybe originality with regards to the air cleaner is longer a big deal. You COULD buy a top plate/lid as used on 4 speed 66-67 442s, which used an open-element air cleaner. These lids will allow you to use similar era Olds pie-pan's (or tins) which specified the engine designation, along with a special retainer that holds the tin in place. The air cleaner lid, pie-plates (depending on what you wan to say on yours) and retainers are all available as reproductions.

Here's how this arrangement appeared on my 1965 Jetstar(which was Starfire equipped, so I used a Starfire tin..you could use a "Super-Rocket" tin as in that Ebay piece, or whatever you want (Fusicks has quite a selection):



I used a goofy aftermarket air cleaner wingnut in that pic, but you could use a standard one to look more "factory". I've since switched air cleaners on my car, and need the lid for another project, so sorry to say I can't offer it to you. But its an alternative for you to consider.

DAN76

hey, no worries. i've emailed the seller anyway to see if i can tempt him with a deal. Hopefully the shipping wont be too much!
This is probably a stupid question, but would a 65 top work on pretty much any Olds air cleaner base... i mean are they the same overall diameter throughout??
My carb is from a 73 350 engine with uprated jets and hangers, will the 73 base work with the 65 top?

aliensatemybuick

Not sure what your air cleaner looks like, but I'm going to say that its unlikely that year base will work with a 65-67 air cleaner top. Take a look at the following photo that wmachines sent me last year (we were talking about air cleaner/filter options for my '67 442):



Note how the air filter fits atop and inside a raised platform that is also narrower than the diameter of the outer shell. There are implications of course for the top part. If you have an open-element air claner, its base won't work with the earlier top. And even if not, I think things tended to be reversed for more "modern" factory air cleaner assemblies (bulkier bases with simpler flat lids).

Something I am unsure if too come to think of it (since you are using a non-stock intake and later carb) is how the 66-67 air celaner base will fit upon a later Q-jet. I would think OK, but don't know for sure if there would be "clearance issues" associated with the throttle linkage and choke arrangement you are running, or even if (depending on the height of your intake) whether there would be hood clearance issues. Pewrhaps others can advise on those points.

wmachine

Okay, here is a quick pic I took of a '65 base for comparison.
Two things I checked to verify:
A a '65 top *does* fit a '66-'67 base.
The '66-'67 base also fits a '69 carb. Don't know how much different a '73 carb is.

2blu442

Dan, I've dug out some air cleaner housings that I believe are 1965 through 1968, although I'll need some help to actually i.d. the correct year/applications. I'll try to get some photos uploaded to see if the other guys can help with this. John

2blu442

OK, I've uploaded photos to my photobucket web site. I believe one is from a 1968 442 and I need to keep that one, it has the lower tube on the snorkel ripped off. I also need one for a 1965 442 and a 1967 442... if there is one here that matches either of them! After that the rest are extras. I know one came off a 1968 Cutlass with a 350, and another one has a pie pan that says Starfire and its much more red in color than orange. Attached are a few pic's, then the link to my photobucket site is:

http://s90.photobucket.com/albums/k2...obile%20Parts/


Sooooo, Kurt can you help key these out? John

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DAN76

the starfire and super rocket ones look the part but there is no breather hole on the horn like on the ebay item...
Perhaps I just need one of these bases to marry up to the ebay item?? the seller has asked me to name a price. It was up for $49 but didn't get any bids, what would you say is a fair price for this?

maybe there's another solution in this bunch of stuff... but here's a thought, if the best solution is for me to get the ebay air cleaner and one of these bases from you, would you be prepared to receive the delivery and send both items to me??

2blu442

Hello Dan
The Starfire air cleaner I have does have the port in the side of the snorkle, the one with Super Rocket pie tin does not. I'm on the West Coast, so that may add a little more to shipping than if it were shipped from the East Coast of the US, but yes I'll help with shipping. When the guys who are more knowledgable review the photos maybe we can find out if the base of one of these with the top from ebay will work for you.

I don't think I have a quadrajet on a performer intake on any of my project cars, but I do have a 1973 455 with the factory intake. I could try setting an air cleaner on it to see if it hits anywhere. John

TK-65

If the ebay air cleaner was cheaper id have bought it. Its basically a painted 65 442 air cleaner. It has the big snout like the 442 but isnt chrome. 65 442 cleaners are going for big bucks right now, this painted version is a cheaper way to go. Take it to get flash chromed and youve got a 442 unit for cheap.

2blu442

TK-65, is the Starfire one in my pictures look like the same one to you? It has a longer snout than the other two, and a breather port on the side of the snorkel. John

TK-65

it could work for a 66 auto 442. The snout is on the wrong side for a 65 and it has FRONT stamped on it. 65s dont have that.

DAN76

ok to clarify, i need the breather port to be on the passenger side as per the one that was on ebay. 2blu442, if your starfire cleaner has this and fits a quadrajet then we could be in business!

TK-65

Yall need to think outside the box on this. Ive done this to make a 65 air cleaner work on an Edelbrock carb. Find a chrome air cleaner bottom that fits your carb opening. Take the stock 65 base, see where the filter rests on the bottom?




Cut that out and weld in the new air cleaner bottom right where the old filter base was. Now you have a bottom that fits a bigger carb but still can use the stock base and lid.

2blu442

Hey Dan
The one I have has the breather on the drivers side, so you may be looking at the one on ebay after all. I've look at the four air cleaners I have with the same base shown in the photos others have posted. I set it on a quadrajet on a 1973 455 and it came really close to fitting, with the exception of the EGR fitting on the side of the intake. I reached under and pulled the throttle lever and it felt like it went all the way without hitting the underside of the air cleaner base. Attached are a couple photos and even with the EGR problem it wasn't more than the thickness of 2 or 3 gaskets. If there's something I'm missing, how about a short aftermarket spacer? Would there be room under the hood for a 3/8" to 1/2" spacer? Attached are pictures of the Starfire base on the engine. John

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DAN76

Thanks for this!
My carb is an original Rochester Q-jet so should be no problems with the aperture.
Secondly my Edelbrock Intake doesn't have that type of EGR fitting at all!

Here's how it looked when i had the Ed 750 installed. This has now been replaced with the q-jet.


DSC_0202.jpg

Nickthefish

The other option would be to use an aftermarket base that fits the Q-Jet and a stock air cleaner lid. The the large lid over it you can't even tell its there.

wmachine

This could very well be you best bet, Dan. This would not be as hard to do as it seems. Most aftermarket bases are "open element" types where the base only extends to the edge of the filter. If the filter itself is tall enough and the right diameter, it will seal both top and bottom. Sure there will be a large gap around the bottom, but it will be outside the filter and not able to be seen.
This, in effect, would be like the second type 1967 automatic trans air cleaner setup.

TK-65

Thats how most aftermarket carb 65 guys run theirs. Aftermarket bottom with the stock lid. Looks like there is no bottom to the air cleaner because its smaller and hidden by the upper lid.

Nickthefish

That's what I did for Bud's car.

aliensatemybuick

Personally, I dont' think I'd like the look of the "open" bottom...in fact, I tried that when I found a 65 442 air cleaner (lid only) for my Jetstar I. I finally found the correct base. Other issue I see is if Dan really does want to use the factory PCV setup, it aint gonna work with the open element base.

DAN76

I'd rather have a complete unit if possible.
Still no word from the ebay seller, I offered 50 dollars including postage to UK.

2blu442, can you give me a price for one of your bases please?
The one you fitted to your 73 looks like it would work.

:-)

2blu442

Dan, if your able to purchase the one from ebay your welcome to have him ship it to me. I could then compare the base on it with the ones I have. If they're different I'll just trade you a base for a base then ship it to you. How's that sound? John

DAN76

that sounds like a plan!!!
thanks John, really appreciate it!

I'll contact the seller