The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop oil bath air cleaner gaskets?

Does anybody know of someone that sells the two gaskets that go on a 1953 Chevy truck oil bath air cleaner? They are mentioned on page 6-77 of the shop manual (Oil bath cleaner steps 9 and 10).There is a felt pad one that goes between the carburetor air horn and the bottom of the oil bath. There is an internal paper gasket that goes between the two halves of the air cleaner. I can't seem to find anyone that sells them. I could make my own if I have to. They are still there but I think they maybe original.

I've never seen one of the described felt pads on the throat of the carb and the oil bath air cleaner rests on. I'm sure you could make something, but I'm not sure that just any old felt would work or not.

The internal seal that goes between the oil bath air cleaner top and bottom sections if I recall correctly isn't paper, but a glued on thin foam rubber strip. At least that's my experience with the one on my '54 235. Perhaps what your seeing that looks like a paper seal is the remnants of the original seals adhesive strip still attached to the lid? I did check a couple of Chevy Master Parts Books and could not find a listing for either gasket/seal.

I'd be interested in seeing pictures of the two items your filter still has.

I made the carburetor/air cleaner gasket out of heavy gauge Fel-Pro material, still holding up real well. The other gasket in my '57 oil bath air cleaner is rubber.

I agree with Gdads51

The oil bath cleaner I have that came from a '58 235 had no gasket at the carb, just a clamp screw. I haven't inspected it to figure out where a felt gasket would fit. When I picked the engine up, it was actually a water bath air cleaner, but didn't keep water out of the engine. Lower end was OK, though, which is what I was looking for to modify my 216.

The 'felt' pad that sits between the carb and air cleaner actually feels more like cork gasket material but it is 72 years old and oil soaked. The thin paper like gasket between the 2 halves of the air cleaner may have been included in a carb rebuild kit at some time. It may not be the original gasket. Next time I pull the oil bath cleaner and change its oil I will post pics. thanks for the advice.

Here are some photos of the gaskets that are mentioned in the Shop manual. One is a thin paper gasket between the two halves of the AC. I do see some residue underneath it may have been the foam gasket that Gdads51 mentioned. The other photo is what looks like it may have been felt or cork and it sits between the top of the air horn of the carb and the body of the air cleaner that is mentioned in the shop manual

My oil bath air cleaner is somewhat different than the one pictured in the service manual, in that it only has two pieces. The filter element and cover are one piece and the lower pan where the oil goes is the second piece. There's no separate cover like is shown in the service manual. I didn't realize there should be a gasket between the two halves, so after reading this thread and Woodcmiami's post, went out and made one with some paper gasket material. Looking at the carb to air cleaner joint, I'm thinking of getting a 2-1/16" dia o-ring and using that there.

Looking at the 55.2 Truck Service Manual I have, it shows what looks like a 2-piece air filter that was standard on big bolts and optional on other trucks. Can't tell if the cover comes off of that by the picture. It may be what I have.

My 53 3600 also is a 2 piece oil bath air cleaner, there is no separate cover. So I am not exactly sure where the gasket the service manual lists goes. I just know there was a thin paper gasket between the two parts but that may have come from a carb rebuild kit long ago.

My Big Bolt has the 283 V8, 2 bbl with a 2-piece oil bath. The gasket at the carburetor is thick paper/gasket material, the inner seal between the 2 pieces is a rubber gasket roughly 1/8" thick.

I’m familiar with the felt gasket the OP is describing, the “heavy duty” oil bath I put on my truck (because it was the easiest way to convert to paper) has it.

It sits in a little channel between the two metal layers that sort of sandwich the round part of the airhorn. Mine was torn up and unusable. Experimented with half a dozen materials to replicate it and never did find something I was totally satisfied with. In fact, I’ve forgotten what I ended up using. Maybe a little piece of soft rubber tubing?

I think a square profile o ring of a very specific dimension would be just about perfect. But I think I got fed up before I ever found one.

I wonder if a high density carpet padding would work, provided of course it was thin enough ?