The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Another air cleaner question

I have a question about the air cleaner on my truck.
1950 Chevy 3100/ with a 235 motor out of 53/55

I have searched the site and read a few threads about the cleaners for these trucks.

The cleaner on my truck has the lid below the main body of the air cleaner when wing nut is tightened down. All the other pictures I have seen of this style cleaner shows the lid about a inch above. Im wondering if I have the correct element in the cleaner. Or if enough air is entering.

Element sits in oil

Also can anyone tell me what the tube attached to the top would be for

Here is a link to some pictures (I hope)

air cleaner
Thanks

Looks like an oil bath air cleaner for use with a PCV system. Did it come with your engine? If so, was there a pipe/hose fitting somewhere on the valve cover?

Im not sure if its original to the truck or engine. Its been on the truck as long as I could remember. My dad bought this truck in 1973. I got in back a few years ago. After looking at the pictures in the gallery I see this style cleaner but they set higher. Im just wondering if the wrong element has been installed all these years.


The tube has never been hook to anything

thanks

1950 5000 series air cleaner with no PVC setup.

Same style air cleaner in 1954 - 235 engine.

Same style air cleaner on 1954 261 with a different PCV setup.

looks like I have that 2lb cleaner.

from the pictures my cleaner and element are correct.

here is a picture of a cleaner that looks like mine where the top lids seems like it sits higher.
air cleaner


Thanks for the links. Great information

The other air cleaner that you are showing is both smaller and more common than yours.

Optional 1500/3000/4100/4400 oil bath air cleaner (1950)

Same 1-qt filter in 1954

Thanks

That really clears things up for me. I was alway curious about that air cleaner, and if it had the correct element.
The cleaner, horn, and fender to firewall supports on this truck were originally red. Truck color was originally red.

Im starting to put it back together after what was suppose to be taking one part off for cleaning and painting. 3 years ago.



Thanks for the help.

It looks like your air cleaner has an after-market PCV hose attachment that allows the PCV system to take filtered air from the air cleaner during normal operation. It could also be an OEM air cleaner made for a "Closed PCV System," which is now the standard PCV system. The closed system allows crankcase exhaust to be returned to the air cleaner/intake during acceleration when the PCV valve shuts off. Otherwise, without that air cleaner connection, crankcase exhaust is vented to the atmosphere during acceleration. Closed PCV systems were mandated in 1968, I think, but California may have required them before that. California began retrofitting vehicles with open PCV systems in 1964, if memory is correct.

The early OEM PCV systems were the open type, which Tim's link shows. The pipe attached to the side of the intake manifold is the vacuum connection to the PCV valve, which was a large metal valve attached to the road draft tube. In the In the early days of PCV systems, before emission control systerms, the PCV valve was called a "Donaldson Valve," after the manufacturer, I believe. The first PCV systems were used during WWII on military vehicles to improve engine life, because they typically didn't go fast enough for a road draft tube to work well.

Another bit of history, the early PCV systems were also called a "Positive Breather" system. I think that was more shop jargon than a formal description.

Harvester

1954 261 Positive Crankcase Ventilation System:

http://www.1954advance-design.com/Documents/EngineeringFeatures/slides/orig_Page58.html

http://www.1954advance-design.com/Documents/EngineeringFeatures/slides/orig_Page61.html

It is amazing the resources available on this site. The knowledge of you guys is remarkable.
I believe the tube is original equipment because it is held on with clutch head screws.

Somehow that cleaner got put on the 235 that is on the truck. My valve cover and draft tube are not equipped for that ventilator system.

After reading the page 61 article I’m wondering if I should cap that tube.?

Great information. I don't mean to hijack the thread, but could some one post a pic of an original 52 air cleaner? My 52 has a 56 motor in it and I would like to make it look as close to a52 motor as I can.

This is the original off my 53 3600.

oil bath air cleaner

What size engine and what model truck in 1952?