The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Engine Shop Can you ID this Orphan Oil Bath Air Cleaner?

Does anyone recognize this air cleaner and do you know what vehicle it might be off of?? It’s a single barrel clamp on type and it fits the Carter W-1/YF and early Rochester ‘B’ carburetors. The clamp is tightened with a screwdriver although It may have had a thumbscrew at one time, hard to tell.
http://rides.webshots.com/photo/2745152740098611668fUwngi
I picked it up at a swap last week and plan to use it on my ’50, 216. I have been looking for the correct oil bath and this is the closest that I have come. The original option looks like it’s a little shorter than this one, has a smooth cover and has the extended thumbscrew.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I saw one very similar to that on a '50 or so Chevy car at the junkyard a while ago.

Looks like the one on my pa-inlaw's 55 Ford Customline,
Scott

Doesn't look like Chevy,at least 50's oil bath, because top hat would be inside of base I think. However,how many manufacturers did GM use for parts? My thought is if it fits and you like it,use it. And given the side cutout, I think it did have an extended thumb screw for tightening the carb clamp.

I should have included this picture or the option also, it's out of the Truck Data Book.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

That was used on Chevy cars 49 up.

Denny,

That looks like a Series 5000 truck air cleaner. I do not know what years that style was used (the picture at the link is for 1954 and says that there was some sort of change in 1954). The write-up also says that cleaner is "similar to the types used in the rest of the truck engines". You decide what the word "similar" means.

If you look closely at the two pictures in your webshots, I think they are not the same height. Are the two diameters the same?

Tim

Denny,

It looks just like the one on my 54. I don't know if mine is original, althought it fits the rochester.

Boy that sure looks like the one Tim. I only have the one in the picture, I wish I had the one in the illustration so I don’t know if they are the same dia. And it does say that it is similar to the type used it the rest of the truck engines, which leads me to believe that it may be from a mid 50’s truck. So Lonnie, that may be the original optional oil bath on yours.
Yes I know they are not the same height, that’s why I posted both the picture and the illustration of the proper one. Like I said, this base does fit all of the common 40’s and 50’s Chevy single barrel carbs, around 2 5/16”. I’ve been searching since I got the truck for the correct oil bath filter but haven’t run across one yet.
I kind of doubt that the one I picked up was used on the cars. Since it is a taller unit than even the light truck option of the period it was probably intended for more severe service than what plain old highway driving required.
Lots of good ideas guys, thanks. I wish I had something that showed all the optional equipment for the period in the mid 50’s. That illustration was from the ’54 Engineering Features wasn’t it Tim?
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny,

Yes. that link is to a page scanned from the 1954 Truck Engineering Features manual. You can get to the table of contents by pressing the up-arrow in the linked-page and then press the up-arrow in the next screen.

Tim

Buick or Olds

Not with a one barrel carb one it Beaver. I'm bout 95% sure Tim's got it nailed down.
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny,
Looks like the one on my 51 Burb.
Regards

Denny,take a look at the photo links.The pictures are of an oil bath breather off of a 1951 chevy car,216 engine.It looks identical to yours.

The very top is 9 1/8" diameter.
The lower part is about 11 1/8" in diameter
Total height together is 6 1/4"
Carb hole is 2 5/16" diameter
1951 chevy car oil bath breather pic#1

1951 chevy car oil bath breather pic#2

1951 chevy car oil bath breather pic#3

Hope this helps in any way !!!

Yep Tim, that's the exact same one for sure. My only question is whether it came stock on that passenger car of whether someone added it? I seem to remember the early cars having a shorter oil bath filter. I had a '50 and a '51 and probably cleaned dozens or others when I worked in the gas station but danged if I can remember back that fur.
Thanks for the pictures.
Gotta say, this thing is a son of a buck to clean. the lower section is two pieces crimped together forming kind of a toris. It's only open in the throat. When you dip it in a solvent tank there is no way to get all the solvent out of the lower section, a couple of cups get stuck in there and all the sloshing around can't get it out. I ended up drilling two 1/8" drain holes in the lowest sections to drain out the solvent.

Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

I just took another look at mine. It is the same as Tim's. The decal on the lid states to use a type 23 filter element.

I don't see a decal on mine or your's Lonnie?
I don't suppose you took a picture of the decal when you shot the rest, did ya Lon??? (ain't I a real pain in the ***?)
Denny Graham
Sandwich, IL

Denny,

I did not post a picture of mine, but I can. I took some pics last night with the intent of posting them, but when I saw Tim's; it being the same, I did not post them. I will get a good picture of the decal and post it in the next few days.

They originally came on the cars. The bottom is resessed for hood clearance & they have a silenceing chamber.

Denny,

It has been a few days so I thought I should post this picture of the air cleaner decal. There are also four pictures in my build pics, under air cleaner.

Air cleaner