Air Cleaner Base - Mods

[TonysTA]

Hi,

I am contemplating modifying my air cleaner base on my 78 TA w/ 403. I am not a fan of the snorkel and the accompanying hose hanging out in the engine bay. Too much clutter IMO.  I know I saw a mod one time where the snorkel was removed and in its place a tastefully done wire mesh was used. The guy cut out 3 or 4 similar size oval holes and used the same wire mesh in each.

Have any of you attempted this and if so, are you happy with the results? Thanks.

[Jack]

The earlier birds did not have a hose but the higher power cars had 2 open snorkels. The engine bay can provide all of the fresh air but I would keep the snorkel as it helps with getting colder air away from the engine. I don't think a mesh is necessary.

[jonathonar89]

Another option for you is opening the back of the shaker, cutting off the “snorkel” and blocking off the snorkel hole to make all air go through the shaker. 

[Jack]

I would advise against that idea as with lower shakers you might not get enough air. 70 to 76 shakers are much taller and you should be fine but 77 to 81 shakers are for show only and I would not recommend that they be the only air source.

[jonathonar89]

I would advise against that idea as with lower shakers you might not get enough air. 70 to 76 shakers are much taller and you should be fine but 77 to 81 shakers are for show only and I would not recommend that they be the only air source.

Many people do this with the PTFB or WFO air cleaners.  They have different filter but those later shakers are probably more commonly used in this manner.  I used to daily drive my ‘79 for few years with the open back...sucking rain water annoyed me but it actually never caused a problem.

[TammyTA]

I'm thinking the opening on the shaker would flow as much as the single snorkel.  It gets pretty narrow at the end.  I don't have one to compare, so some one else will have to keep me honest here.  lol

Was thinking of using one of those K&N filter tops, but someone did a flow test a while back that showed they didn't work..  Maybe the scoop was limiting the airflow?  Wondering if I should open the snorkel hole back up & use a screen as mentioned above.  The PO simply cut the snorkel off & left open.. looked pretty tacky, so I ground it flat & put a panel in back.  Used some body filler to smooth it out & painted.

[MNBob]

The snorkel on a 403 really is small at the opening.  Those on a 400 are larger. 

All that ducting over to the side of the battery took up a lot of space and I was constantly moving it to do things.  When I first opened the scoop years ago, I still retained the ducting.  A few years ago, I got rid of it and put a block off plate in the end of the snorkel.

I retained the heat stove tube for faster cold starts (don't know if it helps).  This winter I did some cold starts with the new Sniper QJ and it was flawless.  So maybe I can remove the heat stove tube and snorkel as well.


Engine Left
 

Scoop View

[roadking77]

Bob, PLEASE dont cut that air cleaner base. I have been looking far and wide for one. They are not easy to come by.

[JohnnyBertone]

Was considering doing this with my air cleaner base as well. Cut the snorkel off and was going to patch it shut to force all intake to be cold air from the shaker, but ended up getting a performer RPM manifold and needed a WFO drop base anyway.

[JohnnyBertone]

In response to my last post, don’t cut it. Lol. OEM parts are rare. Get an aftermarket base that is already sealed and you’d be better off, and can offset the cost by selling your OEM base. Mine was a little beat up so it was already basically a lost cause.

[Wallington]

That's an ugly filter setup. The way air flows and with intake suction, that top filter would be bypassed anyway, so redundant and replaces standby dormant air space capacity.

[olds403]

Get one from PTFB - Pro touring F-body.  Use the PTFB base and get a 400 shaker and be done.  Works. 

[Formula8]

As someone who has messed with this alot for the 70-76 shaker/hood combination, My opinion would be that PTFB probably has the best product out there at this time.  I say that because there has been a few "generations" of PTFB's air cleaner of which I think I own a 1st gen model that was an awful POS.  I did a ton of mods a decade ago to get it to where it is usable.  Coincidentally, PTFB's current product looks very similar to my modified set up 

I can't say I am a big fan of the way Dave handled the situation with people who purchased the early models of his air cleaner but his current version seems to take most of the guesswork and hacking out of the task.  I would press the EZ button and buy PTFB's air cleaner before I would try to mod a stock air cleaner.