OEM AIR CLEANER w/ EDELBROCK CARB

So this weekend I managed to get the 1405 E-brock carb I had purchased and rebuilt over a year ago installed. I wondering how, for anyone else whom has done the swap, has handled the air cleaner base being a different size ( 4 7/32" ) over the new carb's air horn ( 5 1/8" )? I'd like to retain the stock air cleaner -- I found an adapter that went the opposite way. Did I miss one?

Please tell me there is an easier solution out there beyond cutting the old air cleaner base up and welding in a new section....

TIA
Josh

I ended up cutting out the center of the stock air cleaner base, and sacrificing a "donor" base from a cheap stamped steel 14" open element air cleaner. A few spot welds around the perimeter, and voila!

Tx Tim -- that was the solution I was hoping to avoid - oh well guess I'll be looking for spare air cleaner base to mutilate soon.

BTW -- how is your edelbrock running? Did you do any fine-tuning ( ie metering rod changes, jet changes, etc )? If so where did you end up -- I rebuilt the used one I bought off ebay and started off with some changes to both the jets ( primary & secondary ) and metering rods/springs - went leaner on all fronts based on what I've read -- seems to run really well but wondering now if there's more in it if I give it more petro...

I didn't have to tune the Edelbrock - it was on the engine when I bought the car, and it ran smoothly at all RPMs and load cases.

Which is really strange considering mine is a 600cfm model. I would think this cfm level would be way too much. Somebody obviously had put some time into tuning it before I bought it...

You want my modified stocker? If so, PM me... I'm using a finned unit now.

PM SENT

I bought a 5 1/8" x 2" high aluminum riser from Summit-Keyser 100 68827-2.0 for $17.50 for my Cutlass. It has a rubber O ring on one edge. I put that up and the air cleaner sits right down on it and seals nicely on the radius. Of course the hole in the air cleaner is not 5 1/8" but when looking down at the carb with the orig air cleaner base installed it looks like good flow. Since the Edelbrock is shorter that the orig carb the orig air cleaner clears my Cutlass hood.

Another thing that was suggested to me is to simply use the 5 1/8" base of a new air cleaner and let the filter alone support the orig top. That allows for air coming in the bottom and getting filtered since the new air cleaners you can get are smaller than the origs.

Anybody have a source for the orig large diam air cleaner elements?

62cutlassconvert wrote:Another thing that was suggested to me is to simply use the 5 1/8" base of a new air cleaner and let the filter alone support the orig top. That allows for air coming in the bottom and getting filtered since the new air cleaners you can get are smaller than the origs.

This is something I have thought about since I bought a new E-brock air cleaner assembly a few days ago after 1st encountering this problem -- I may have to see how it all looks. Tx for the thought.

As for the OEM air filter -- I didn't have any problem finding one that fit my OEM assembly, what am I missing in your question?

We have two cars that sat since 1971 and they have filters that are large enough to go all the way out to the sheet metal block inside the air cleaner top that is in line with the air inlet. The new ones I have found are smaller by about 1" I think. They work at sealing vertically but are not as large in diameter. I'll be at the shop later today and will measure the old vs. the new and maybe take a pic or two. Don't think it's critical but it would be nice to have the larger filter if available.

Yes Id like to see what you're after to compare with what Ive got.
Tx!

Here's looking down the throat of the stock air cleaner bottom with the alum riser. Then the orig stock element marked same as air cleaner trumpet that is tight to the baffle plate and the smaller element that is back from the baffle plate. Then the newer element that fits on the smaller ring on the cleaner bottom and the old AC A 124 C element that was in the car that goes out to the outer ring. Smaller element is 10.75" and older larger AC element is 11.5"

Oops, one dup. Here's the small one.

Thanks for the pics -- I can see what you're saying about the element and confirm I have the smaller of the two. Can't be of any help on a replacement but since you have the part # I will ask around to our local parts people and see if I can come up with anything.

Additionally, I appreciate the suggestion of using the 14" edelbrock assembly bottom plate with the OEM top assembly -- it appears to be a sufficient solution to my carb conversion!! No need for anything else now!