Oil Bath air cleaner modification

alphacrimedog · 10-29-2002, 11:01 PM

Has anyone ever modified a 70-72 oil bath type air cleaner to accept a regular paper filter or is the only way to do it to replace it with the air cleaner assembly from a 73?

Bruce Allert · 10-30-2002, 06:37 AM

I looked at the oil bath air cleaner on my 73 until it got blurry trying to figure an easy way to adapt it.... I think you'd have to do some cutting. It'd be much easier to just keep yer eyes open & find one... I did. Runs much better too. They're out there...... somewhere!

canadianeh · 10-30-2002, 08:54 AM

I tore out my oil bath and replaced with a homemade K&N replacement. All I needed was a silicon adapter to connect the throttle body to a 3" 45 degree elbow and a suitable K&N filter clamped on the end of that. The K&N is about 4-5 " tall and 4-5 " diameter. Then I tapped into the 3" pipe and the filter top for the required emissions/vacuum hoses. Pretty easy. There is a fair bit of intake air noise now but I kinda like to hear the engine "breathing".

I will try and post a pic.

canadianeh · 11-25-2002, 08:24 PM

Sorry no part numbers...

And yes, the huge red hose is 250 psi fuel line that I used for vacuum line. It was free, ok!

Dave at Pelican Parts · Dave at Pelican Parts's Garage

You might want to make up some kind of "rain hat" for that filter. Otherwise it will be easy to suck water down into the motor....

--DD

azkiwi · azkiwi's Garage

I was able to find parts at a junkyard from a V6 Grand Am and Geo Storm...I like the fact that I can now adjust the idle without having to move the oil bath cleaner...

hardflex · 11-27-2002, 04:06 AM

Hey Azkiwi,

When I first looked at the top picture, I thought it was connected to the engine fan as a sort of poor man's turbo

. I like the setup, looks factory too. I may try it on mine.

Now if we can just clean up the hose routing on these things.

PD

Bruce Allert · 11-27-2002, 06:31 AM

Hardflex, Right on both counts.... Azkiwi's set up looks very factory and as for the hoses, there's gotta be a better way. I'm looking at extending the length of each one to the point of routing them around the perimeter of the engine bay. Should be a cleaner application.
bruce

canadianeh · 11-27-2002, 08:17 AM

azkiwi, Great looking setup. Wish I had thought of it!

Dave at Pelican Parts · Dave at Pelican Parts's Garage

Bruce, that's a very worthwhile idea! But I would consider keeping the line from the manifold to the MPS and the distributor advance/retard lines short, just to make sure there aren't any delays in getting the vacuum signals to where they need to be. (The rest of the lines are pretty much just for letting air go past the throttle, but those lines are direect control signals.) Probably isn't needed--the Megasquirt guys talk about 3'+ hose runs for their MAP sensor not being a problem--but I would feel better that way.

--DD

alphacrimedog · 11-27-2002, 04:42 PM

Great set up. Now if we only knew exactly what parts we might need to do a silimar set up. If you can remember, Id love to know.

Bruce Allert · 11-27-2002, 05:23 PM

Dave, good thinking. I was along the idea that once in a vacuum always in a vacuum but, since the engine is in a state of constant flux with it's various rises & falls in vacuum it's understandable that distance would play into the time ratio on the 3 hoses you mentioned. Also, on those 3 hoses, with a greater distance it seems there would be less vacuum due to more volume. The MPS hose is out of the way due to its location so it could be kept where it is and the 2 small hoses going to the vacuum advance on the dizzy can be threaded under the intakes so they're outta the way. I'd like to set up a cleaner air cleaner set up too. It's a hassle to move & remove all that stuff when doing minor things.
bruce

Bruce Allert · 11-28-2002, 06:44 AM

Last night I was thinking seriously about doing a turbo. I read about how they work and looked at as many posts that I could find about it and was convinced that it "can't be that hard" ! Well... then I really began looking at the posted pics of them with all the "stuff" that goes along (piping, hoses etc...) and thought "if I'm worried about these few hoses that are in my way now, what would I do with all that turbo equip. laying on top & sides & in the way??? Geeze, that's a lot of stuff! I'd never be able to get to anything as easy as I can now (facetiously speaking

)
Guess I'll just make due with what I got until the Power Gods come up with something cheap & easy!
bruce

hardflex · 11-30-2002, 05:16 AM

Bruce,

I'm wondering if a supercharger mounted where the heater bosting fan wouldn't be simpler and easily do-able. One belt and intake routing like we see here.

PD

Bruce Allert · 11-30-2002, 07:58 AM

That's one area (of many) that I haven't gotten into yet (the Alternator). I don't look forward to changing the belt however, I really haven't even looked at it except through the little hole where the bolt & nut is on the left side of the bay. I suppose a larger (double) pully could be attached onto the alt. to drive the supercharger if there's enough room to accompany it but this area is where the firewall begins to slant in towards the back and might be tight. (what am I saying??? everything is tight in the bay!!!

) Then there would be the relocation of the heater fan. Here in Oregon I can't be w/o that little goody. I keep looking at those turbos and the CIS injection. Ed's post & pics on shoptalkforum.com looks better than what I'd seen earlier. The 1.7 looked really clean. With the CIS it appears that most of the hoses we now have go away and all the wires of the D-jet leave too since the CIS is a mechanical FI. I'm going to read up on this CIS stuff.
bruce

azkiwi · azkiwi's Garage

I found a better picture of the layout. I took this prior to putting the engine in.
I have been to several junkyards since alphacrimedog asked about part numbers and have not seen the same Grand Am model that I pulled this from. I will keep looking so I can post model years etc...I had that info once before and have since lost it. I need to get again so I can buy replacement filters for myself.

In this picture I thought the hose layout was nice and tidy...its amazing how much you have to hook up after the engine is in. Then you get impatient to fire her up and the mentality of "to heck" with how it looks takes over. One day I'll tidy it up.

I love the color of the intake runners. It just took a wire wheel to runners and stripped the paint off and sprayed clear coat on them. It is a nice pewter color in case you can't tell.

Bruce Allert · 12-22-2002, 02:43 PM

Azkiwi, THAT is a beautiful modification. I'm striving for my engine to be that clean... one of these days!
bruce

azkiwi · azkiwi's Garage

Thanks Bruce.

I have learned so much from this forum and love seeing and reading about what others are doing (especially seeing). Thought I should share for a change since I have taken a hundred fold more in lessons I've learned from postings and articles on this website.

My wife thinks I'm crazy...I like walking around the junkyard for hours looking at different setups...getting ideas and actually some of them make sense. The current project is to get a really nice a/c setup. Something that not only works but looks better than the dealer installs ever could (3 years ago I bought a kit from AA before I knew pelican existed and do not plan on installing any of it (most of the kit is in sad shape...a true waste of $1200.00+ w/shipping). I've already found a custom bracket from an early vanagan that I've never seen before. I'll clean it up and post some pics soon and see if anyone recognizes it...all I can say is that it has an extra pulley on the bracket and allows the compressor to mount up in the engine compartment. From the lack of quality in the welds I am guessing it was fabricated by an a/c shop just for this application.