Techtip7

SAVVA Technical Tips No 7

Air Cleaners

This tip is for those lucky ones who can use it – for the others - oh well!

Collector car enthusiasts often make rather rude remarks about modern
cars and what rubbish the are - well that may be but moderns do have a
few good points, for example, if our older cars had the oils and filters
they have today they would have lasted a lot longer.

One of the old filters I’ve always been concerned about is the oil
bath air filters – how effective are they? I have a feeling they aren’t that effective.

Recently, I was standing in the garage with a new GUD modern air filter in my
hand and wondering what to do with it – you know we acquire these things and
don’t even know where the came from. I then looked at my 1935 Buick’s oil
bath filter and “walla” an idea. I removed all the oil and tried to fit the
new GUD filter into the orifice – very close. I shaved off some of the rubber
at the bottom with a sharp knife and it fitted like a glove. The air still
comes into the filter at the top but instead of passing over the oil it now passes
through the new filter into the carburetor. I’ve checked with the local spares shop
and it’s a current filter therefore easily replaced.

May I suggest when next working on your car you check with your local spares to see
if they have something you can use. Don’t buy one with a metal top and bottom but
rather one with rubber. If necessary you can then modify it, or fill gaps with black silicone.
I.e. make it smaller or airtight top and bottom.