What I Learned About Air Filters on FordBarn

[David in San Antonio]

Without an air filter
It’s common knowledge
You’ll send your engine builder’s
Three kids through college.

Invisible grit
hurts many things:
Valve guides and seats,
compression rings.

Minuscule dirt
Can painful be.
Have contact lenses?
Then you’ll agree.

When a scratch is scored
Into cylinder wall
Tho’ the piston shall rise
Compression doth fall.

But a dirty air filter
Can wreak havoc, too
It richens the mixture
Which mischief will do.

So balance your Zenith
Vent the float bowl upstream
Then barometrically balanced
It’ll fuel smooth and clean

But a few drops of gas
A paper filter can soak
A backfire and then
Your A goes up in smoke!

So one final step
And you’ll sleep well at night
Run a modern fuel shutoff
That seals nice and tight.

Better yet fix your dang gas tank
Banish the rust
Use a Henry Ford fuel tap
It’ll be worthy of trust

On the other hand, Henry
Forbade the air filter
It’s down there in writing
It’ll throw carbs off kilter

Yes, roads were all dusty
And dirty, and poor
But you don’t need a filter
That’s what engine pans are for.
(In part. But that's for another poem)

So choose your own path
In your Model A life
Choices bring consequences
So said my ex-wife.

But this little poem is
Not guaranteed to be right
It’s just my summation
Of things Barners write.

My next undertaking
Will be “What’s the best oil?”
But don’t hold your breath
I foresee lengthy toil.