Air Filter

[Flyboy1st]

Anybody make their own air cleaner for the zenith carb? I was looking at K&N too brain storm how to do it. Maybe PVC, Hose, clamps and clamped on filter.

[old31]

I guess you could make an air filter out of anything. But why bother. I have a K&N and it works fine out of the box.

[katy]

Originally Posted by old31

I guess you could make an air filter out of anything. But why bother. I have a K&N and it works fine out of the box.

How about a picture and/or a part #.

[PalAl]

Originally Posted by katy

How about a picture and/or a part #.

Here is a link to the Red Quail Early Ford Parts, I have made several purchases form them, nice products and good to deal with. Here is a link to their web page. They have an air cleaner for you "right handers" also

https://www.redquailearlyfordparts.com/

[katy]

I bought one from Red Quail and within about 25 miles it fell off and got lost.

[mhsprecher]

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Here is one from Mac's. You can also get them on E-bay, I believe. I have one of each of my Model As.

[The Master Cylinder]

Originally Posted by katy

I bought one from Red Quail and within about 25 miles it fell off and got lost.

I'm guessing you don't have engine pans?

While mine has never fallen off I can imagine the engine pans would keep it from getting lost. Just sayin'.

I have one from Snyder's, which I believe is the same one made by Red Quail.

[J Franklin]

Originally Posted by katy

I bought one from Red Quail and within about 25 miles it fell off and got lost.

I've seen a fellow lose an air maze once. It wasn't installed securely. I agree the pans would keep things from getting lost.

[Flyboy1st]

I want a K&N, what filter did you use? I was looking at them and hoping someone has made their own using K&N filters.

Originally Posted by old31

I guess you could make an air filter out of anything. But why bother. I have a K&N and it works fine out of the box.

[Tom Endy]

Keep in mind that an updraft Zenith carburetor will leak fuel at some time and if you have a filter mounted to it, it may become saturated with fuel. If the engine should backfire on start up because the spark advance lever was left in the down position the filter material may light off.

Tom Endy

[duke36]

I have one similar to the updraft red quail made from 2 copper pipe elbows and a nitrile rubber type sleeve to the carb with hose clamps. Hasn't fallen off yet. The filter is a K&N type 5" tall but have no part no. A 3" dia. x 5"h or greater tall filter usually won't restrict air flow like the Airmaze can.

[SAJ]

Here is a link to a post on KandN filter I fitted to my RHD
Model B carb. It works well, mixture is light tan on plugs with 1/4 turn open on GAV, carb is not balanced for vacuum.

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=209736
SAJ in NZ

[Ruth]

I use the K&N Air Filter #5297. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0...?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Guess I'm lucky as my filter does not "become saturated with fuel".

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by SAJ

Here is a link to a post on KandN filter I fitted to my RHD
Model B carb. It works well, mixture is light tan on plugs with 1/4 turn open on GAV, carb is not balanced for vacuum.

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showthread.php?t=209736
SAJ in NZ

Thanks for that, Stuart. When I make an air box, it is usually out of fibre gless and when I do a metal one, I use exhaust pipe. To get a sharp bend, I cut a vee, bend and weld it closed. For the fibreglass ones, I make a core out of polystyrene, coat it with PVA and let it dry thoroughly. I then put the matting and resin over that and once finished, I remove the core by sloshing a little petrol in there. Sometimes the air box does a U turn under the carby, then upwards to the filter mounted on the radiator stays. They are easier in FG. Other times it comes out between the steering column and the choke rod, then up to the air cleaner in the same place.
I have tried to put a B carburettor on an A engine but the steering column prevented it. Determined, I shortened the verticle tube of the inlet manifold and reattached the flange but with a bit of a twist so the intake cleared the steering box. That meant the choke rod wouldn't line up so I moved the knob to the left of the steering column and put a little universal joint in the choke rod just above the floor (I made my own steering column support bracket to accomodte it). That worked a treat.
I can understand why the American vendors don't sell this sort of stuff for RHD cars because we have all found our own solutions and therefore don't need one of theirs.

[SAJ]

Interesting Synchro. My wife's Tudor with standard rear eng mount cleared the B carb by 3/16 inch, allowing the 24 gauge rolled airbox spigot to fit closely on the inlet stub with about 1/8 inch clearance to the 2 tooth steering tube. But my 1930 Roadster with 2 tooth box fitted and new FAM rubbers would not clear. I packed the RH bottom FAM rubber up by 5 mm twisting the motor slightly in the chassis I think from memory. It has rubber front mounts too and I think I packed the front RH one up too. I have worked on so many other cars for the club I cannot remember. Anyway this gave about 1/8 clearance to the steering tube. I suspect every car us slightly different which is why you could not fit a B carb to yours Arnold without the mods you did.
Since I manufacture fibreglass resins I suppose I should make some f glass ones as you suggest for the club. The steel intakes take me several hours to make and fit.
SAJ in NZ

[old31]

This is the K&N that I have. It measures 3-3/8 long. I have had it a while and don't remember where I bought it.

Red Quail. They have the best fuel filters I have ever tried. A little more expensive but they are great. They are longer than NAPA, Snyders, Brattons and the top gasket fits the top holes of the filter better than the others.

[Mulletwagon]

Originally Posted by PalAl

Here is a link to the Red Quail Early Ford Parts, I have made several purchases form them, nice products and good to deal with. Here is a link to their web page. They have an air cleaner for you "right handers" also

https://www.redquailearlyfordparts.com/

I went the Hi-Boy route and like it. No pooled fuel or soggy K&N element.

[Bob-A]

This is the Hi-Boy filter on my '29 roadster. I used repop Model-A hose clamps painted flat black with brass screws on the filter. They make it more
"antiquey" looking to me.


Bob-A

[Purdy Swoft]

That Swan intake manifold is right purty . .

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by Bob-A

This is the Hi-Boy filter on my '29 roadster. I used repop Model-A hose clamps painted flat black with brass screws on the filter. They make it more
"antiquey" looking to me.


Bob-A

My first thought on seeing that manifold was: Is the carburettor sitting higher? That might be a solution but then I saw that there is no provision for the distributor advance rod. That could probably be overcome so I ask: "Does the carburettor sit higher than with the original manifold?" I kinda doubt it or the GAV/choke rod wouldn't line up.

[Synchro909]

Originally Posted by SAJ

Interesting Synchro. My wife's Tudor with standard rear eng mount cleared the B carb by 3/16 inch, allowing the 24 gauge rolled airbox spigot to fit closely on the inlet stub with about 1/8 inch clearance to the 2 tooth steering tube. But my 1930 Roadster with 2 tooth box fitted and new FAM rubbers would not clear. I packed the RH bottom FAM rubber up by 5 mm twisting the motor slightly in the chassis I think from memory. It has rubber front mounts too and I think I packed the front RH one up too. I have worked on so many other cars for the club I cannot remember. Anyway this gave about 1/8 clearance to the steering tube. I suspect every car us slightly different which is why you could not fit a B carb to yours Arnold without the mods you did.
Since I manufacture fibreglass resins I suppose I should make some f glass ones as you suggest for the club. The steel intakes take me several hours to make and fit.
SAJ in NZ

It's a fiddley, time consuming job to make an air box the way I do so if I were to make a number of them, I think I'd look into making a mold. That way, I'd only be doing "the fiddle" once.
BTW, the air box I made for the B carb was the same as one I made for the Zenith but with a sleeve over the open end to adapt it to the larger intake of the B carb.

[Joop]

I hope he is running a Simmons carburetor with the Swan manifold.

[Ford Acar]

The one that came with my 1928 Phaeton uses a slightly different approach again.
It uses a Borg Warner filter #BW4266E.
I am told that the Zenith has been air balanced to suit.

[Purdy Swoft]

The Simmons Swan manifold provides for equalized distribution and improves operation in general !!! See this setup on page 79 in Those wonderful UNAUTHORIZED accessories for the model A Ford book .

[DHZIEMAN]

My first attempt was to purchase and filter unit off the web! The installation was simple as the one bolt to tighten, which made me nervous on my pot metal zenith that I would crack it in some way, I settled on a tightness I thought would do the job! About a day later, the filter was not there anymore. It fell off. So, I decided to improvise using some 2 inch (I think) vinyl supercharger pipe, some hard metal elbows, and some hose clamps and a bracket to hold the filter housing in place and all is well. It just looks like I did it! Not neat but functional.

[Flyboy1st]

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Any pictures would be helpful. Has anyone calculated the volume needed for the air cleaner to match the engine max air flow needs?

[stevemclark]

From Mikes a metal filter that won't burn.https://www.mikes-afordable.com/product/A9600T.html. .On a 1930 coupe plus oil filter kit.

[Dennisfly]

I have what appears to be the High Boy as pictured from Red Quail. It has no identifying marks or numbers. I bought the car from an estate, so no previous owner to ask.
It appears to be metal mesh and maybe gauze. Is this as effective as a K&N? I've read the discussions and I want effective filtration but not paper that may be too restrictive. Is the K&N gauze or foam and should it be oiled?

[Flathead]

Originally Posted by DHZIEMAN

My first attempt was to purchase and filter unit off the web! The installation was simple as the one bolt to tighten, which made me nervous on my pot metal zenith that I would crack it in some way, I settled on a tightness I thought would do the job! About a day later, the filter was not there anymore. It fell off. So, I decided to improvise using some 2 inch (I think) vinyl supercharger pipe, some hard metal elbows, and some hose clamps and a bracket to hold the filter housing in place and all is well. It just looks like I did it! Not neat but functional.

Pot metal Zenith?

[Bob C]

Probably a Tillotson F1B.


Bob

[Purdy Swoft]

Besides their cast iron version , Simmons also produced the Simmons alloy that resembled the Zenith carb