Wow, an eye-opening web site! My cars have seen the last of Fram filters...the two on the garage shelf will go into recycling. I'll be calling a Baldwin dealer today.

 

An auto parts dealer (RBJ Auto Parts in Los Gatos) listed in the Baldwin web site is ordering me a couple of their B27 spin on filters for my 67. The canister style AC PF 141 is still listed as P18. They also list a Baldwin air filter for a 1966 Vette 327, but not for a 67 327, but it should be the same filter. They also carry AC Delco oil and air filters. The fellow I talked with agrees that Baldwins oil filters are better than any other, that Wix is good too, and that Fram is junk. He said that Baldwin and AC air filters are about the same quality. He didn't see a listing for 63-65 Corvette carbureted engines.

I'll be at that dealer when my filters come in, in a week or two, and will then go through their catalog and see what else I can learn. I'll let you know what I turn up.

Louie

 

Louie:

Posting the Baldwin numbers for a 67 327 air filter would be very useful.

I notice from the pic of your car that you have the offset front licence plate mounting. I have been looking high and low for one and have had no luck finding one. Did that come on the car or did you make it up from parts?

Thanks

 

Bob,
I didn't write down the Baldwin air filter number, unfortunately. I'll learn it in a week or two when I get the filters and post the numbers.

I got the license plate bracket at one of the usual vendors. In my Zip Products 2003 catalog, page 23, it is part number BU-447, "License bracket, 427 w/Automatic and AC" and costs (in 2003) $52.50. Proabely $152.50 by now! My 327/350 with factory AC doesn't need the extra cooling provided by the offset plate, but I think it looks cool (pun intended) and adds a bit of distinctiveness. May as well order yours now before they go extinct.

Louie

 

Great info. I just ordered three P18 filters from a local dealer for $6.18 ea. + shipping. Sounds like a good deal to me.

 

Louie:

Many thanks for the info about the bracket. Checked the ZIP web site and they still have it listed for $52.50.

Did you have to drill any holes to mount it or is it a simple bolt on using existing holes?

Take it easy.

 

I checked on them yesterday and they're the same price as in PA. I don't think the measurements are the same but cannot find it again where I seen them both to compare. Seem to recall the length was about 3/4" shorter than the PF141. Does that matter?

 

Baldwin air filter cross reference to AC Delco A 212CW - PA1758
Baldwin cross oil filter Ac Delco PF 1218- B1428, B6
" " " " " " PF25 - B27

 

I have the Saturday morning stupids.

What Baldwin air filter would go on the 67 327/350?

TIA Joe

 

PA1758.

 

If you want to find a Baldwin filter for any application, just go to the Baldwin web site:

www.baldwinfilter.com

Click on catalog, which will give you the cross reference page. Type in the filter number you know - any brand. If there is an equivalent Baldwin filter, it will come up, and then you can click on the part number to get a photo, specs, and applications.

Duke

 

For whatever respect Fram might have held in the past as far as quality goes their modern day offerings have shot that legend all to he**! ..

I have a 'spare' Fram CH200PL filter cartridge sitting on the shelf in the garage. What a JUNK design! .. The Fram filter, with few 'flow through' holes in the center section periphery of the metal band that surrounds the filter media hardly seems sufficient to flow enough oil at anything other than low speed operation. The cardboard ends of this filter appear to be pretty flimsy, too. No contest compared to the quality designed into the WIX filter. WIX has been around a long time - since before WWII, I believe. That's a lot of years in perfecting filter design. Fram seems to have devolved into a front company.

Baldwin filters? .. I haven't heard of these, either, before this thread. Seems Baldwin has been around quite a while, too, according to their webpage. The Baldwin filter design looks impressive with the many 'flow through' holes in the metal body. It looks like an oil filter should look, IMO .. Thanks for providing the link, Duke.

 

Baldwin is highly respected in the HD trade including industrial and off-road equipment that may be in operation viturally 24/7 - like mining equipment, and that equipment works in an absolutely filthy environments - particles galore!

You don't achieve an excellent reputation in these industries unless your products are the best construction quality and most effective and durable on the market.

Duke

 

SWCDUKE, Many thanks for the Baldwin filter tips!!! I checked their website and found about 10 dealers in the Dallas area that sell the filters. I'm hoping to buy 10 to 12 of the P18 filters for my Vettes. Along with the diesel motor oil I use that you recommended previously, my cars should be good to go in the future. Thanks again.

 

I don't think you can beat the combination of CI-4 oil and Baldwin filters. Ask any mine operator with a fleet of 100 ton capacity dump trucks.

Duke

 

SWCDUKE and JohnZ are the foundation of knowledge that keeps my 67 L79 running well. Thank both of you for freely chiming in on so many posts with absolutely great information.

I am certain that it must seem tedious for both of you at times. At least with me, the knowledge gap is so great that the only way I can describe it is it is as if I were in kindergarten and you are the school principals.

Tanks once again for having the patience and taking the time.

 

I just got my Baldwin oil filters. From the outside all I can say is that they have a much weightier construction than a Fram filter.

I ended up with AC Delco air filters, instead of the Baldwin filters I thought I ordered. The vendor thought that AC and Baldwin air filters are approximately equivalent in quality. He opined that all Fram filters are "crap."

Here are pics of the used Fram air I took off my 67 327/350 and the new AC filter. First of all, the AC filter has a slightly larger diameter, so it fills out the diameter of the stock air filter housing, so looks much better. Second, the AC filter has black, not orange, rubber ends, so that looks better too. Finally, and most importantly, the AC filter has at least twice the accordion pleats of filter medium as the Fram filter. Also, the AC's pleats are more uniformly spaced around the filter, while the Fram's pleats are widely spaced in one place and closely spaced in another (but never as close as the AC's pleats). I chose pleats on the Fram filter that exhibit average spacing.

I just tossed the space Fram filters I had for my Vette and Acura in the recycling bin. Now that I know what crap they are, they will never again darken the door of my garage!

 

Since we've moved to air filters on this thread....

Does anyone have any unbiased dyno data that compares a clean/new K&N with a clean/new quality paper filter? (AC or whatever)......... i'm convinced they don't filter as well (K&N), but what about flow?

I'm talking carb'ed C1-3 type setups, not the newer FI rigs.

 

Hot Rod did a test a few years ago comparing four "hot rod" air filter elements - all the same size, 14" diameter by 3" height including some heavily advertised and hyped aftermarket products, some costing over 50 bucks!!! - against a six dollar Purolator OE replacement, and guess what? The measured differences were mostly within the range of test repeatability.

A quality paper element that meets the SAE particle entrapment test is the way to go. You could buy a lifetime supply of the Purolators for the cost of one of those POS hot rod filters, and you can be reasonably assured that the Purolator (or any other quality name brand, except maybe Fr...m) pass the SAE particle test. At whatever mileage interval you like to change air filters, just throw away the paper element and put in a new one.

Wash air filters? Yeah, right? Wash your oil filters and reinstall them too. It makes about as much sense.

If this article doesn't blow away the K&N myth, I don't know what will.

http://www.hotrod.com/techarticles/70738/index.html

My choice is still Baldwin, because I know they are top quality in both construction and particle filtration.

Duke

P. S. The flow bench test, though a bit hokey to get reference numbers, basically said that all the elements flowed in the range of 2500-3000 CFM at 2" H20. Since the engine's air demand is only about one-sixth of this, the actual pressure loss through the air filter element at the engine's peak demand is the square root of one-sixth times 2", which is less than one inch H2O, which is effectively negligible.

 

Very good thread!