air cleaner
Thread Starter
Racer
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 431
Likes: 22
From: Chester Illinois
air cleaner
on my '81 in the stock air cleaner there is a metal screen like filter that is on the inside of the housing between the air filter and the carb intake. what is this?????? i took it out since you couldnt blow much air through it. does this have anything to do with maybe a backfire to keep the filter from catching fire????????
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 12,652
Likes: 3,110
From: Shamong, NJ
That additional filter your referring to was only used in 81. It is bonded into the air cleaner base and contains an "activated charcoal filtering medium". Why it was included, or why it was needed, is a mystery to me, but all 81's had it. I assume (and you know what they say about assuming, but I'll do it anyway) that it had something to do with the polution controls.
I've had my 81 since new. It's still in there. I don't know if it was supposed to be serviced or cleaned. I've never found any reference to maintaining it in any GM service material.
I've had my 81 since new. It's still in there. I don't know if it was supposed to be serviced or cleaned. I've never found any reference to maintaining it in any GM service material.
Race Director
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 12,652
Likes: 3,110
From: Shamong, NJ
I know others who've removed it without any effect on the way the car runs. I should have mentioned that with my post.
I've never removed it from my car. It was my wife's daily driver for 3 years, until our son came along and she needed a car compatable with a car seat. Since then it's just been a weekend toy that never got modified. Now it's an original, unrestored NCRS Top Flight car. When I want to go fast, I take my wrong motor, mag wheeled 62 out!
I've never removed it from my car. It was my wife's daily driver for 3 years, until our son came along and she needed a car compatable with a car seat. Since then it's just been a weekend toy that never got modified. Now it's an original, unrestored NCRS Top Flight car. When I want to go fast, I take my wrong motor, mag wheeled 62 out!
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 12,692
Likes: 329
From: Scottsdale Arizona
That additional filter your referring to was only used in 81. It is bonded into the air cleaner base and contains an "activated charcoal filtering medium". Why it was included, or why it was needed, is a mystery to me, but all 81's had it. I assume (and you know what they say about assuming, but I'll do it anyway) that it had something to do with the polution controls.
I've had my 81 since new. It's still in there. I don't know if it was supposed to be serviced or cleaned. I've never found any reference to maintaining it in any GM service material.
I've had my 81 since new. It's still in there. I don't know if it was supposed to be serviced or cleaned. I've never found any reference to maintaining it in any GM service material.
The only harm that it does is, if clogged, would reduce the amount of air getting to the air filter. On my old 81, the carbon flter was so clogged that the air filter would only get dirty on the top 1 inch. I'd turn the air filter over and had a new one for a while
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Drifting
Joined: May 2007
Posts: 1,491
Likes: 2
From: North Royaton Ohio
Isn't it called a spark arrestor or something of that sort? Keeps the filter from accumulating fuel coming back out of the carb and possibly catching fire.
I ditched my whole stock air cleaner, but I'm thinking of putting the original back on. Some people claim that it acts as a cold air intake, but I just might be the biggest skeptic ever to the whole CAI thing. We'll see...
I ditched my whole stock air cleaner, but I'm thinking of putting the original back on. Some people claim that it acts as a cold air intake, but I just might be the biggest skeptic ever to the whole CAI thing. We'll see...
