Help with air cleaner question
Thread Starter
Heel & Toe
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
From: Florida
Help with air cleaner question
Help!
I have recently put on new headers and new exhaust. I have the stock air cleaner assembly on my '76. On the drivers side, there was a flexible hose coming off the manifold going up to the bottom of the air cleaner assembly. By using headers, I can not use this flexible hose.
Should I plug the tube/opening under the air cleaner or leave it alone? If plugged would it help performance by only drawing fresh air into the carb?
Thanks
I have recently put on new headers and new exhaust. I have the stock air cleaner assembly on my '76. On the drivers side, there was a flexible hose coming off the manifold going up to the bottom of the air cleaner assembly. By using headers, I can not use this flexible hose.
Should I plug the tube/opening under the air cleaner or leave it alone? If plugged would it help performance by only drawing fresh air into the carb?
Thanks
Drifting
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,697
Likes: 139
From: Syracuse NY
For starters, now that you are expelling the exhaust more efficiently, you need to pull in more air and more fuel. Upgrade to an aftermarket airfilter and have someone adjust your carb. By adding just headers you may run the risk of running lean.
As for the offensive hose, plug it. Its not going to harm anything if left open, but the air filter is there for thar reason, to filter out environmental nasties.
As for the offensive hose, plug it. Its not going to harm anything if left open, but the air filter is there for thar reason, to filter out environmental nasties.
Drifting
Joined: Mar 2011
Posts: 1,886
Likes: 9
Sounds like you are talking about the hot air hose that pulls air over the exhaust manifold and into the air cleaner. It was easier to calibrate the carb to run at only one air temp, so the factory decided to heat it. There is a thermal switch inside the air cleaner box that controls how far open the flapper valve should be. It mixes the hot air from around the manifold with cooler air from the air inlet ductwork.
My two cents is, ignore it. Just remove the hot air hose (you don't have to plug it). It enters the air box outside the filter. The valve is spring loaded and should "fail open", leaving a straight flow of air into the element box. Plug off the vacuum line that runs to the control, and be happy.
My two cents is, ignore it. Just remove the hot air hose (you don't have to plug it). It enters the air box outside the filter. The valve is spring loaded and should "fail open", leaving a straight flow of air into the element box. Plug off the vacuum line that runs to the control, and be happy.
Last edited by gcusmano74; Aug 1, 2013 at 05:50 PM.
Team Owner
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 87,361
Likes: 1,592
From: Western NY
If you drive the car in cold weather (not necessarily winter time, just cold days), you may want that hose in place to help the car run smoother. I believe that Hedman Hedders used to make a "clamp on" tube that goes to the front header tube, and accepts this hose.
