Technical Flow testing air filters for Stromberg 97

The question came up on the internet, how much flow restriction is caused by the perforated mesh on the Nystrom Performance air filter. So we decided to do a test. I have the Flow-Quik equipment that I have been using for some port development, and have found it to be very sensitive. I figured it would be easy enough to slap a carb on it. We tested the Speedway frogs mouth scoops that I use on my 8 carb Hemi, both with and without the filter elements, as well as a louvered steel unit with a paper filter, and the cast aluminum Nystrom housing with a K&N element. We made a very short video of the test, you can see it here here:
I hope you find it informative.

 

Very cool . Im glad to see this.

 

When I ran the scoops backwards above 125 mph the gas would get sucked out of the carbs and end up on the windshield.

 

Neat test. Thanks for showing us.

 

Brian, I heard of that issue before, and Don Garlits said that's why he has that flat sheet metal plate mounted above his carburetors on his 8 carb dragster. I run them backwards on my hot rod and so far I haven't had that issue at 135 mph. With the full, unvented visor on my coupe, that might be a high pressure area at speed.

 

Very nicely done!

 

Super interesting! I really enjoy tests like this, you did a great job. I’ve seen guys put the small, 10” Cheapshit chrome air cleaners on 366, 427, and 429 truck engines in C-60’s, and F-750’s and sitting still, the engine will suck down on the lid enough to see with the naked eye. This was a idle to WOT throttle yank. Think about what happens under full load with the secondaries open! The frog mouth with the gauze filter was particularly telling.

 

My old friend built a 3/8x4 flathead for his roadster. I got the tri carbs all adjusted and linkage set, blipping throttle was rewarding so I went home. I get a call a little while later and he says engine won't rev up, but idles fine. I go back and he shows me what it does and then he pointed out the black stuff on his white garage doors from the tailpipes. I was a little miffed then noticed he had put the little air cleaners on. Took them off and back to rewarding throttle. I made him a tri power air cleaner like used on BBF and engine ran really strong. I always wondered about the little cleaners flowing enough and the ones he had must have been worse than the little Taiwan's tested!!

 

Awesome

 

I need to learn emojis on my phone so I can give you several thumbs ups!

 

Well done! I'm very impressed with your presentation and delivery of it.
30cfm drop, I'm going to look at those breathers a bit differently, for sure.

 

This is pretty cool.

If it’s not rude to ask, how much is the flow equipment worth please Joel?

I’ve had a to-do list job for a while of flowing the aftermarket manifolds that were offered for the Holden grey motor. I bought Vizard’s porting book, and had been kicking around the idea of building a flow bench per his guide.

That book is getting a little dated, and I wonder if a simple setup is now available without having to sell a kidney to afford it.

Cheers,
Harv

 

harv, i bought it used, i'm not sure what a new one costs. i paid about$700 for it, but i didn't question the price when he offered it to me because the guy is a genius and he had already let me pick his brain for 2 hours and bestowed priceless knowledge upon me.

 

Thankyou.

I had a similar experience yesterday with an older gentleman, who is rebuilding a 1950s McGee fuel injection pump for me. I learnt more in the 45 minutes of listening to him than what it will cost to fix the pump.

Cheers,
Harv

 

Thanks for taking the time and effort to share your results. Those paper elements in the chrome top sure didn't work real well.

I recall reading some time ago of a similar test done perhaps in American Rodder or Street Rodder magazine but seeing the you tube was the ducks nuts

 

Excellent!

Maybe if you ran some tape around the base of the little chrome one it would seal (and plug more flow!)

 

Cool!!! Thanks!!!

 

Yup those small paper ones are junk at best.few of my customers have ran them on sixes and are amazed when I take em off and the car is night and day.ive replaced them with k&n or Speedway knockoff ones.

 

That's a good idea. I actually thought of a whole bunch of good ideas after I already made the video. Haha. Isn't that the way it goes?

 

Great job!
Amazing that the Taiwan piece did as well as it did.
Wonder if that style with a K&N filter would do even better?
I ran that combo on my roadster and it did well, it seemed, but with no numbers to substantiate anything, it was a crap shoot.
Thanks for the hard data!

 

This may be unrelated but years ago there was a candy red 1965 Corvette street car (Toronto area) with a 6-71 blown SBC. I was a teen when I saw it and I couldn't believe how small the air cleaners on it were. In my mind they had to be a massive restriction. A quick google search found an article on the car ... David Cohen 1965 Corvette. Apparently he still had the car in 2013 and still had the tiny air cleaners too. I guess a lot depends on the cars use but they, to me, just looked "off/wrong". Nice car though


https://www.motortrend.com/features/1965-chevy-corvette-stingray/

 

What about when they run a scoop with little cleaners stuck inside? Or them flat top injector scoops with the throttle plates?

 

Nice work! I was a little surprised at the paper filter in the little chrome bonnet. I expected worse numbers. It would have been interesting to use one of the old style bonnets w/ a screen instead of a paper element. I noticed a difference on my old dual carb straight 6 when the filters were installed, but it's probably not too smart to run open carbs for every day driving.

 

I'd like to see the louvered air cleaner with a k&n filter also. It's probably worth noting that most of the original chrome air cleaners had wire mesh instead of paper elements, which I assume is also less restrictive.

 

K&N are oil soaked gauze with "bigger holes" than paper elements. The improved performance they claim is hype. This has been proven over and over. Great testing Hemi, pretty revealing if you study the data a bit more. And in the grand scheme of things 13 CFM from the cheapy would never be felt short of a stock class drag car looking to set a record. With forces being exponential in their natures I'd also bet the restriction in the cheapy was less, way less, at a lower demand like simple part throttle cruise mode. Data. It's a drug.

 

Neat stuff. Thanks Joel.

John

 

I’ve found K&N’s have poor flow for my 94’s. I pulled them out immediately.
Interesting study. Thanks for sharing.

 

Cool!

 

Great little comparison,Engine Masters did a dyno shootout with aircleaners and there were some surprising results, the best was how much hp flipping the lid on a stock aircleaner assembly, the K&N shown great results in it.

 

@swade41 Did you post something? All I see is your avatar...