Any reason to still use an oil bath air cleaner??

If view of modern air filters, is there any reason to still use an oil bath air cleaner? I was trying to get all the sludge out of the Packard's air cleaner, and it looks like the Exxon Valdez crashed in my garage. What a freaking mess, and it's still not clean. It'd be nice to replace it with a paper air filter. Opinions? Thoughts?

 

leave it over night in a bucket full with gasoline that will make it easier to take the sludge out

thats what i did with my 49 dodge

 

Servicing the oil bath won't cost any money once you get it clean.
If you have to go dry, go K&N - many paper elements will restrict air flow.

 

never clean with gasoline. unless you like explosions and destruction.

I'd say the oil bath air cleaner was a good idea back then since not everywhere had paved roads like today. all that dust would wreck a motor quick.

no need to run one today, except for restorations and coolness. I'm going to run a modified 58 chevy oil bath on my V8 49 chevy... oil bath looks on the outside with a K&N on the inside and a modified base to fit my Holley carb...

 

No paper element ever made restricts air flow as much as an oil bath, they're a dinosaur.

 

I really didn't want to have an open bucket of gas sitting in or near my garage. With the size of this thing, it'd prob take $30 in gas to submerge it! This is less about cleaning it, and more about improving it.....and if that improvement is less messy so much the better.

So I now have 2 for, and 2 against. No majority opinion either way.

 

According to my Studebaker manual, clean the element with kerosene and shake until dry. Next, dry submerge in engine oil and drain excess oil before installing back in air cleaner. Don't blow dry as this could damage the element. I put a flying skull on mine and it looks great. Joe

 

Fidget,

If your going to run the oil bath, take it to a radiator shop and have them tank it, it'll come out looking almost new. It would be best to get a modern air cleaner or convert the oil bath to a hold a paper air cleaner.

Cruiser

 

The old "oil bath" air cleaners did do the job; ... in their day.

But the "new technology" DRY - such as the K&N's - are far superior.

Adapting a dry type; like a K&N, to your existing air cleaner gives you both the "old time" appearance and modern performance.
(plus keeping the inside of your engine cleaner!!)

IMHO, I'd say it's worth the conversion.

 

if your still counting count me with Digger Dave.

Best of both worlds.

Frank

 

On a related subject, someone on here posted that those eBay 'hot rod' type air cleaners come with elements that are actually designed for air compressors and have something like 60 folds vs an ideal number of 5. I can't find the post and am really interested in this as I'm running one on my current 2bbl and was planning on running them on the tripower I just finished rebuilding. Currently, when I get on the gas, I get lots of black smoke in the exhaust, so I think this is my problem. I'm sure it'll only be worse with 3 carbs. Anyone have any thoughts or have the location of that post? I tried searching for it...

 

I can relate, redneck, I was running air cleaner ass'ys from Speedway, 2-5/8 neck, like a 6 inch OD filter and ran into the rich thing too. Take them off and I'd have white plugs at the track. And it got real bad after i'd driven 3 hours in the rain, they got usless. Even after they dried out.

I just replaced the elements with K&N's and it seems the same (better)with or without the filters.

Frank

 

What'd the K&N's cost you? Trying to do this on a budget here...

 

Redneck, try running the car with the filter removed to be certain that is your problem.

The oilbath air cleaners were designed for an era when a paved road was rare, and they did their job well, today we can get by with paper elements, no reason not to, if you can modify the original housing without changing the look. I really wouldn't worry about otherwise.

And about the K&N, don't the instructions say to oil the element? So there you are, back to oil trapping the dirt.

Also, paper filters don't restrict if they are large enough for the application, the smaller they are, like those aftermarkets for 2bbls,,,,,,,,,,,,,,LEE

 

The K&N is part number k-2430, from Summit 36 or 39 bucks each.
For the Speedway 550-4330 air cleaner.

Unclee, yeah, back to oil, but man I used to use them dirt racing, 1/4 inch thick with clay and still the plugs looked good. NO restriction. And the inside of the carb neck had no dirt in it. When we used paper, the carb throats were loaded with dirt.
And I think they are too small with the 2 inch tall element, too. Tne KN is 3-1/4 tall.

Anyway, on my way to the Blue Comet for some Rockabilly and Beer, I'll see what the plugs look like tonight.

Frank