OK I admit I'm no mechanic, but I been around old cars for a long time. Bought a 54 Mainline 8 months or so ago and recently saw some black smoke on startup, so time to check the air filter. Surprise, the housing does not open/it is 1 solid piece with the air filter inside. I've never seen that before it this common on vintage 50 cars?
It opens ... it's packed full of a mixture of dirt & oil that flowed over the flange on the bottom of the element.
302 That's what I thought at first but the top was actually bend under the lip of the bottom part of the housing. I had to unbend it to remove. That has never been opened in 60 odd years from the looks of the filter. It's some kinda fiber, not the paper filter we have now. I assume was meant to last forever! Got it opened now gotta go buy a new top cover lol.
oil bath air cleaner? undo the clamp holding the outer housing on the carburetor and any bracing from air cleaner to engine set the whole unit on the bench remove the wing nut on top lift the whole lidded inner housing out and wash with solvent. it is not meant to come apart. wash the outer housing out. put it all back together in reverse order add fresh motor oil filled to full line on the inside before installing the inner housing
the oil bath air cleaners work quite well in stock applications probably better than any paper filter they are quiet, filter well and when clean flow well too.
I just cut up an Desoto old oil bath, it was an educational experience to see how and why it was made and used. It is also a filthy, stinky job to open up an 80 year old, oil soaked filter. I converted mine to a paper element.
Yes Bandit that's exactly what mine looks like; the cover then the screen then the oil soaked filter. I too will be converting to a removable paper element
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