Really REALLY low profile air cleaners

Hey guys, I would love to see or hear some ideas regarding really low air cleaners or how you got creative to remedy clearance problems. I have no room under the hood of this thing. I have an idea for an air cleaner that actually hangs off to the pass side of the carb, and as I fab it up I will post pictures. But in the meantime, if youve had this problem how did you remedy it. As of now, I have the motor as low as I can get it, milled 1/4" off the intake, and I will probably have to shorten the bowl vents about 1/8" and angle cut them for my idea to even have a chance. Carb is Holley, and standard rise manifold. Help us knuckle heads that dont have the correct shoehorn.

 

I'm thinking of a tastefully done hood blister.

 

It seems to me that in the 60's and 70's manifold makers offered a low rise manifold mainly for Corvettes with tight hood clearance. I don't know any details but it might be worth checking into.

 

1958-62 Corvette is the lowest one I can think of. The base drops down over the carburetor.

 

I'm sure you can easily mill about 1/2" or so off the carb mounting flange on the intake manifold itself to buy yourself some more room for an air cleaner.

 

Thanks, great suggestions so far, the vette is a possibility (although possibly pricey), and I am contemplating another 1/4" more off the intake. Thanks, keep them coming, God, I hope Im not the only dipstick to try and run a hood on a channeled T. The original Anderegg roadster didnt have a blister on the hood, so staying away from that, but they never ran air cleaners with the hood on either......those crazy kids

 

I've seen a couple of Rods that had blowers with custom made air cleaners. Along the lines of what you describe;a side take-off tha placed the filter housing just above the valve cover. This allowed the builder to keep everything under the hood w/o bubbles or scoops.
Even with a low profile type cleaner, you might have to do some custom mods to make it fit with your engine (traditional). You may also need to swap to a low rise intake as mentioned. Here's a few ideas;

 

Not very traditional, but you could paint it or something... or fab something yourself... it's a lot of money.



http://www.mooneyesusa.com/shop/product.php?products_id=1006

 

ya, that would pretty much solve it.... wonder if it comes in pale yellow?

 

drop down base with a kn top

 

Ok, stay with me here......that shape, but turned 90 degrees, where the oval filter is, that would be filled in and about 3/4" tall, then I found one of those old 6" little chrome air cleaners and that would hang off bottom, next to carb over the valve cover...just dont know if it would look decent.

 

I would think you could find an old cast intake that would buy you some clearance also...

http://www.mre-books.com/chevy/engines/parts_interchange/intake.html

 

I think they come like this:

 

This might be a dumb question, but can you lower the engine?

 

I agree with a couple guys here, first, mill off what you can off the intake. Then use a Corvette air cleaner. Nothing and I mean nothing is lower. My wife's '69 has a repro stock air cleaner ( I think I paid $170 for it years ago) but it literally swallows the carb. The bottom of the air cleaner is about flush with the bottom of the carb. With those two you may get enough to work with your space confines.

 

Two more thoughts:

 

Summit has a ton of drop base aircleaner bottoms... you could play around with those and some different height filters and a lid.. They get pretty low, shrouding the whole carb.

 

I use early corvette intakes and the 58-62 air cleaner--very short and makes ample room in most cases plus I personally dont like to see the air filter element--the vette ones cover it as well

 

Well as it stands now, I have to build a shallower oil pan and iron plate the bottom of it just to get about 2 1/2" ground clearance, which is what the original car had....who said hot rods were practical? I wish it could be that easy

 

guys whats the diameter of those vette air cleaners?

 

A lot of choices here, but there is one awkward question that would truly help and I'm kinda sorry to ask....... Do you have a price range to stick too?
Some of this stuff can be rather pricey for what it is. Some milling of the intake and the above side draft with the small curved scoops would look way cool if you could work it.

Doc.

 

Ya i was being a bit sarcastic with the "that would solve the problem", your looking at about a grand right there, way out of my league....but maybe it would help somebody else out.....it is pretty slick looking

 

bump for the Saturday afternoon guys taking a iced tea break....

 

I have a hood on my 27 on 32 rails - I'm running a 289 with an E/brock and a Holley 390cfm - I'm using a small "flame arrestor" for an air cleaner...sticks up about an inch or two - maybe you don't have that much?

dj

 

Make a metal ring with a flat top welded on, say 1 to 1 1/2" tall. Cut a slot along the edge on one or both sides and buy a fishtail exhaust tip for a Harley, fit and weld on the side. You could use one or two of these and when the tip flares into round you can run it forward, down or back. Use one of the K&N filters or run the tube into a lower mounted vintage oil bath air cleaner

 

Take a look at a Torker II, probably 1/4" shorter than what you have on there now...

http://www.edelbrock.com/automotive_new/mc/manifolds/chevy/torker-sb.shtml

 

I don't think this will work for you but thought of this thread when I saw it...

http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=614621

 

Like others have said early 60's Corvette

 

Scored one on the "Bay"........should be here within the week, hope it works