Moparts Tech Archive

Fuel System

Air Cleaners Q's

rt-man
Moparts Member
Posts: 284
From: Hudson, MA
Registered: Dec 1999
posted 11-13-2002 01:16 PM

I just bought a dual snorkel air cleaner for my '70 big block from a guy who took off his 4bbl and put on a 6 pack on his '70 Coronet R/T. Anywho, the air cleaner is orange. Now I know that the correct color for my car is textured (wrinkle?) black. He claims that he knows that his is an actual '70 dual snorkel. Well, I'm skeptical, given that he's not the orginal owner and I've been looking at pics of '72-74 BB Roadrunners that appear to have the same air cleaner in orange. "Appears" is the key word here.
I read the article by Tony D in the December issue of Mopar Muscle on air cleaners. Tony said that the diff between '70 and '71 is the nipple on the back of the air cleaner moved from one side to the other AND the '72-'74 BB air cleaners had rectangular intake ports.

What the hell; I'm gonna paint it black anyway, but I was just curious if anyone had seen an orange BB dual snorkel on a '70. Was it correct for A, E, C, or some B-bodies?

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MoparGeo
Moparts Member
Posts: 328
From: Ohio, USA
Registered: Feb 2002
posted 11-13-2002 01:24 PM

In the same issue, the is a 70 Polara vert with an orange dual snorkel air cleaner. Maybe that is correct for c-bodies. I am looking for one myself and I am almost positive that all B & E bodies were wrinkle black.

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Mark Nixon
Moparts Member
Posts: 5101
From: Just this side of reality, South 340 miles....In NEBRASKA!!
Registered: Jul 2000
posted 11-13-2002 01:38 PM

MOST (Not all) of the '70 Dual Snorkels have the hose routed off the bottom of the driver's side snorkel, around the back od the housing, to the crankcase vent.
This is specific to '70 ONLY, but wasn't the only configuration offered.
The other style, with the shorter tube, was also used on some '70s.
Mark.

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Paul
Moparts Member
Posts: 2257
From: Port Huron, MI area
Registered: Nov 1999
posted 11-13-2002 01:43 PM

The difference is in the snorkel... I'll try and explain as best I can. Look at the picture below, focusing on the passenger side snorkel. Just above the muffler on the AC line, you'll see a straight ridge running diagonally across the snorkel. On a 70, that ridge is straight as pictured. When they added the nipple to the 71 aircleaner, that section was modified for the nipple. In 72, when they went back to the original setup, they left the rounded piece there where the nipple had been the year before.
Confused? Look at the picture in Tony D's Mopar Muscle article, that air cleaner is a 72, the one below is my 70 Road Runner's.

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Quick Kurt
Moparts Member
Posts: 2859
From: Pittsburgh, Pa, USA
Registered: Jan 2002
posted 11-13-2002 01:57 PM

70-71 are wrinkle finish black
70 has the breather hose nipple is on the passenger side rear of the housing.

70 Air cleaner.

71 has the breather hose go around the back of the air cleaner, to a nipple that is on the rear of the driver's side snorkle. A "hump" was added to both snorkles, where the angle is stamped into it for the trap door. This was to accomodate the addition of the nipple.

72-73 are orange, and have the nipple moved back to the passenger side rear of the housing. But the "humps" are still in place on the snorkles.

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Paul
Moparts Member
Posts: 2257
From: Port Huron, MI area
Registered: Nov 1999
posted 11-13-2002 02:01 PM

The arrow points to the raised circle I was trying to decribe which makes this air cleaner a 72 part. The 70 air cleaner doesn't have that, just the straight ridge.

Mark, the air cleaner you described is a 71 unit.

Kurt beat me to the punch, that is an excellent close in pic of a 70 air cleaner he's posted, familiarize yourself with that snorkel design, the hump or raised circle is very obvious once you know the difference.

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hergfest
New Member
Posts: 58
From: Woodinville, WA USA
Registered: Jul 2002
posted 11-13-2002 02:04 PM

On the 1972 Polara ex-Washington State Patrol with a 440 I have it has a single snorkel with a huge trap door on the underside. It is vacuum operated, opens when you really hit the gas.

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TONY DAGOSTINO
Moparts Member
Posts: 1303
From: DELAWARE
Registered: Nov 1999
posted 11-13-2002 02:13 PM
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
the nipple on the back of the air cleaner for the valve cover breather hose on 1969 and older motors facing the drivers side
in 1970 the valve cover breather is facing the passenger side
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on the 1970 dual snorkel air cleaner the nipple is on the pass side rear of the air cleaner hosuing

of course there is a large 2-1/2" hose inlet on the bottom of the left snorkel for hot air intake from the left side exhaust manifold heat stove.

in 1971 only on the dual snorkel air cleaner the nipple is on the drivers side snorkel for the hose leading to the valve cover breather on the passenger side valve cover

in 72 the nipple was once again, as was on the 1970 air cleaner, located on the rear of the air cleaner housing
-------------------------------------------

1971 and newer dual snorkel air cleaners that use the rectangular snorkels have a "bump" on the diagonal rib on the drivers side of either snorkel

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rt-man
Moparts Member
Posts: 284
From: Hudson, MA
Registered: Dec 1999
posted 11-13-2002 02:14 PM

Another question, are the intake snorkels the same size between '70-74? Also, is the carb opening the same for those years?

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Paul
Moparts Member
Posts: 2257
From: Port Huron, MI area
Registered: Nov 1999
posted 11-13-2002 02:17 PM

95% of the people who look at your car will never notice the difference once you paint it black wrinkle anyways. Enjoy!
as far as your other questions, yes

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beepbeep
Moparts Member
Posts: 4027
From: Orange, CA. USA
Registered: Dec 2000
posted 11-13-2002 02:22 PM

Just find yourself a cop car one and then you don't have to worry about all the doors and vacumn hoses.

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JohnRR
Moparts
Posts: 10525
From: Ma.
Registered: Nov 1999
posted 11-13-2002 02:27 PM

bob carb opening is the same and the snorkel sizes except the bump are the same ...

i didn't know all the differences but when i first got that pic paul put up i knew it wasn't a 70 air cleaner .

herg , that air cleaner sounds like the one on a smallblock , also it may be the same used on noise reduction package cars ???

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TONY DAGOSTINO
Moparts Member
Posts: 1303
From: DELAWARE
Registered: Nov 1999
posted 11-13-2002 02:31 PM

beepbeep
i believe that is a truck air cleaner
reason no nipples, etc
if trucks gvw was a certain high weight it was exempt from emission type controls

not 100% sure, but i believe thats correct

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beepbeep
Moparts Member
Posts: 4027
From: Orange, CA. USA
Registered: Dec 2000
posted 11-13-2002 02:34 PM

It was on a '70 Polara CHP cruiser. I think that the trucks also used them. The single snorkel with the trap door was used on later 340 and 440 engines.

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Quick Kurt
Moparts Member
Posts: 2859
From: Pittsburgh, Pa, USA
Registered: Jan 2002
posted 11-13-2002 02:44 PM

I've seen lots of cop cars, but I've never seen that air cleaner with no vacuum pods or trap doors before. That's a new one on me.
I've seen 72-73 440s with either the dual snorle, or the single snorkle with a trap door. They may both be correct.

74 was the start of the oval-snorkles, and the dual snorkle had a shorter second snorkle, positioned straight out the passenger side, not angled toward the front like the driver side snorkle.

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