Anyone ever run across this air cleaner?

[Blue71]

I have never seen this air cleaner setup on an Early Bronco. It's from a '71. As I was pulling it off....Air cleaner is the correct size and shape of those found on '70-'72 EBs and has the port for front snorkel. I figured someone changed the paint color from blue to black. Well I open it up to check to see the condition of the paper filter, and turns out it seems it has an oil bath setup. Never seen one till now. Thoughts?

Thanks,

Andy
Blue71

 

[thegreatjustino]

There's no picture in your post...

I have an oil bath air cleaner from a V8

 

[Blue71]

Oops! I'm posting pics now. Justino....yes I've seen that style....yours looks like a 68 ? This one is 70-72 style....

 

[Blue71]

Another pic...it's even recessed on top

 

[Blue71]

Another....

 

[Blue71]

Last one.....

 

[thegreatjustino]

I'm curious if someone took the guts out of an earlier oil bath one (either V8 or I6), put them into a later cleaner, and (like you theorized) painted it black.

Seems like an aftermarket job to me.

 

[englewoodcowboy]

I saw it last night and don't think it is homemade. The bottom of the cleaner is solid, no repairs or patches etc. It has me thinking it was an option maybe or even an aftermarket cleaner but it looks very factory correct.


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[Broncomt]

My 70 came with an oil bath, supposedly an option for heavy duty use.

 

[SHX669]

When I ordered a Bronco in 1971 the oil bath air cleaner was an option. It was the only factory option i didn't order it with.

 

[NC_Pinz]

The oil bath works real well for high dust conditions. Lots of holding capacity without an increase in pressure drop. Cleaning out the dirt is a nasty job though.

The down side of an oil bath is if you roll onto your side and the oil bath empties into the intake. Not that I would know anything about this...

 

[DirtDonk]

Agree remember hearing it was still an option up to some point on the V8's, but don't remember every seeing one until now.
Cool find.

Paul

 

[Classic 4x4]

Oil bath shows as an option in the materials I have thru '71, but I don't have the '72 or '73 books. It isn't listed as an option in the '74 and up books. Fun to see one out there. Does it show up on the Marti?

Yeah, oil bath filters hold more than the paper of the era did but they also let a LOT more dirt through. I did some research on air filters for a story and collected a bunch of SAE white papers from various eras to get historical information on the efficiency of the air filters of various types in various eras back to when air filters started to get common in the 1920s. In the '60s, the average oil bath was at about 85% efficiency on coarse test dust while a paper filter was 95+. In more recent times, air filters are in the 98+% initial efficiency. Some are in the 99% range. In the 1920s, they bragged about 50% efficiency < ).

Other interesting facts about oil bath filters is that their efficiency goes down with the oil level. Let the oil get low or run out, you may as well not have the filter on in the first place (like running an uncoiled K&N). They are also very restrictive, but if you lower the oil level, it reduces restriction. In the '90s, I spent some time at the K&N lab running restriction tests on air filter assemblies from various makes. Two oil bath units were in the mix, one from a '60s Jeep and the other from a '70s Land Rover. Holy Crap! Those two oil bath filters barely flowed enough air for the engine to make rated power. The old oil bath and early paper filter era is when an air filter housing change just about guaranteed an increase in power, even on a stock engine. Experienced that myself back in the day and if you removed an oil bath (and many paper too) there was enough of a change in carb calibration that you had to rejet the carb (usually one or two sizes larger on the main jet, sometimes a size or two on an air jet... depending on the carb). Carb would go way lean and you could burn a valve. In one case, it was enough that the engine stumbled on acceleration and had a high speed lean miss.

 

[SHX669]

Oil bath shows as an option in the materials I have thru '71, but I don't have the '72 or '73 books. It isn't listed as an option in the '74 and up books. Fun to see one out there. Does it show up on the Marti?

Yeah, oil bath filters hold more than the paper of the era did but they also let a LOT more dirt through. I did some research on air filters for a story and collected a bunch of SAE white papers from various eras to get historical information on the efficiency of the air filters of various types in various eras back to when air filters started to get common in the 1920s. In the '60s, the average oil bath was at about 85% efficiency on coarse test dust while a paper filter was 95+. In more recent times, air filters are in the 98+% initial efficiency. Some are in the 99% range. In the 1920s, they bragged about 50% efficiency < ).

Other interesting facts about oil bath filters is that their efficiency goes down with the oil level. Let the oil get low or run out, you may as well not have the filter on in the first place (like running an uncoiled K&N). They are also very restrictive, but if you lower the oil level, it reduces restriction. In the '90s, I spent some time at the K&N lab running restriction tests on air filter assemblies from various makes. Two oil bath units were in the mix, one from a '60s Jeep and the other from a '70s Land Rover. Holy Crap! Those two oil bath filters barely flowed enough air for the engine to make rated power. The old oil bath and early paper filter era is when an air filter housing change just about guaranteed an increase in power, even on a stock engine. Experienced that myself back in the day and if you removed an oil bath (and many paper too) there was enough of a change in carb calibration that you had to rejet the carb (usually one or two sizes larger on the main jet, sometimes a size or two on an air jet... depending on the carb). Carb would go way lean and you could burn a valve. In one case, it was enough that the engine stumbled on acceleration and had a high speed lean miss.

Yep - all the reasons i didn't order one on my '71. My Dad was an Auto/Diesel mechanic and a WW11 vet - seems all the rigs i grew up with had the oil bath units -- dealt with them enough as a teenager to last me a lifetime ! LOL

 

[Blue71]

Here is another one I found in a pic on a different '71, must not be a lot of this style out there, or at least I've never paid much attention and figured it was a regular style with paper filter since they look almost identical except from the exterior. Hey this one is black too.....hmmmm



Blue71

 

[englewoodcowboy]

71's had a smog pump?


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