I whimped out!

[69MyWay]

Okay, my construction of the "L88" style air cleaner was moving along quite well on the 69 with the Pro Flow EFI conversion. However, I was not really happy with it. That is, making sure the filter stays tight and secure in the hood without air gaps forming between the seal and hood, and the issue of having a wide open situation when the hood is up.

Okay, so, $75, I am bringing home a K&N Filter top lid. Back in the shop, sitting on top of the engine, I am running the sawsaw around the inner lip trying to open the hood hole from 12 5/8" to 15". My hole is not perfectly round, so, I have to spend some more time with that.

On goes the lid after some stud adjustment/cutting. Now, I have about 1/4" clearance from the under side of the hood on the retainer nut, and the whole assembly squeezed into place. When the hood is up, I can run the engine without worring about small children and large animals getting sucked into the vortex, and it is pulling air from all possible directions.

I think the trick now is to attach a plate to the bottom of the air cleaner housing, and put a rubber gasket on there so that it catches the remaining portion of the air cleaner chamber, and thus forces it to such fresh air from the hood scoop.

Oh, I also dented my filter lid, so it has a nice imperfection in the otherwise cool looking corregated upper portion.

Here are some pics.


The first pic is rather hard to see. You have to stand on your head to get it right. This is the aircleaner in the hood with the hood closed.

 

[69MyWay]

Here is an over head view with the hood open.

 

[69MyWay]

I swear, the car is not as dirty as it looks in these pics. For some reason the little flakes of dust and fiberglass shavings glow white in these shots. Anyway, this gives you an idea of how freaky high the air cleaner sits considering the fender lines.

 

[69MyWay]

pasenger front view, same dirty fender.



BTW, I am now putting this project on hold for an indefinate period of time. My convertible top frame is still in ICU with the local speed shop. Seat covers and top material is out there somewhere in UPS land, and my rims are stuck in perma hold until they find another supplier of the 12" hoop.

So, there may not be many updates for a while. Oh, I did drive it from my back yard shop to the front garage where you see it in these photos (the furtherest it has going under its own power in who knows how long). However, my alignment is so far off, it leaves black tire marks on the pavement when it rolls. I was moving very slow, but could smell my clutch by the time I got it in the garage due to the extra force to move the car. The alignment comes when the correct wheels and tires are on. I may need to break out a string alinment in the mean time.

 

[Eric]

Is it just me or does that first shot look like you're strapped in an x-wing fighter zooming through the innards of the Death Star at the end of Star Wars?:L The force is strong in you Chris.

Oh yeah, that engine bay looks nice man!

- Eric

 

[69MyWay]

Is it just me or does that first shot look like you're strapped in an x-wing fighter zooming through the innards of the Death Star at the end of Star Wars?:L The force is strong in you Chris.



- Eric

Eric, I am your father. :L :L


Now, if I could just figure out a way to fly my

into the hood scoop we could have some fun.


You have to watch out for these guys though

 

[Yoda]

Chris,

It is amazing to me seeing these photo's to know that the hood will actually close. It would be something to see you and the guy from Washington (Steve) together for about 6 or 8 months

Keep your direction young jedi, concentrate, LET the force be with you.. lookiing good Chris..

Think a mass email campaign to UPS would help find those rims? heheheh.

BudD

 

[69MyWay]

Here, this pic of the inside of the Death Star is better.

You still have to stand on your head, but the wiper grille gives it that space station look.

 

[Eric]

Don't worry Chris, I'm sure your automotive skills will translate easily into light saber

skills. And with your trusty assistant

you'll never be lost.

- Eric

 

[Gunther]

Hi Chris
Looks good so far.
A friend of me has a 69 small block with a open air cleaner.
He got a L88 hood with airchamber on it and just cut the hole to accomodate the filter, similar to yours.
Bad thing is that he misunderstands the function of the L88 fresh air intake as he refuses to install this base plate to seal the open filter into the fresh air box .
I can't get it to him ? and he refuses to give me the hood.
Keep us updated.
Gunther

 

[jsimpson]

But you still have airflow through both the filter lid and the filter, right?

 

[Tom Bryant]

Looks great Chris. Have you thought of checking the bone yards for one of those older large diameter air cleaner bases from the '60s or '70s? You could cut off the outer diameter with it's lip and attach it to your base to form a factory stamped lip to mount the foam hood seal onto.

Tom

 

[69MyWay]

Looks great Chris. Have you thought of checking the bone yards for one of those older large diameter air cleaner bases from the '60s or '70s? You could cut off the outer diameter with it's lip and attach it to your base to form a factory stamped lip to mount the foam hood seal onto.

Tom

That , or just a hand fabricated lip with seal is the plan.

 

[1979toy]

I had thought about doing the same thing when I got an L-88 hood. I planned on getting a sheet of aluminum from the local surplus yard and cutting it out to make a base around the air cleaner base. Thick metal. Maybe .100.
Use rubber edging around the metal to keep from cutting yourself when working around the base.
It will have to be large enough to keep from sucking the foam seal against the filter.
There are 12" filters available. That may work without having the whole unit as wide as the engine bay. Then you could use a 14" base to form your seal base.
Keep us informed. My L-88 hood with air box is on its way now. I've got an L-88 base and filter so that's what I plan on using currently, but until I've got it installed I don't know for sure.