Aftermarket Air Cleaner

[Matt Man]

I am buying a aftermarket air cleaner for my 81 k10 it has a quadrajet 4 barrel with electric choke and hei distributor. Is there anything I should look for when buying a air cleaner. Thanks.

[SCOTI]

Originally Posted by Matt Man

I am buying a aftermarket air cleaner for my 81 k10 it has a quadrajet 4 barrel with electric choke and hei distributor. Is there anything I should look for when buying a air cleaner. Thanks.

Look for a base that clears HEI large top distributor caps/wiring. Some have clearance built in; some don't.

[Bandit130]

I put an aftermarket on mine. Got an air cleaner riser kit to clear everything.

[Stormin08]

a CLOSED element....the open element actually kills power (well, doesnt kill it, but makes less overall)

a stock aircleaner, with better filter and smooth intake tube would be the better choice.

[sweetk30]

stormin08 = yes .

i never understood why closed engine bays with all the heat and everyone wants open elements to suck in all the hot air . and we know colder air makes more power .

my edelbrock pro flo 4 has the stock 80's gm truck closed setup on it and snorkel all the way to the core support hole.

i understand if your showing it off all the time . but if you just drive it and want performance why do the open ? ? ?

[SCOTI]

Every vehicle is different in regards to effectiveness of an air cleaner set-up. Saying unequivocally that one way is better vs. the other isn't technically correct either.

Testing & validation is the only way to say one way out performs the other in a particular vehicle.

[Dead Parrot]

If it is a daily driver, some provision for both PVC and THERMAC is a good thing. Especially in the cold winters of Idaho. And keep in mind, that a daily driver spends most of its time with the largest air restriction being the mostly closed throttle plates.

[Stormin08]

it has been well proven, open element filters in the hot bay MAKE LESS POWER...

the stock air cleaners have provisions WITH VALVES for a reason...hot air to aid in warm up and emissions when cold, close off when warm and draw cool air.

do your homework, open elements are visual aids.

[Matt Man]

I understand the stock air intake is a cold air intake I plan to run it mostly in the winter to help warmup. I bought a open element to dress up the engine bay some as I removed the emissions components from my truck. I bought one from the parts store with a riser and it clears fine. I am also towing a trailer to California and back in August and I will be running the oem intake for the hot temperatures in the desert. Appreciate the info from everyone.

[Ziegelsteinfaust]

A drop base air cleaner will cost you a few hp vs a raised base air cleaner.

The velocity stack style will cost the least hp if you have the room for the tallness.

[franken]

I like how so many say things have been proven, but have no proof. pretty typical. An old truck with a stock air cleaner is pulling air through a tiny snorkel made to reduce noise. The air it pulls is the same as an open element.
An open air cleaner of the early 70s Chevy type is often regarded as good and better than the snorkel type above..
A ducted system pulling cool air at the front of the vehicle is probably what folks mean but don't say. is better.

[Stormin08]

well, when replying in a thread based on these year trucks, they had feed tubes into the closed elements.

i would agree, that a closed element that draws through a tube under hood is less than stellar, and probably so when compared to an open element.

but since these years had a feed tube, the cooler closed air element makes more power across the board.

even very recently, BANKS has release a gauge setup that measure air density, and can be calculated to real world HP...interesting stuff

[mongocanfly]

Cold air is a big advantage...I saw it in person when I had my truck on the dyno....all my intake is underhood..all they did was open the hood and it jumped about 20hp...he was proving to me what a advantage a cold air intake could be