I'm so proud of my air cleaner!

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cruiser

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Okay, this is a bit weird, but I just reconditioned the original air cleaner on my 1974 slant six Duster. Here's the photo. It looked horrible and rusty, so I bead blasted it and repainted in in satin black, just like as it was built. I think I've figured out the correct orientation of the snorkel. It forms a straight like with the oil breather hose, and the recess in the front faces the front of the car perfectly. That's where I put the repro air cleaned decal. Now I just have to clean up the rest of the engine compartment. Enjoy!

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That's great, so you got a good start at a project. Now what is next.
 
Like new. Minneapolis? Next thing you should buy is a Fire extinguisher and the best thing you could do is keep working on that car. I like redone detailed parts your air cleaner job is top notch is that satin black? It looks great.
 
Thanks for the positive comments, everybody. Perhaps a very small ray of hope with all the craziness right now. And yes, it was Krylon Fusion 2372 satin black. Nice stuff, eliminates the need to apply a primer coat. Couldn't be happier with the result. Unfortunately, it now makes the rest of my engine compartment look pretty bad. I'd love to detail my engine compartment, but I'd have to pull the motor - which I've never done and don't have the equipment to do. I've added a photo of the air cleaner prior to restoration. I really pondered the orientation of the snorkel, and concluded that the rectangular recess faces exactly to the front. When you do this, the snorkel creates a straight line with the hose for the oil breather in the valve cover. The air cleaner directions decal always seemed to be carelessly applied to the rear of the air cleaner from the factory. There's no way to read it this way as it faces the firewall. So I logically concluded that the design engineers placed a rectangular recess on the front of the air cleaner, which drives the orientation of the snorkel, and that the designers intended for this recess to be the location of this decal. Right up front where you can read it as you face the motor. The exact decal is not available as a repro. They make one that looks very close, but has the wrong part number for the air filter on it. I called them and they say the demand just isn't there for a slant six version of this decal. So I had to bite the bullet and installed the 318 version of this decal. It would take a very keen eye to catch the wrong air filter part number on it. Anyhow, it looks absolutely great in the front recess - very factory looking. Any thoughts out there?

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Okay, this is a bit weird, but I just reconditioned the original air cleaner on my 1974 slant six Duster. Here's the photo. It looked horrible and rusty, so I bead blasted it and repainted in in satin black, just like as it was built. I think I've figured out the correct orientation of the snorkel. It forms a straight like with the oil breather hose, and the recess in the front faces the front of the car perfectly. That's where I put the repro air cleaned decal. Now I just have to clean up the rest of the engine compartment. Enjoy!

View attachment 1715537567
Dang that looks amazing! Nice work. I want to find a correct snorkel cleaner for my 360. Its crazy to me how for all these years those original cleaners got removed and tossed noone wanted them everyone always put on aftermarket ones. Now you cant find one and if you do they cost an arm and a leg! I was looking for some on Ebay and they was like 400 bucks that's crazy. I just bought an open filter style for 35 bucks I can pay 400 for an air filter haha.
 
Cruiser, that air cleaner came out looking awesome!
By the way, you meant Krylon Fusion 2732 satin black (not 2372)... correct?
 
Dang that looks amazing! Nice work. I want to find a correct snorkel cleaner for my 360. Its crazy to me how for all these years those original cleaners got removed and tossed noone wanted them everyone always put on aftermarket ones. Now you cant find one and if you do they cost an arm and a leg! I was looking for some on Ebay and they was like 400 bucks that's crazy. I just bought an open filter style for 35 bucks I can pay 400 for an air filter haha.

The 360 air cleaners go for $400? Wow. Is that restored? That’s almost the price of the unsilenced ‘70-‘71 cleaners. Although the ‘72-‘73 340 air cleaners are shaped a little differently than the 360 air cleaners, there are probably more of the 340 ones still around? Given the scope of your project, might be best to find an air cleaner that needs some work as it likely won’t cost you more than $200 of your time and materials to make it look like a $400 to $450 air cleaner?
 
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It’s a nice feeling see a paint project look good, especially if it’s a first time job. Well done. It’s contagious so what’s the next project?
 
Yes you have the Snorkel pointing in just the right direction. Great Job!
 
Okay, this is a bit weird, but I just reconditioned the original air cleaner on my 1974 slant six Duster. Here's the photo. It looked horrible and rusty, so I bead blasted it and repainted in in satin black, just like as it was built. I think I've figured out the correct orientation of the snorkel. It forms a straight like with the oil breather hose, and the recess in the front faces the front of the car perfectly. That's where I put the repro air cleaned decal. Now I just have to clean up the rest of the engine compartment. Enjoy!

View attachment 1715537567
Looks great. Love that satin black.
 
Intergalactica - yes, you are correct. It was Krylon Fusion 2732 satin black. For those of you asking what my next project is, I just finished it an hour ago. I listed the car that the air cleaner went on in my photo garage, entitled "Bob's 1974 Space Duster". Be sure to check it out, and look up my other FABO articles under "Bob's Component Resto". Enjoy!
 
Thanks for the positive comments, everybody. Perhaps a very small ray of hope with all the craziness right now. And yes, it was Krylon Fusion 2372 satin black. Nice stuff, eliminates the need to apply a primer coat. Couldn't be happier with the result. Unfortunately, it now makes the rest of my engine compartment look pretty bad. I'd love to detail my engine compartment, but I'd have to pull the motor - which I've never done and don't have the equipment to do. I've added a photo of the air cleaner prior to restoration. I really pondered the orientation of the snorkel, and concluded that the rectangular recess faces exactly to the front. When you do this, the snorkel creates a straight line with the hose for the oil breather in the valve cover. The air cleaner directions decal always seemed to be carelessly applied to the rear of the air cleaner from the factory. There's no way to read it this way as it faces the firewall. So I logically concluded that the design engineers placed a rectangular recess on the front of the air cleaner, which drives the orientation of the snorkel, and that the designers intended for this recess to be the location of this decal. Right up front where you can read it as you face the motor. The exact decal is not available as a repro. They make one that looks very close, but has the wrong part number for the air filter on it. I called them and they say the demand just isn't there for a slant six version of this decal. So I had to bite the bullet and installed the 318 version of this decal. It would take a very keen eye to catch the wrong air filter part number on it. Anyhow, it looks absolutely great in the front recess - very factory looking. Any thoughts out there?

View attachment 1715537722
I don’t know about your 74 Duster, but on my 83 Slant powered D150 the recess on the front of the air cleaner body is there to allow clearance for the c181 style ac compressor.
 
Very spiffy! Keep at it, you'll be surprised what you can do with the engine in place with a little work and by removing a few pieces.
 
As I'm about to do the same, Are the air cleaners black from the factory? I thought maybe they'd be blue like the engine.?
 
That air cleaner looks great, I couldn’t have done a better job. If this is an indicator of the kind of work you do , the rest of the engine will come together very nicely. When I added the Super Six mods to my six I was faced with the same problem, what air cleaner do I use. Ended up using one of the chrome after market 14x3 with a K&N filter and the 2bbl adapter base plate, then added the Super Six decal on top, looks ok. I do have, should I change my mind, a factory cold air system air cleaner with pick up tube, just missing the dryer hose. Thanks, Al

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