RB Engine in A bodies - Air Cleaner Clearance Issues

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Michael Theobald

SpikeDuster500
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Princeville, Il
I have a 500 CI RB in my 1973 Duster with stock hood (no scoop). The engine has a Edelbrock Torker II manifold and Edelbrock 14 inch air cleaner. I have rubbing with the hood insulation (just enough to take the paint off the air cleaner). Does anyone make a slightly shorter air cleaner that won't be restrictive?
 
Toolmanmike has it right, get a drop base. Had to do this in a 66 Coronet 500 with a 440 and RPM intake combo.
 
RIBOATSERVICES said:
Lets see a pic of that 500 in the Duster please.
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Here is a pic.

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Michael Theobald said:
I have a 500 CI RB in my 1973 Duster with stock hood (no scoop). The engine has a Edelbrock Torker II manifold and Edelbrock 14 inch air cleaner. I have rubbing with the hood insulation (just enough to take the paint off the air cleaner). Does anyone make a slightly shorter air cleaner that won't be restrictive?
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K&N makes a 2" x 14" air cleaner however, the only way to still get enough airflow for your motor would be to combine it with one of K&Ns air cleaner tops that are also a filter, not solid.

I've been doing a bunch of research on this exact topic because I'm getting ready to put a 440 with edelbrock rpm intake in my 74 valiant. So far i've found mixed information.

It appears that you have to use a hood scoop or some kind of combo with the following: short air filter/open top filter, drop-down air cleaner, no carb spacer.

I'd really like to see some pics of 440s in a bodies without scoops for reference!
 
440 in my Demon. Performer RPM intake. I don’t have a picture but I did recently install the K&N Extreme top. 14”X 3” element with 1 3/4” all star drop base on the air cleaner. The retaining nut for the air cleaner hits the insulation. Keep in mind from what I can tell with your setup you may have to rework the lines and things connected to your carburetor with a drop base. I am running a Mopar DC k frame also. There may be some variances from each individual set up depending on how the engine is adapted to fit the K frame and other variances.

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Dubob said:
440 in my Demon. Performer RPM intake. I don’t have a picture but I did recently install the K&N Extreme top. 14”X 3” element with 1 3/4” all star drop base on the air cleaner. The retaining nut for the air cleaner hits the insulation.

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Thanks Dubob!

I have been searching through YEARS of old posts on multiple websites just to find a picture & confirm this. You had the 1st picture I could find!

A couple quick questions:
/6 k member?
schumacher engine swap mounts?
Any info/advice you could possibly provide on headers?
 
I’m running TTI headers along with a Flaming River 16:1 manual steering box. I had the engine in and out so many times looking at clearance issues and other things I should have used wing nuts on the bolts. Would have made it quicker. I also edited my first post with the k frame etc. I also changed the heater blower motor to a shorter one as well as using the master cylinder relocation bracket. I’m running a solid roller cam and wanted to be able to have enough room to pull valve covers for lash adjustment. The tightest spot with the headers is the #6 spark plug which is doable with the hex drive on the spark plug socket. I am also running eddy rpm heads which use the smaller 5/8” drive spark plugs and they are angled instead of straight out of the head.
 
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That Torker II intake is tall and hard to fit. I had one in my Charger before I tore it apart. I was running a Holley carb, and had a low rise air cleaner by "ProFlow" if I remember correctly. It BARELY fit. I won't be using the Torker II after my rebuild because it had too high of an RPM range. It was a dog until I hit a certain RPM. Then it would come alive. I want to say the RPM range came in at something like 2500-3000 RPM. Combine that with the 3:23 gears I was running and it wasn't great for a cruiser.

I remember reading they were used a lot for circle track where you typically keep the RPM's up. Makes sense because the guy I bought my Charger from ran dirt track late models and he dropped one of his used race motors in the car to sell it. What can I say,... I was a 19 year old kid who heard the Whop, whop, whop of that motor and had to buy it. Worst mistake I ever made. He had that high RPM, lopey cam, motor in the car with a standard stall 727 and 3:23 gears. Dang thing stalled at pretty much every stoplight! :mad: Still have that car though!! :steering:

Sorry,.... didn't mean to hijack,.... Just meant o say that the Torker II sat high and was hard to find an air cleaner that sat low enough to fit in the Charger. Can't imagine it would be any easier in a Duster.
 
Excuse the minor hijack here...

Is a Power Bulge hood exactly the same dimensionally as a stock flat hood. I have been worried about this issue and just figured I'd worry about it when I get there.
 
While this 440 has a stock intake ('67) it also has a 383 Air Grabber/Ramcharger air cleaner which has a very long neck. We cut it down about 3/4".
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My engine is built for a flat torque curve from 3000 to 6000, and I have a 2400 - 2600 stall converter with a GM 4L60E four speed. It has a 0.7 overdrive with LUC, so I am running a 4:10 rear gear. Zero stalling, just melts the tires through 2nd gear.....
 
I've always removed the hood insulation on everything. Personally, I like hood scoops, bulges, etc. If you have to run a low profile air cleaner, I believe there is some benefit to using a carb with no choke tower. Bill Jones Page 4
 
Michael Theobald said:
My engine is built for a flat torque curve from 3000 to 6000, and I have a 2400 - 2600 stall converter with a GM 4L60E four speed. It has a 0.7 overdrive with LUC, so I am running a 4:10 rear gear. Zero stalling, just melts the tires through 2nd gear.....
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mine is a 727 , dana 60 / 3:73 geared , 3500-3800 convertor , 505" wedge , very docile driving normal , turns sideways any time full throttle is applied on the street. Haven`t got to caltrac tuning, or the strip yet.
 
Remember that the hood insulation was optional on these cars. It came as part of the undercoating package. Tens of thousands of chrysler products were built without it. Lose the insulation. Less mess, more clearance, and no, no paint issues.

When I put the 440 with torker and 1" carb spacer in my 72 dart I ran a 14" drop base aircleaner with no issues. From recollection it was a 2 1/2" or 3" tall element. And no insulation.

I will try and find a picture later today.
 
My 440 64 valiant that had custom frnderwell headers that were within a 1/2” of the hood never effected the paint.

Like stated already. There are a ton of thes cars running around with no insulation. That body guy needs to stick to just body work.
 
abodyjoe said:
My 440 64 valiant that had custom frnderwell headers that were within a 1/2” of the hood never effected the paint.

Like stated already. There are a ton of thes cars running around with no insulation. That body guy needs to stick to just body work.
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Thanks, guys! Insulation is gone...
 
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