When and why factory used dual snorkel?

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dibbons

dibbons

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Is there any rhyme or reason to the factory placement of single and dual snorkel air cleaners? I really don't see any horsepower advantage to a dual snorkel, was it supposed to increase horsepower somehow?
 

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I think it has something to do with wanting more performance and cooler underhood intake air. The higher horsepower engines usually had dual snorkel cleaners.
 
In this case with this scoop I think it was about sales - not so much performance. Sure you'd get a little fresh air in there because at speed its obviously going to force some air through, but it wasn't sealed. The opening is pretty small too. They look cool and you don't really see them that often though. More so like a Duster "Twister" package or the Demon "Sizzler" package, its about sales, or so I think.
 
You can get up to two times the same hot underhood air. See if the air is hot it's less dense, so you need more of it, to get the same number of oxygen molecules.Then you have that big steel fan blowing all that hot air in the general direction of the snorkles.When you rev it up, it starts to ram that hot air in there and then by now you're moving at a pretty good clip and so all that hot air is piling up at the snorkles.Since there are two of them, BAM!, you get a double whammy supercharging kinda deal.It works better with headers, cuz then the air is even hotter, so you don't have to go quite as fast to get the same less molecules. But you have to remember that if you get the air hot enough, then the nitrogen atoms will start to let go of them oxygen atoms, so then, maybe you get lucky and the heavy nitrogen turns down and so only the oxygen goes in them snorkles, and then you're talkin!That's free horsepower right there!
 
When we were painting my car I had the twin hood scoops off and if you look down through the holes cut to match the factory allowances in the inner structure, the dual snorkels line up perfectly with openings.
 
360 FOUR BARREL DODGE RAMCHARGERS GOT THEM..
One long snorkel and a short one, did they help any, memike don't have a clue.
 
Unsilenced or open aircleaners let in air over the entire surface of the filter. Sealed aircleaners (the ones with snorkels) only have the snorkel opening to let in air -- it can be a serious choke point. You can only make a single snorkel so big (limited by the depth of the filter element), so the only way to add more area is to add a second snorkel. I don't think it's a joke or a gimmick at all -- I think if you duct taped one of them closed, you would notice the difference at WOT. Look at it this way -- look at the diameter of the circle on the top of the carburetor -- that would define the area of air intake that would be ideal. Anything smaller than that is choking your carb at WOT. Most snorkels are way smaller diameter than that.
 
440 Police engines with dual snorkel air cleaners would run as fast a 440 with no air cleaner. Do you really think they would go to that expense if there was no difference?
 
There was less restriction with the dual snorkels vs single.

they even put dual snorkels with flex hose piped to the front on the Lil Red Express trucks... Fresh air...

You don't want any restrictions when you are sucking....

Can you breathe in more air with one nostril covered, or both open???
 
My 70 Cuda 383 4spd had a factory dual snorkel air cleaner.I've seen em on many HP Big Block Mopars above 1970
 
MOPARMITCH said:
My 70 Cuda 383 4spd had a factory dual snorkel air cleaner.I've seen em on many HP Big Block Mopars above 1970
Click to expand...

My 71 340 Challenger had one also...

I think, pretty much they came with 4 bbls back in those days. 340-383-440 with 4 bbls and dual snorkels...
 
memike said:
360 FOUR BARREL DODGE RAMCHARGERS GOT THEM..
One long snorkel and a short one, did they help any, memike don't have a clue.
Click to expand...

it should have been little red express trucks only not a ramcharger.

little red express trucks were the ONLY time a small block had a dual snorkel otherwise it's pretty much a big block thing because a dual snorkel allows more air to high performance applications.

http://www.nicksgarage.com/aircleaner.htm
 
not dual snorkel, but the 68-9 , ( 70?) roadrunner had the unsilenced air cleaner, that allowed in more air and the 70-1 340 had the breather with the slots on the side of it to help in air?? the 340 TA and 440 six pack breather with open element?

more air must have helped, but I also figure it had a lot to do with "image"?????

and image sold cars back then!???? and loud colors? and cute names? and little emblems on the side of the car????? etc etc etc Ha
 
I'm sure there was a technical specification for restriction at wide open throttle, probably at peak power or max rpm.
So the second snorkel was required to meet the spec.
 
Rainy Day Auto said:
it should have been little red express trucks only not a ramcharger.

little red express trucks were the ONLY time a small block had a dual snorkel otherwise it's pretty much a big block thing because a dual snorkel allows more air to high performance applications.

http://www.nicksgarage.com/aircleaner.htm
Click to expand...

If you are only talking snorkels, you are correct, but more open area includes a lot of factory performance engines from the fifties and up. You can count 71 340 air cleaners since they have 2 openings, if not snorkels. I count unsilenced, open on the bottom, air cleaners as Performance, more open area, that includes 273's 4 barrel, early big blocks used the same air cleaner, 68 and 69 performance engines used a lower and larger diameter. The Coyote Duster and 6 Pack air cleaners were just open. Last is the hidden trap door, like the 72 340 air cleaners.
 
hmm...theoretically the area for air intake only has to equal the total of dual 2 1/4"
pipes,so one snorkel properly sized should do it.
i'm sticking with "Bling"
 
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