Sorry or all the questions but I am methodically going over the truck to see what needs replacing, cleaning or fixing. Below is a picture of my oil bath air cleaner which is clamped to the top of my Carter carb. The second picture is with the top and inner part removed, which extends down into the oil so the whole thing sits in the oil. Oil level is low but am I not missing something, like some sort of filter material? Or is the material in the part that is attached to the lid? It just seems that if the oil was at its correct level and I was driving on a rough road some of the oil could slosh into the carb. Thanks again for all assistance.
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The element in the top cover of the cleaner is more of a silencer than a filter. If it were for filtration, why the oil ?? Sloshing could drop the level low, but as you say, in rough terrain only. A little oil in the gas is probably a good thing these days... I need to do this myself, which is to check the oil level in the crankcase & the cleaner. And make sure the jute pad up top doesn't drop[ down into the carb ..... makes for funny DX.... -
jackb, where is this jute pad? Can you post a picture? Is it part of the top cover? I can't see anything that could drop into the carb, except the oil.Comment
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In my opinion, the oil bath filters were pretty darned efficient..." back in the day." However, also over-built, and hold too much heat for our vapor lock prone older engines on modern gas. Instead, why not look for a smaller optional dry filter style? My 1955 C-cab truck came with this type of filter. However, these early filters came with a less than efficient steel mesh material that you were supposed to keep slathered with oil in hopes that dirt & dust would get trapped in the sticky oiled wire.
Those filter elements were (in my opinion) labor intensive, easy to neglect, and I was always fearful of some parts of the mesh (think steel wool) breaking off and getting sucked into the engine. So, with the improvement of paper elements, consistent micron size control, durability, etc., I have found paper elements to fit. I am comfortable with their performance and that is what I use. Even on my stock 1948 Business Coupe, I have replaced the bulky dry-type air filter with one of these little "pancake" filters. The earlier dry filters were overbuilt like the oil bath type. Again, much of the bulk was for "silencer" purposes. Back then, silent running was valued from intake as well as exhaust noise reduction.
John Clary
Greer, SC
SDC member since 1975Comment
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Ya, I'm not a big fan of oil bath air cleaners. Had one on a '60 Beetle I use to have. They can be messy.
I like the idea of the cloth/foam dry filter. I would need to find one with the correct length and ID and OD so it sits snug in the container (rubber seal top and bottom). Although my lid is also part of the internal element. I would still like to know where the jute pad is suppose to be located.Comment
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Originally posted by my2R5 View Post
Hi, Marcus;
I mailed your June 1985 Turning Wheels back issue yesterday via media mail. Projected delivery is Monday, October 1.
As for the oil bath air cleaner, it helps to understand how they work. Here's a rough drawing (I emphasize the disclaimer rough) to help you understand why and how they work. Click to enlarge:
Briefly, dirt particles fall into the "oil bath" because they cannot make the fast 360-degree turn at the bottom of the air intake, to go back up into the carburetor intake. Rather, their velocity keeps them traveling down, where they are trapped in the oil.
They ultimately settle to the bottom of the "bath tub" where they remain until the unit is serviced and filled with fresh oil.
BP
We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge. 
G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.Comment
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So am I to understand that I am not missing anything? Still not understanding where this jute pad would be located.Comment
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Originally posted by my2R5 View Post
What jute pad, Marcus? Your air cleaner assembly looks complete to me, but we need to have a look at the underside of the top portion; the portion you removed before taking the second photo.
Important to note is that the upper part of the assembly does not sit IN the oil. If the oil is at the proper level, the bottom of the upper part will not be IN the oil; it will be above the oil. If it was IN the oil, the engine, if it ran at all, would smoke violently. BP
We've got to quit saying, "How stupid can you be?" Too many people are taking it as a challenge.
G. K. Chesterton: This triangle of truisms, of father, mother, and child, cannot be destroyed; it can only destroy those civilizations which disregard it.Comment
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There were 2 styles of air filters, and if you look in the shop manual, they show that the northeastern states got the dry oil wetted filter, such as my 1950 Land Cruiser has.
The mesh part of the filter is in the top part and is soaked with oil, then installed. It has no head bracket.
My 1950 Champion has the oil bath filter, since it was sold new in the Midwest. The oil bath is a heavier unit, so it has the added bracket to the head. The Land Cruiser is pictured as I first saw the car, and has the expanded steel out of place.
Last edited by TWChamp; 09-26-2018, 08:54 AM.Comment
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So I went back and had a better look at the lid/inner element. Didn't previously as it was dripping oil everywhere. It is as described by Bob (I think I've said that before). Here is a picture of the underside showing a mesh holding in the crinkled wire filter. The second picture shows the range in which the top of the oil should be I assume, below the actual filter element.
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Hopefully these threads and pictures are of benefit not just to myself. I usually do a search before I ask but hadn't found anything specific to this.Comment
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The "jute" that I am aware of is a silencer of sorts, located in the lid of the "non-oil bath" filters as shown in #'s 4 & (on the right in) 9, above.
When I first had my '41 Commander on the road, it would falter horribly on hard acceleration.
Turns out the jute in the lid was getting sucked down to where it choked the engine.
Removed the jute and no more problems.
...I've since gone to a true oil bath filter as shown on the left in #9, above.Comment
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I may have to be brought to date on this issue, the posts indicate that the filter is direcrly attached to the carburetor I have a 54 - 170 engine and the filter is attached to a bracket on the head and along horn attaches to the carburetor, were these optional systems? was a truck different than a car? I felt that the filter system I have was an original setup. There is no means to thread a rod down the carb as with the V8 models, however post 9 infers that there is a threaded rod. I have three WE type carbs and none of them have means to thread a rod down the inside. The 53/54 car manual indicates there is a threaded rod coming up from the oil bath, however the one I have there is no threaded rod up from the lower portion of the oil bath but there is a threaded rod coming down from the upper portion of the canister going through the oil bath to the under side and attaches to the bracket and holds the assembly together. see photosComment
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Additional question, what is the threaded plug in the exhaust manifold for?Comment
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The remote filter with long tube is so the newer cars could have a lower hood.
The oil wetted mesh filters, like my 50 Land Cruiser has, are to be cleaned in gas or kerosene,then oiled and installed.
The threaded plug is for a fitting to run the vacuum to a dual diaphram fuel pump, where the vacuum is helped by the lower vacuum pump, then routed to the vacuum wiper motor.
You can see on the oil bath filters that the baffle plate on the bottom will not allow oil to be sent to the carb by driving over big bumps in the road.Comment
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