Calling all Air Cleaners

[AZKen]

We have such a great database for GMC trucks. I read on other sites all the time about folks using this site to investigate a GMC. Maybe we can ad value by identifying proper Air Cleaners per year. I do get confused as to which style and shape it correct for what years. So can everyone, who knows for sure what year Air Cleaner they have, post a picture in this post? Hope to get all we can get so as to verify and document a section. This would add to the other great information of parts like our hub caps, hoods, VIN decoder/location, Motor ID, wheel discussion and so forth. So post your Air Cleaner pics here. All the Guru's and historians and experts can weigh in and comment on anything they see that is in error or corroborate what they see as correct. It would also be nice to discuss the PCV aspect regarding air cleaners/years. (road draft tube years, filter breather can years and recirc years)

[Ed Snyder]

We have such a great database for GMC trucks. So can everyone, who knows for sure what year Air Cleaner they have, post a picture in this post? Hope to get all we can get so as to verify and document a section.

Here are 3 photos of original air cleaners for you, Ken. The first one is the oil bath on the '65 one ton Suburban my Dad bought new. The second one is on the 351E in the '66 that Clyde in SC owns now. When I bought it in 1995 it only had about 40,000 miles on it, and was 100% stock from all appearances. The third one is on the 351E in the '67 that I bought a few months ago. This truck is all original as far as I can tell, and has about 60,000 miles on it.

[James]

Mine is a 1964, my father in-law had bought it second hand in 1966 (not sure exactly which year).

[AZKen]

Great pictures! Did not realize the oil bath went into 65. Here is what I think is stock 60 oil bath. I have three different pix of 1960. All have the breather caps on the valve covers. These are from the internet. The bright red one is a 1961. At some point the oil bath went from bucket to pancake. Can we obviously say that anything with a snorkel is a non oil bath? So far Ed has shown that the change to filament was 1966.

I think it is really neat to see James' motor with the York A/C. Would like to see all the mounting features on that. Looks like they cutout the shroud to clear pulleys. Very interesting vintage A/C for 305.

KEEP THE PIX COMING, EVERYBODY. Any documentation, RPO info or history of the GMC Air Cleaner/PCV evolution is appreciated. The 305 has crankcase ventilation valves inside the valve cover that everyone should know about and be sure they are cleaned out and operating. I learned about those on this site. One on each bank in my 63 motor.

[Funky61]

Here's a few;

My 305A (1960) oil bath/road draft tube and air breathers on both valve covers

and a 478M air cleaner
and a 379 air cleaner

Not sure on the years.

[AZKen]

Than you Funky. Hope we get ID on the no snorkel dry filter one. Aftermarket or original magnum/diesel? On two different motors indicates GMC original.

[jimjaz]

This is my 63 K1000 model Suburban that has the correct oil bath on it.
(Same as my Avatar on this site)

http://6066gmcclub.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=6712&stc=1&d=1504577527

[bigblockv6]

[QUOTE=AZKen;67904]Great pictures! Did not realize the oil bath went into 65.

Yes, the oil bath continued on 4wd V6 models up to 68-69, my 68 K2500 came with the same one Ed's 65 Suburban has which was made by Donaldson. I'll dig up the build sheet this coming weekend and list the RPO code.:upyes: I replaced the air cleaner with an open type in 1975 when I did the Holley conversion.

[AZKen]

Very Valuable info. Thanks for finding the RPO.

[Sonic65]

First is off my 65 GMC 1/2 ton Custom Cab with 305E. Second is off my 66 GMC with 305E.

[Quigley]

1966 305E Original Air Cleaner.

[bigblockv6]

[QUOTE=AZKen;67904]Great pictures! Did not realize the oil bath went into 65.

Yes, the oil bath continued on 4wd V6 models up to 68-69, my 68 K2500 came with the same one Ed's 65 Suburban has which was made by Donaldson. I'll dig up the build sheet this coming weekend and list the RPO code.:upyes: I replaced the air cleaner with an open type in 1975 when I did the Holley conversion.

As promised the RPO code on the build sheet to my 68 GMC for the air cleaner is K-48:upyes:

[AZKen]

keep them coming. Thanks everybody.

[yeshua63043]

http://6066gmcclub.com/picture.php?albumid=234&pictureid=2812

Here's my '61 oil filled. V6

(sorry about pic size)

[Bruno]

This oil bath is on my 62 1500 with a 305 V6. I wonder is someone welded the tube on the top to accept the hose from the breather tube.
Love Bruce

[bigblockv6]

My 68 came from the factory with the same air cleaner which is a Donaldson air cleaner. I would say the tube was welded on, mine has a hole with a grommet on the bottom of the air cleaner for the breather tube to fit into. Looks like someone added a PCV into the valve cover of your 62.

[POWERSTROKE]

This will NOT be a popular post to this topic. But, a properly engineered and serviced dry pleated paper air filter will filter out 99% of the dust/dirt before it enters your engine. A oiled cotton gauze filter, aka K&N or equivalent seldom get over 95% of the dirt. They are designed to be used on engines in off-road race car or truck or motorcycle engines. They were were designed so the thick film of oiled dirt would fall off the surface of the filter so the filter does not restrict air flow Into the engine. The increased dirt the engine didn't matter since the engine only runs a maximum of 500 to 1000 miles between rebuilds.

Now, if you don't have an open mind, stop reading this post right now. I've spent hours and hours researching published efficiency ratings by oil bath air filter manufacturers. Nobody prints them. The companies ALL print dry pleated paper filter element spec's, and oiled cotton gauze specs. The best info I have found is from VORTOX Air Technology, they claim "Up to 80% removal of dust/dirt" with their oil bath filters. I don't think anything comes with oil bath filters anymore. They don't work well with turbo-charged engines, huge self-propelled combines harvesting corn, soybeans, small grain crops like wheat, oats, barley, etc operate in choking clouds of dust, huge two stage, filter inside a filter, dry pleated paper filters need to be cleaned, serviced, replaced daily, sometimes twice a day. Oil bath air filters would not work. My two IH Farmall tractors, a '51 and '54 vintage both have Donaldson oil bath filters and I'm switching them both over to dry pleated paper filters someday when I find the right filter housing.

If I had a V-6 in good shape I'd have a paper filter on it. They were used 50 years ago because we didn't have anything better. Now we do. So, those of you that didn't heed my warning, Flame away like all the old farmers on the other forums I post on just because their brand new 1940 vintage tractor had an oil bath air cleaner, "They gotta be good". No, they don't!

[LEWISMATKIN]

powerstroke, this topic has been discussed thouroughly in past posts. Paper filters, if high quality, do a great job of filtering air when maintained properly. I have worked on and aquired parts for both turbocharged Cummins and Detroit diesel and Mack engines. I can unequivocally can state that on most engines, due to their maintence (or lack there of) that I have come across, would have or are benefitting from the oil-bath filters. Yes, they are messy. Yes, they may restrict air flow more than most dry-type filters. But in the engines I personally seen, whether Cummins, DDA, Mack, or h/d gasoline, valve guide/stem and upper cylinder wear was considerablely less than on engines equipped with dry-type filters. I propose that only frequent and proper maintence of any air filter(dry,oil-bath,oil-wetted) is the only sure and true way to protect any engine upon which they are on. This is only my humble opinion, and am not wanting to start this argument afresh. My dad and grandad who had a GMC dealership in Cullman, Ala. during the production run of this series of engine would not order a truck unless it had both an oil-bath air cleaner and a canister oil filter, even thou dry type filters were a RPO during this time.:signofcross::signofcross:

[tbucketnut]

Great thread, thanks I learned a lot here.
Steve

[Ccsmith]

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20200708/6200d675884c9bcb98e7411e13f33a76.jpg
65 gmc 305e v6 original oil bath filter. I see there is some debate about oil vs paper. I currently have oil in it but have heard of guys modifying the oil filter housing to accommodate a paper filter. Does anyone know what paper filter will fit properly if i cut out the steel mesh from the top housing?


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[BobBray]

Here is my '67 351E. I used the stock air cleaner top on an aftermarket base with an AC Delco A212CW filter to fit on the Holley 2bbl. and maintain a stock appearance. Used an air cleaner decal from a '68 Camaro with the correct filter part number too!

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[Funky61]

Bob, I don't see a photo. Which base unit did you use and if you have a part number for it I'd appreciate it. Thanks, Henry

[BobBray]

Bob, I don't see a photo. Which base unit did you use and if you have a part number for it I'd appreciate it. Thanks, Henry

Don't know what happened to it, it was there last night.

[BobBray]

I will have to look to see if I still have the part number for the base. I know I bought it from Summit Racing, and it was a standard base to fit Holley 2 or 4 bbls., and had a 14" O.D..

No idea why I can't post pictures here anymore.

BTW, we discussed this about 3 years ago:

https://6066gmcclub.com/showthread.php?t=50095