VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1929-1932 1931 aircleaner decal.

Hi All,
Does someone know the correct wording on the elusive 1931
aircleaner/silencer Decal?
Thanks Jack

Check Ebay no 400023315100 that may be the long lost decal on a 31 air cleaner.Would like one myself.

Sure would be nice if it were an original. But it appears to be a reproduced '32 and later decal installed on a '31 air cleaner. Unfortunately there now will be plenty of people that will believe it to be correct.

I have been researching the '31 decal for some time but still don't have a clear enough copy to tell exactly what was printed on it or the size. PM or email me if you can contribute to the search or authentication.

Yes i have seen that ebay item, have asked for some more photos of the aircleaner, does look genuine to me?(no reply yet)
It is in the correct position, but looks a little bit too big.

I have an original sales brochure with a picture of the aircleaner with the Decal , but no writing is legible.

Jack,
According to my research the decal on that air cleaner is a repop. It was sold as a duplicate of 1932 but does not match the '32 that I have exactly. That one was in place on a '32 Chevrolet Roadster Pickup air cleaner that still had the original '32 carburetor installed. Was deteriorated some but I was able to finally decifer the wording on it.

I also have a bunch of '31 Chevy literature. One sales brochure has a picture (illustration or artist enhanced?) of the decal on an air cleaner. There are others showing partial decals. Some of the text on the decal can be deduced. I have tried some photo enhancement software in an attempt to determine more but so far have not been successful. FYI, I have determined the top line is "AC" which is clearly seen. Second line "Air Silencer" is a "SWAG". I am relatively sure that the bottom lines are "AC Spark Plug Flint Mich." "Patent Pending" but, not 100% sure. It is the middle that I am having fits with. Have not done much on it for several years so might be time to look into it again.

Chipper
The 1931 repair manual tells us that the filter should be removed and cleaned every 5000 miles(pavement) by slushing in gasoline and then dipping it in motor oil. 1000 miles for dirt roads and gravel.

Unfortunatley the 1931 manual shows a picture of the 1930 aircleaner and even says it is a series AD.

Of course the 1932 manual shows the new 1932 down draught air cleaner.

"Chevrolet six car and truck" by page does show the 1931 aircleaner , no decal shown, but does describe it as an AC spark plug company item.

25X48
Pat. Pending
Made in USA

Is stamped in to the steel on the rear face of the air cleaner
so would have to agree with you comments on Pat. pending.

Jack,
I responded to your email with my opinion(s). The mystery continues.

Why do I got a feeling its suppose to say
"Wash in Gasoline and
Re-oil element every
2000 miles or oftener
under service conditions
AC Crankcase Breather
TradeMark Reg.Pat.Pend.Made in the USA
A.C. Spark Plug Flint Michigan"

"AC Crankcase Breather" decal on a 1931 air cleaner/silencer?

Yes, that is what I and I are passing off for 1925-1931 and its a shamozzle of mixed up ....

That's kinda sorta what I thought you were referring to when I read your posting. The 1931 decal that I&I is trying to pass off is pure garbage. Not only is the "crankcase breather" part incorrect, along with the color, but when the decal is applied the printing totally disappears against the background of the black air cleaner because the printing on the decal is clear! Their stupid decal has a dark blue background with clear printing.

Like many of the parts made by I&I, this decal is also an item to stay away from.

The air cleaner with decal sold on eBay yesterday at over $ 200. Quite a price! I sure hope a VCCA member acquired it so it can be examined to try to determine if the decal could be authentic. It does not match the literature but that does not mean it was not the one actually installed.

I think I`m gonna go out in the shop and make me some of those air cleaners, I`m surprised someone hasn`t made reproductions. There seems to be a lot of 31 carbuerators around without air cleaners (spark arrestors).

hoppy

at a swap meet over the summer i saw a dented,rusted up air cleaner without the tube that was a piece of junk and the guy wanted 100$ for it. i asked if he would come down on his price. he said no way. i didn`t want to touch or buy the air cleaner as i thought i would put my finger right thru it.

I just thought i would raise another question regarding aircleaner decals,,

Were they actually screen printed originally ???

I & I made reproductions but have since run out of them so as typical with them don't appear to be too interested in making more. Think they have lost most of their Taiwanese contacts.

Its a shame that I&I has a lot of the molds for the parts of our cars and they are not doing anything

Actually the molds and tooling are typically owned by the company that is having the part made. But the tooling is held by company that is actually manufacturing the part. If the manufacturing company goes out of business, loses the tooling, damages it or their minimums change or ???? Then the whole process and cost of making tooling needs to be redone. It is often a very costly process. If the demand and pricing is projected to take more than 2 years to break even, the project will not done.

One of the parts I have made (by a specialty molding company) took nearly 3 years to break even. I am now on the third "minimum" order and it is back in the "red" The next order from a reseller will get me back in the "black".

So give I & I some slack. They have to keep the "bottom line" in focus or they out of business.

I understand but this is like with the running board mats, they have a list that I have been hearing for about 3 years but they dont do any

I think the running board and floor mat story is a bit different. The acquired the molds from the estate of the person that had the mats made for many, many years. Once I & I decided that there was enough demand to have more made they found the original molder was out of business and the molds were for an obsolete process or equipment so would have to be remade $$$$. They then decided to set up their own molding operation which has not happened.

Then there was the guy in Canada that took money but no mats. Seems he left with the $$$.

But be heartened there are others working on making mats.

I have heard through the "grapevine" that there might be some possible legal issues over the molds as well. At any rate, don't look for the running board mats anytime soon....if at all.