VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND NEWER 1949-1954 AIR CLEANER QUESTION 1950 or 49 Chevy

Is it an oil bath or dry mesh air cleaner? The 1949 oil bath is very different from a 1950 oil bath also.

It is a oil bath type. I can email you a pic to be sure.

Please do so

I have 2 different Oil Bath Air Cleaners. One I know for sure is a 1949 but the Other Oil Bath looks similar to the Dry mesh air cleaner. What years is this filter correct for? Was the 1949 filter an option on prior years? I know they are interchangeable but originally what came with what?

The 1949 oil bath looks like something from a Buick. It has a flat duct that goes over the top of the rocker arm cover with the oil filled canister hanging down on the right side of the engine. There is a cut-away picture of it in the 1949 and the 1949-53 shop manual. The dry mesh was the same from 1949-54 except the fasteneing rod was eleminated in mid 1951 and replaced by a slotted screw. The 1950-54 ol bath looks more or less like a dry mesh except it has no mesh exposed.

Ok, now I wonder if the one I picked up is right oil bath filter for april 51 fleetline chev PG.

The lower piece is does have that extention "tightening rod" and if you take off the top you can see mesh through the dime size holes surrounding the throat of the bottom piece just above where the round carb intake.

The upper part comes off via a wing nut, the guts of it are a smaller circumference drops about 3-4" down into the bath if you will, mess holes etc. I soaked the dog out of it for a month or so, then I power washed a ton of crap off it, and as the paint blue off I noticed the "drop down" part may be copper??? I haven't looked it over real good yet but the mess appears to be sealed in on both units???
The top of the lid has several "pleat" time ridges like pie slices run from the center to the outside edge?
I was going to continue to clean it with kerosene and then paint it inside and out?

Plan? or not?
thanks, Somewhat lost in New Mexico, but having fun!

Sounds as if you have the correct one. The oil bath is commonly found out west and was recommended by Chevrolet for dusty areas. Here in the mid-west they are seldom found.

Thanks Gene,

So how much oil goes in and where and what kind in this case?

30 wt oil will work, the oil goes in the area that the top sits in, there is a fill line on it. Best air cleaner ever devised in my mind.

#30 is for winter and #50 for summer. #30 mat slosh around too much in the summer.

Ok the "copper" color was primer on the outside, fyi, now gone via a wire brush on a drill.
But I was wondering if there was a way to open up the top part and replace the material inside? It is really crumbling apart and bad looking? Also where can I get some or what could be used as a subsititue if I can get it apart?