VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - GENERAL Trucks and Vans RPO # - Oil Bath Air Cleaner (?)

Might as well ask a picky question for my second post on the forum ...

Can you tell me the RPO number of the oil bath air cleaner that I have on my '54 3100 235? I believe that it is either RPO #216D or RPO #216E. I know that the RPO number (216G) that I show on the options in my signature is wrong.

Oil bath air cleaners were designated as one pound or two pound "dirt capacity" and as one pint or two pint "oil capacity".

RPO #216D has one pound capacity.
RPO #216E has two pound capacity.
Neither 216D nor 216E is used with engine ventilation (RPO 217) or with automatic transmission (RPO 314)
RPO #216G has one pound capacity and is for an auto tranny truck. I have a factory 4-speed.

The closest match that I see in the '29-'54 MPC is part #1542078, "oil bath w/shield (1 qt. capacity)" I don't know what a "shield" is , and I don't know if the part was associated with either RPO #.

According to the GM Heritage Restoration Kit, one-pint/pound oil bath may have been standard on 5000 series and two-pint/pound may have been standard on 6000 series (?)

Anyone have pics of both air cleaners?
RPO 216D, one-pound / one-pint
RPO 216E, two-pound / two-pint

Original GM photo. Same photo and description in 1946 and 1954 Truck Data Books:


My air cleaner:


Mounted on my Rochester B:

> GM Options - 1954 Data Book
> RPO#s in the 1954 3100 RPO Booklet
> GM Restoration Kit - 1954
> Chevrolet 1929-1954 MPC

I know that this is a trivial question, but thanks for your help.

- Lonnie

The 2 lb. filter was an option on any tonnage of truck but they were most commonly used on the conventional 4100 & up trucks.

The 2 lb. filter was the standard filter on any truck that was equipped with the 261 Jobmaster motor .



The 2 lb. was also the standard filter on any truck that was equipped with the optional PCV system.

Thanks for the fast response. Looks like I have RPO 216D.

I can now see the difference between the "1-lb" and the "2-lb" air cleaners. I searched every GM doc that I could find for a photo of them with labels, but found nothing. The wording in the docs that I referenced only confused me more - which isn't hard.

Oh, and thanks for the complement in an earlier post.

- Lonnie

Just to keep the info correct ...
I revised the Options List in my signature to show the correct RPO # for my air cleaner: 216D, list price $3.70 - same list price as 216G.

Thanks again,

- Lonnie

Lonnie
Welcome to Chatter.
The photos show a very nice truck. You should have a lot of good times with it.
Tony