VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 air cleaner restoration

I recently purchased an air cleaner with the intention of replacing the copper mesh. It looks like a 32 air cleaner that I changed the mesh in years ago. When you remove the top cover and the jute material you can't remove the copper mesh. There is plenty of mesh there it's just really discolored. I cleaned with gas but it didn't help. Is there a chemical that will brighten it up or is there a way to replace it that I can't see. thanks, Tom

Try soaking the mesh in a batch of Tarn-X. This stuff made the copper oil, vacuum, and coolant gauge lines look like new. JIM

You might try soaking it (the copper mesh) in Vinegar I used to clean penny's like that when I was a young kid...pennies used to come out looking like new in a few minutes...Good Luck>>>> Ed

update....When you take the top off and remove the jute pad you can see the copper mesh. There is a band of small gauge wire that prevents you from getting to the mesh. I suppose I could cut or tear out this wire but I didn't want to destroy the inside of the air cleaner. Any ideas fellas and girls? Thanks, Tom

Are you sure this "copper mesh" is really made of copper...? It doesn't seem very practical to have anything made of metal strands just waiting to be sucked in to your engine...

The reason I even bring it up is that I thought I also had "copper mesh" in my original 1947 air cleaner...I removed it for cleaning and found it to be copper colored PLASTIC...

Needless to say it doesn't clean-up all that well...Think I'll spray paint it a copper color...for looks...That's 'bout all it's good for...looks.

The air cleaners on my 1932 and my 1951 both have the original factory installed elements and the elements consist of metal strands. I also owned two original 1952 Chevrolets (one my dad bought new) and both had metal elements as well. Then there was the 1940 Chevy coupe, the 1949 Chevy sedan, the 1946 Chevy pickup.....and.....well you get the idea. They all had metal air cleaner elements.

When I restored my Air Cleaners I sandblasted them making the Copper Mesh look new then covered it up when I painted them.

That's interesting...Although, I imagine it would just get beat-up and spit out anyway...Whereas, plastic would probably melt and stick...Turning to so sort of carbon deposit.

I have several 1951-52 air cleaners in stock, a couple of spare 1932 air cleaners, and a 1934 air cleaner in my bone yard and all of the elements in the air cleaners are metal as well.

During the Korean war AC did make some air cleaner elements that looked like thick horse hair. If I remember correctly they were used in production also.

It makes me wonder where this plastic element came from...I bought the complete air filter off Ebay...Looked like it hadn't been cleaned in eons, original paint. I thought it was metal until I dipped it in acetone and it stripped the copper colored paint off, revealing white plastic...My reaction of course was "What the...?" Oh, well...I guess their all like this...

Ya live and learn, I suppose...