[radojko]

Hello all,

So, I am the new owner of a '66 GT coupe with 302 engine and Edelbrock 1406 4V carburetor. I'm baffled by the air cleaner, though.

Does anyone know, just by appearance, what this air cleaner is normally used in?

Many thanks in advance,
-Bob-

 

[Ivy66GT]

302s weren't around in '66 so the air cleaner likely came with the engine. What year is the engine? On a '66 air cleaner there is a date stamp on the bottom side at the outer end of the air snout. The code was something like 6C for March 1966. Is there such a code on yours?

'66s didn't have any hoses sticking through the side of the air cleaner either. What are those hoses doing?

 

[radojko]

302s weren't around in '66 so the air cleaner likely came with the engine. What year is the engine? On a '66 air cleaner there is a date stamp on the bottom side at the outer end of the air snout. The code was something like 6C for March 1966. Is there such a code on yours?

'66s didn't have any hoses sticking through the side of the air cleaner either. What are those hoses doing?

Based on the attached label, it looks like it's a '68 engine. Haven't yet had a chance to check for date code on the air cleaner.

As for the hoses... they have me baffled, too! They don't actually connect to anything inside the cleaner... bizarre. And what are all those holes on the air cleaner for, anyway???

-Bob-

 

[Print Dad]

Hello Bob,
Had to chime in from "Meffa" (Medford Mass)

I know you are in great shape if Ivy66GT is helping
but I am guessing he air cleaner is from around a 70
where there would be more emissions attachments

It depends on what are your plans for the car as far as what
I think you should do.
If you are going to restore car - -then you want to do things
one way - -if it will be a driver - -things would be done another way.

I see in the picture you have the dual vacuum advance on the distributor. If you are going to make a driver I would cap off the retard portion of the advance.

What I am trying to say - is it depends on your goals for the car as far as the advice I and others will offer.

I am curious - -where does the rubber hose run - -my guess is it runs to the pass side valve cover. Someone MAY have put a PVC
valve cover

In any case - -all the holes in the air cleaner are not all that important unless you are doing a full restore. If it were me - -I would just run the once hose to the oil filler breather and block off the others - -

A little hard to answer more fully - -I kinda just wanted to say HI
where you are so close to us

I have been on the forum for several years and hope I can help in the future

Print Dad

 

[Ivy66GT]

I am pretty sure that sticker is from some state (which one I can't tell for sure) for registration purposes. Notice, it has had a 5-digit VIN assigned which isn't anything similar to what Ford used. That usually means it was a crashed car, or just parts out of a junk yard, that was rebuilt from who knows where or what and then the state certified that (at least most of it) wasn't a stolen car and that hopefully the repair was good enough to allow driving the car on a public highway. Its a way to resurrect a car with a salvage or parts only title. I don't think it tells you anything about the engine. That would require some bureaucrat to know something about old Ford engines. Whoever did the resurrection would want to claim its as early a year as possible since that makes it easier to pass the required emission tests. Note, the emission level blocks on the tag.

Its not a '68 style 302 for any model of Ford that I know about. Look for numbers on various engine parts that Ford put there to figure out what it really might be. Every part could also be from a different engine or year.

I think 'Bureau of Automotive Repair' is a California thing but other states may also have something of the same name. Most states don't have that much bureaucracy.

And what are all those holes on the air cleaner for, anyway???

Looks like they are there for all those hoses.

 

[radojko]

Hey there, Dad 'n Ivy!

First, thanks so very much for all the valuable input! My apologies for the late acknowledgement - am Down Under at the moment and sort of out of touch. I'm now beginning to put together some pieces of the puzzle...

So, by way of additional relevant info... The car was born in San Jose. I'm guessing that, at some point in its CA life, the 289 A-code engine (more on that in a moment) was swapped out out for a 302. Hence the California BAR tag. That probably also prompted the dual vacuum diaphragm, Edelbrock 1406 carb, and "holey" closed emissions air cleaner.

Sometime after the swap, the car migrated to the Deep South. I picked up the car in SC a few months ago and shipped it off to my son in L.A. He is now in the process of rejuvenating it.

We have a fairly high degree of confidence that it is a "factory" GT. The data plate looks to be original and matches the VIN on the fender apron. Pretty much every piece of sheet metal has an appropriate date code stamp. All of the GT-specific check boxes are there: correct-functioning fog lights, correct curve in dashboard under speedometer, beefier sway bar, correct front disk brakes and master cylinder, exhaust reinforcement panels under rear seat, correct dual exhaust system, reinforcement crush tubes in rear frame tunnels, and so on. Yes, the engine isn't correct. Yes, the carb isn't correct. We're OK with that, though. We'd just like to get it closer to "66-ness" if we can - at least make the air cleaner, carb, and vacuum diaphragm correct.

As for me personally... I have a '65 GT convertible that is my pride and joy. Being in Boston (actually Charlestown, Dad :wink I don't get to enjoy it as much as I'd like. But now that I know I have a guru nearby, well things are looking brighter and brighter. Beers on me.:smile:

Regards,
-Bob-