Using OEM air cleaner with Weber 32/36

[zambo]

I seem to recall a topic that had a couple of excellent pics showing how a forum member had adapted the OEM air cleaner for use with the weber 32/36 carb. I can't seem to find it in the archive (thought it was about last August ...?) - anyone recall it.

Thanks

Richard

[TMK-001]

I would imagine it would be relatively simple... take a template of the mount area on the weber, transfer to the base of the air cleaner, then cut with tin snips or dremel.

Good luck :-)

[Mike Self]

remember...

1. Make sure the air cleaner's weight is taken by its original rubber mounts, not the carb. That really shouldn't be a problem

2. Use a chunk of closed cell flexible foam (I scrounged some computer packing material) to make a gasket to take up and seal the space between the air cleaner's underside and the carb. Don't use open cell foam as it'll pull hot air from around the engine, defeating the purpose of the cold air intake at the air cleaner's inlet.

IMHO, the factory air cleaner is a much better solution than the small aftermarket air cleaners commonly seen on Weber conversions...

mike

[TMK-001]

Plus the originality factor :-)

I have aftermarket, but this whole weber set up is gone once the car is back.

Todd

[c.d.iesel]

..credit goes to David "RIMSPOKE" for this stock

air cleaner modification.

also look in the Roadfly photo gallery ( 2002 ) and search with "weber"

to see the other photos that " RIMSPOKE " posted

David "RIMSPOKE" cut out the bottom and welded in a sheet

with cut-out for carb top

[eastsidebimmer]

http://www.dagsites.com/air_cleaner_mods.htm

[Guest Anonymous]

I have an exact copy of one if interested.

[mikem]

Cut bottom out, had a plate welded underneath. Used K&N style filter base plate as a template to cut out shape. Very solid.

[ingraham]

Another benefit of the stock look is that it discourages further investigation by smog check techs.

The dagsites article is great! Cutting down the original rubber gasket as described there is essential. The original gasket will nearly completely block off the air path into the carb. I learned that the hard way.

Or you can use foam outside as Mike described.

[zambo]

Thanks Guys

I discovered the dagsites article, but the adaptor plate thing seems irrelevant to me - the way c.d.iesel and mikem have done theirs seems sweet.

I see the air cleaner sitting on the carb secured by 4 bolts into the top of the 32/36, I assume on the standard gasket I got with the carb, no need for the support thingoes ...?

I am a little unsure about the comments about the need for the computer foam used as a gasket/spacer in some of the responses ...? Won't the standard gasket between carb and air cleaner suffice if I go the route as shown in the pics by s.d.iesel and mikem?

Thanks for all the advice to date - excellent!

Richard

[jimk]

I see the air cleaner sitting on the carb secured by 4 bolts into the top of the 32/36,

Ah, those little bolts on the loose in there will blow the hell out of your engine if they depart and is why you never see stuff that comes loose inside the envelope of the air filter.

Think quality, not show.

[ingraham]

Ya need a closed cell foam gasket between the air cleaner housing and the carb because it's compliant and thick enough to seal the not-perfectly-flat space there. The 'paper' gasket that came with the carb is for the small aftermarket housing. Ya need the original mounting bolts and brackets at the circumference of the OE housing because the carb body isn't strong enough to support that big can flopping around on top of it. The carb body is relatively weak and isn't designed to resist that torque. jimk has a good point about the bolts inside. When I had a car converted that way, I carried an allen wrench in the glove box, because those bolts were always coming loose.

[mikem]

That big, 'heavy" OE aircleaner probably puts more torque on the carb than the Weber engineers considered, but the carb body does seem stout enough. And mine have never come loose in many years, even without Loc-tite. Loc-tite would be a good idea, though.

I may tinker with using the stock perimeter mounts and foam just for fun. There's always a better mousetrap.

The reason I liked the custom welded base plate on the stock aircleaner was because the oval shape of the stock aircleaner seemed restrictive to the rectangular Weber barrel openings. The airflow restriction was probably more perception than reality.