Intake Manifold Vacuum Filter

[Gregory G.]

The AC delco white disc filters had the embossed AC logo on the face of the disc on some and also on the edge portion of the disc on others.The last version I have seen since I purchased an NOS AC Intake filter the AC logo is no longer embossed.The with or thickness of the AC discs are larger than the repros.I have all 4 types to make the comparison.Does anyone know the timeline of these discs when AC Delco produced them? What is the best way to clean them?Using air may blow out the filter media.How does this part get treated in Flight Judging?
Greg

[Terry F.]

Re: Intake Manifold Vacuum Filter

I would suggest soaking it in mineral spirits and somehow flushing it throught the filter. That would clean it a bit and probably least likely to harm the plastic. I would clean the plastic with any of a number of things. I would uses soap and water and work up from there.

Have you ever seen an orange colored filter? I think I saw one once and not since on a 68 vette. Thanks, Terry

[Jack H.]

Re: Intake Manifold Vacuum Filter

I'm not sure there's much you can do to 'restore' an original vac filter.... The element is a form of cloth/gause and once it's clogged with airborne material, that's about all she wrote....

Hold a fresh vac filter to direct sunlight and sight through it. You ought to see a paper white internal surface. If it's off-white, then the filter has done its thing. If you see daylight end-to-end then the filter element clogged and ripped loose (guess where it went).

About all I think you can do, is FORCE the filter element out (make a 'dummy' filter for show) as you don't want it to rip/let go and migrate into your intake.... Then, go get a bottle of Meguiar's #10 or #17 which are plastic polishing agents (different abrasive content) and freshen up the outside of the filter for show.

But, for driving the car, use any good clone vac filter and change it roughly every 3000 miles. Change more frequently if you've just fixed vac leaks in the system because the leaks introduced airborne contaminants onto the inner walls of your vac hoses and they WILL migrate back to the vac source which will dirty your filter faster AND contaminate your check valve.