'57 / 270 HP Air filter maintainence

[Rex P Kelly]

What is the recommended procedure for cleaning and maintaining the air filters on my '57/270 HP.....thanks

[James F.]

Re: '57 / 270 HP Air filter maintainence

Rex,
The owners manual says to wash air cleaner element in cleaning solvent and reqoil with engine oil. Kerosene is a good cleaning solvent. Manual says do this every 2000 miles (who did they think we WERE in '56?). Regards,

[Duke W.]

Re: '57 / 270 HP Air filter maintainence

I prefer mineral spirits (paint thinner) as a cleaning solvent because it completely drys and doesn't leave an oily film like kerosene.

After the filter has been washed in solvent and then rinsed in clean solvent - a couple of times to my preference - the element should be oiled with SAE 30 engine oil and "lightly squeezed" to wring out the excess. Then let is sit at least overnight on some absorbant towels to soak up the excess oil.

This is the essense of the instructions honed by my own personal experience for the foam element in the '63 Coevette Shop Manual. Given this labor intensive process is it any wonder that the industry went to disposable ten buck paper filters.

Duke

[James F.]

Re: '57 / 270 HP Air filter maintainence-Duke

Duke,
Squeezing a '56-'57 2X 4BBL air cleaner filter won't work too well! Filter (and Iuse this word loosely here) is comprised of a thick steel wool"rat's nest" permanently captured inside the air cleaner top and bottom covers. I use kerosene because it does leave an oily film and then add oil. Regards,