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TR2/3/3A Stock air cleaners and aftermarket air cleaners.

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sp53

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Stock air cleaners and aftermarket air cleaners. What are people’s thoughts about the stock air cleaners not letting in as much air as the aftermarket? The aftermarket when I hold it up to the light lets in a lot more light. They are probably both not more than a bug catcher anyway.
 
I am not sure where you look to see light through the stock black can AC filter - but it is hard to imagine a less restrictive device. Like you say - a bug catcher... and just big bugs at that.
 
I'm a big fan of original, but I do wish someone would sell a chrome one!

I'd have to agree with Geo, those stock air cleaners barely qualify as screen doors, whereas aftermarkets (such as K&N) do have a filtration substrate that is quite like cloth or paper. Can't see them letting more air in than the steel wool.

Just my $.02
 
It seems to me that a lot depends on the area that you drive in. If you live in an area with little to no dust or blowing dirt and no dirt roads then the original air cleaner may do just fine. But even with the internals soaked in oil the original air cleaners don't prevent much. I use the K&N filters as I occasionally get on dirt roads. I have never noticed any lack of air to the carbs with the K&N filters. They do make attractive chrome filter covers for the K&N filters.
 
Yeh that is kinda where I was at Charley --that the different mesh perhaps could effect the fuel air ratio and how much air is enough air. I have actually taken apart the stock AC air cleaners before and cleaned and painted them and then re-installed the mesh. They were a lot dirty inside than I thought they would be with this really funky fine dust. But yeh rather than do that again, I might buy new. The new ones have a different kind of mesh that actually might work better, might catch a smaller bug.
 
Foam koozies can add a bit of filtration to the stock filters.

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Now I feel bad that three of my cars have very effective oil-bath air cleaners.
And one of them only gave me 350K on the last rebuild.
 
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