Will the GM L-88 drop base air cleaner give me more clearance then the K&N drop base? Right now I have a performer manifold and wanted to upgrade to a performer rpm. I read somewhere a while back, that the rpm manifold, is taller then the performer. Right now I have trouble shutting my hood and didn't want to make things worse. Thanks

Just a basic chrome 14x3 dropbase thats found in the 'chrome' section of any parts store should work just fine. Thats what I use, and my intake is as tall as a RPM manifold.

There are 2 types of air cleaners that look almost identical. For instance, Edelbrock makes 2 14"x3" air cleaner assemblies whose only difference (other than model number on the box) is the bottom base which has a deeper drop base and works properly with their Performer carb. The other, which has a shallower base, simply won't clear the appendages like the electric choke and what not. So be carefull and make sure you get the right assembly.

Unfortunately, even Edelbrock claims on the boxes that both will work properly on all 5 3/8" 4 barrel carbs, but one needs a base spacer to get it to clear all the paraphenelia on their Performer carbs.

IIRC, you might have to mod the L-88 in order to mount it. You might try a search for more info if you're still interested in that route.

JamesC

another thing is the carb on it.. I have the performer intake on one of mine with a holley carb, and a standard drop base would not fit around the banjo fuel fitting... soo. i had to look around intil i found one with a large enough diameter drop base to fit... and yes.. i have problems closeing my hood.. one of those gentle things now.. Next is a 4 inch cowl hood so i can get a real air cleaner on there lol

Thanks, I think the only thing I'm going to be able to do is buy a cowl hood. Right now when I shut the hood it hits the air cleaner barely. I think the motor mounts that I got might have raised it up a bit.

My hood wouldn't close with a 14 x 3, so I dropped to a 14 x 2 1/2 and all's well--I'll probably eventually try a K&N filter lid to aid flow a bit.

JamesC

My 14" filter housing hits the padding on the bottom of the hood.. you can see the indent on it now... but yea.. a cowl hood is the way to go if you want a decent size filter on it.. I have a 2.5 on mine and it is so so close to not fitting lol

I just put a 350 in, with an Edelbrock 1405 and a Performer RPM, and I can get nothing to fit! I tried 3 or 4 different drop-base air cleaners, and I just managed to squish the filter - without even putting a lid on yet (I had the stud removed to make sure I didn't poke a hole). Of course I installed new poly mounts in there - but I can get nothing to fit under my stock 1992 hood. Time for the Sawzall!

did you try a 2 1/8th filter.. mr gasket has them.. mine actually came with the drop base air filter assembly i am using.. although i ditched that filter once i found out i couls use a normal sized 2 1/4 The Performer RPM.. is that a little taller than the performer? if so then you are SOL without some hood cutting lol. I myself have cut my spare hood and have a nice carbon fiber cowl that is bonding to it as I type..

my airclear stock leaves an indent in the padding on the hood, does K&N have filters that fit the stock carb airbox?

Look it up by application (your car)... odds are, they do.

the stock aircleaner actually sits into that stuff... supposed to i guess. ever car i have ever seen has it lol. no biggy really.. But if you ever get a taller intake or want a larger air claner time to get the dremel, cut wheel, or sawz all out. (I have cut things with the dremel.. talk about a long day... the cut wheel is my favorite.. nice fast, and no ragged bits.

Can't use the 2 1/8" filter - restricts too much. The drop-based housings I tried all had at least a 1 3/4 drop - which would leave only 3/8 of airflow space. Edelbrock even says 2 inch filter too small for the carb. I'll cut her open!

Yep that i knew.. lol. Was jsut throwing out them ideas but yea. the only way to get a carb to set on on of those intakes and have any actual filter room is to cut a hole.

I also tried everything. I have a Holley 750cfm sitting on a 4" intake and I've only got 1" clearance at the front of the carb.
I tried the smallest cleaner I could find from Mr.Gasket with a 1" element but it was too restrictive. Then I bought the Edelbrock Pro-Flo 1000cfm with a reusable foam filter and had to trim-out an 1" off the base so it would fit under the hood. I then had to remove the hood insulation because it was chocking the engine but then the heat from my hedders melted the foam filter into my carb.
I didn't want to cut open the hood for a cowl induction, I like the stock appearance, so I bought a used Ram-Air assembly from a TPI Camaro, dropped 2 K&N filters in it, built a custom air box to sit on the carb and connected the two with a 3" diameter hose. So now I've got fresh cool air coming in from in front of the rad and lots of horsepower. Problem solved!

The Holley Hi-Tec also might have been a possibility.

JamesC

Holley Hi-Tec: Net height from carburator flange is still 3 1/4" on this thing - I'd think that would make it higher than a drop-base. It also rings up at $235 - almost as much as a new hood!