I'm looking to replace my stock air cleaner with an open air element, but I know I'll need a crankcase breather and hose to replace the one that currently connects to the stock air cleaner. I don't want to hack the old hose because I'll want it looking stock for state and emissions inspections (don't want them to give me any red flags or even think about it). Any recommendations on a new hose and breather? Advice and links would be much appreciated. Thanks!

 

Why on earth would you remove a cold-air air cleaner for a hot-air open element?

NOBODY who wants performance is deliberately drawing in hot underhood air. Open elements are throwbacks to the sixties, we've come a long way since then.

 

Well, that's not an answer to my question. However, while I acknowledge that it's not a major improvement to the performance of the car it is an improvement to the cold air intakes for lots of reasons discussed on this site ad nauseum.
Check this thread out: https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/tbi/...-how-much.html

 

Open elements are a very common addition to a TBI motor

an open element neither hurts or helps the performance on a STOCK L03(it does give slightly better throttle response, but its subjective)

it's main purpose for stock guys is to get the bulky restrictive stock assembly out of the way, it dresses up the motor some, and will help more with future mods and a cowl hood

go look at what kind of setups most guys who want "performance" out of their TBI's have

 

typically you would just put a standard push in breather(no hose) in place of the stock assembly
http://www.jegs.com/i/Edelbrock/350/...oductId=746243

i haven't bothered buying a breather yet, i just turned the stock pipe and hose around facing the firewall(no filter), no one ever questioned it here in MD

EDIT:the link i posted is for reference only, i believe the breather size we need is 3/4 for stock valve covers

 

Thanks for the help. I live in VA, so I was concerned that I'd have to switch out the open air element and push-in breather for the stock pieces when the car needs to be inspected for emissions (visual and smog). I guess it passed the visual emissions inspection for you?

 

Thank you for almost exactly making my point. Open-element air filters don't do squat to improve performance, but they sure do look purdy. And guys who can't handle disengaging those evil OEM hoses and tubes from the original air cleaner don't have to even look at them any more. They can affect driveability in ~40 degree weather especially if it's raining--the hot-air stove from the exhaust manifold helps prevent carb icing, and all that goes in the trash when the open-element air cleaner is installed.

I'll say it again: NOBODY who is SERIOUS about power draws heated under-hood air. (but you are correct, lots of folks who aren't serious about power, or who don't know better, do use heated underhood air.)

 

Carb icing?! TBI is throttle body injection, thus there is no carb.
You seem to be trying to patronize me with your caps and bold font. It's weird and out of place.
I never said anything about improving performing with this mod. You're responding to imaginary arguments.

 

I did have a throttle stick once on my 7.4L TB unit(50%TPS). Only thing I could determine is that it was ice due to fact it fixed itself immediately after I moved the linkage and never occurred again. Temps were just above freezing. TB was new and same on cable. No heat to TB and no crossover in intake. I think that was the coldest day I ever drove car.

 

yes i passed here in MD both visually and my emissions numbers were well below the allowed amount

im guessing you missed the "will help with future mods"

hot vs cold air is pretty minimal on a 305, kinda like debating if running underdrive pulleys gives you 100HP!!!!!!!!!

 

Caveman, thanks for the help.

And don't waste your time responding to Schurkey. I've noticed that he's been on many similar threads and regurgitates the same arguments over and over, sometimes verbatim. No amount of data presented has swayed his opinion of science.

 

Semantics. The throttle blades are still wet with gasoline, and the throttle blades can still ice--typically at 35-to-45 degree temps, with high humidity. You are correct, I should have used the term "throttle body" rather than "carb".

One of the many services I offer.

If you aren't looking for performance improvement, why spend the money to change components? Keep the hood shut, no-one will know that you still have a stock air cleaner. I won't tell.

WHAT science? Nobody has presented any science. "Look what all the other TBI people are doing" isn't science, it's follow-the-leader, blind-leading-the-blind-and-both-shall-fall-into-the-pit. No "data" has been presented, and I don't put much faith in people telling stories about how changing one air cleaner on one vehicle resulted in a seat-of-the-pants difference that wasn't verified on a dyno or on a racetrack. The FIRST mistake that every one of those stories I've heard have in common is that they didn't set up the original air cleaner for true "cold" air before yanking the whole works off for the open-element nonsense.

The science is that ambient air is likely cooler than what just blew in off the radiator, and perhaps heated additionally by the exhaust manifolds and engine iron in general. That cooler air tends to reduce detonation potential, as well as allowing for a slightly denser intake charge to the cylinders, improving power. In automotive circles, this has been known since at least the late '50's or early '60's, when the Chevy stock cars were slower than the Pontiac stock cars; the eventual finding was that the Pontiacs were drawing cooler air into the carb and making more power under sustained heavy load that the Chevys couldn't match...until the Chevy team added a duct to a source of cold (ambient) air. It took a few fast laps before the engine compartment got hot enough to kill the power of the Chevy, but kill power it did.

NOBODY who is serious about power draws hot under-hood air into the intake.

 

You keep spitting this

1. Who said anything about making power in this thread

2. How many people that you know that are "serious" about making power use 305's with cold air intakes, let alone a 305 in general, an open element will supply more than enough air for any HP numbers a 305 can dish out and like I said compairing hot to cold air is like compairing standard to underdrive pullys within this power range

 

What is the point of throwing money down the toilet on replacement parts unless you're attempting to improve (or restore) some aspect of performance?

The original air cleaner will supply all the air the engine needs, with less risk of detonation, with less money out-of-pocket, and with the surety of passing visual emissions testing no matter which state/county, or which person, does the inspection. Air quantity was never a concern of mine. All my posts have to do with air QUALITY--specifically, temperature-related. The original air cleaner is superior in every way to the open-element style, except that there's a miniscule weight-and-complexity penalty, and stock parts often aren't chrome-plated and therefore don't impress young children.

The original poster has yet to reveal his true motivation for scrapping parts that function better as designed than what he intends to replace them with.

 

If the OP is happier with the apperance of the open element over stock, so be it, why question them? Is it your car?

You keep running circles around this cold air is better than hot air performance wise, I believe a monkey knows this to be fact

You can't seem to wrap your mind around the apperance and ease of access people want in cars, especially when said mod is not going to harm the performance of said vehicle

Bottom line, you came in looking to argue, not give the answer the OP was seeking

 

Heres the difference a open air element with cowl induction makes visually when you pop the hood from stock. I won't even get into the amount of air the new system is bringing in as opposed to stock. Also there is a photo of the air breather in the passenger side valve cover.I even painted my car. Does it go faster because of it . Noooooo New bottles , parking lights, etc, etc. Go faster. Noooooo

 

Schurkey,
you've been here since 2011 and still can't fill in your details . Its easy.
Simply go to USER CP
then
EDIT YOUR DETAILS
then fill in the last 4 lines at the bottom of the page.
Car =
Engine =
Transmission =
Axle/Gears =
Its to bad you feel the way you do towards those of use that want our cars to look good. I would like to see this car you have . Engine etc.

 

I came in hoping to spare the OP a silly mistake, a few dollars, and some "learning curve".

For the record, my TBI vehicle is a 300,000 mile K1500. Re-engined with '92 B-body 5.7L "crate engine" #12513151 and emissions-legal exhaust mods, but otherwise stock including the computer chip and, of course, the air cleaner. Rebuilt 700 trans, and 3:42 front and rear axles. The current project (truck is on jack stands as I type this) is to replace the 8.5" 10-bolt open rear axle with a 9.5" 14-bolt "posi" (actually a Gov-Loc) of the same gear ratio. Turns out the former owner of the 14-bolt did a total pooch-screw of the brake job, with shoes, springs, and self-adjuster parts swapped side-to-side, primary-to-secondary, and not even consistent left-to-right.

I don't list that or my other vehicles in my profile because I don't believe that any of it is relevant.

 

Schurkey, I don't answer to you. Therefore, I don't owe you any explanations.
But if you're going to insist that I need a learning curve, don't know what I'm talking about, etc... I hold multiple engineering degrees, including mechanical engineering, at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and I'm very well versed in thermal fluids, thermodynamics, and fluid dynamics. I didn't come here to get a lesson from anyone, only with a simple question about parts.
Now go eat a Snickers... unless you're going to start b!tching about how almonds are better than peanuts.

 

Oh, goodness. YOU WIN. Please buy an open-element air cleaner with my blessing.

 

Are you saying you don't have a Third Gen Camaro/Firebird but are on aThird Gen Camaro/Firebird site.

 

The Horror...the horror!







An enormous amount of TBI info generalizes from F body to C/K and B body. The TBI section of this F-body forum is what I limit myself to.

I pretty much expected this to degenerate into a personal attack, since folks weren't getting anywhere with trying to discredit the facts I presented. Now I've been outed as not being a real member of "the club".

 

It’s not a personal attack it’s just my learning curve. Carry on

 

I'm honestly surprised that something so simple could get someone so angry and defensive.

Anyways, back to some 3rd gen news. I installed the crankcase breather and 14x3 open air element and it does have a very pleasant sound and definitely cleans up the engine bay.

 

what did u do about the heat exchanger comin from the manifold up into the air cleaner assembily? did u do away with it or what?

 

I just left it there. It's not harming anything and I don't think it's an eyesore either since I hardly notice it.

 

u left the hose still attached to the exhaust or took it off?

 

I took off the metal hose (it should just pull right off), but left on the metal part that is on the exhaust manifold itself which the metal hose slips on.

 

ok bcz im wantin to do the same thing u did change it out u got any pics of the way urs looks? ive done cut my muffler off an installed a ypipe in its place an dualed it off the y pipe so I was wounderin did u get any beter mpg? or throttle response?

 

MPG? Likely worse. As the time to warm manifold to drive off in cool temps longer .

Throttle response? Likely worse for same reason.

I had an open element on my single plane manifold. For maybe 3 years in WI. Drove car April to November.

Do not remove the IAT.

 

Don't have any pics at the moment. I bought a CFR performance 14x3 black air cleaner set with a recessed base and a Spectre Performance 4300 3/4" standard push-in breather. Both fit just fine with room for the throttle mechanism adjacent the air cleaner. Be aware that you'll have to drill out a spot for the air temp. sensor in the base of the air cleaner.
I regularly record my gas mileage and haven't noticed a difference. I feel like the throttle response is better, but that could be in my head. No doubt that the sound of the engine is a bit sweeter. Sounds meaner than it really is. haha
I haven't messed with the exhaust manifolds or y-pipe, but that is something I'd like to do eventually. From what I've read, putting on some shortie headers and improved y-pipe will do more for you than just changing the air cleaner setup.
Doing both are ideal.

 

yea ive still got my stock manifolds an stock y pipe my exhaust I just cut the muffler off an installed a ypipe in the spot of the muffler....if one day u get pics post em id like to see especially since u have to drill the new one for the air temp sensor

 

Here’s one showing the heat shield on the stock manifold.
There’s a fine line when it comes to CA smog and its getting worse.
I kept my "Y" pipe and stock manifolds for that very reason. I replace the stock intake assembly when taking it in for smog every two years.
I have a Magnaflow CAT with a 3in. cat back including the exit pipes and tips.
The car has a really nice growl with plenty of torque.
New gears and posi. does not hurt.

 

is it best to get one that its flat on the throttle body or wut?

 

For the air cleaner? I put on a 14x3 with a recessed base (not flat). Not sure if that's what you meant.

 

Ron, I've got almost the same exact setup, except my open air element is not open on the top. 3" cat back with stock manifolds and y-pipe.
Car has plenty of torque from the factory, which pushes the car nicely. I'm happy with the sound too. Not super throaty, but the little kit that lives next door made a point to tell me that it's pretty loud. haha Maybe he just means compared to his dad's Hyundai Sonata.

 

did u do away with the little ring under the air cleaner or keep it?

 

If you get an air cleaner having a 3" height and with a recessed base, keep it. I don't know if it will fit otherwise. There are a lot of threads on the subject.

 

ok thanks that's wut I needed to kno

 

Soo I'm in the midst of gathering the open element setup.. i have a k&n 2" breather cap, k&n 11x3.5 open filter and the new stud to fit it.. so i've plugged the vacuum line (i think that's the name [the little tiny tube in front]), i now am confused..i have an outlet on the base for the oil breather but since it is now capped what do i do about that outlet? Please" hold my hand" through it haha i need steps to follow since i am quite new to this

 

Remove the stock air cleaner assembly including the rubber tube (PCV tube)that comes off of the side of it and into the passenger side valve cover.

Put a crank case breather in the hole that is now open on top of that cover because of the tubes removal.

Cap off the nipple that is now open on the front bottom base of the TBI unit.

Punch out the hole on the bottom/base of the open air assembly or drill one for the Intake Air Temperature Sensor (IAT) that came out of the bottom of the stock unit.

Install the base of the open air element on the TBI using the stock metal spacer to keep the base off of the linkage if necessary. ( with a drop base you might need to apply a second spacer.)

Install the new filter on the new base.

Put the cover on and screw it down.

You have to decide if the depth of the filter is going to allow the hood to close.

If not you might need to get a shorter filter .

 

Thank you Ron! Much appreciated, and i'll post a pic after i finish this weekend ..since i have the ws6 hood I'm fairly sure it'll fit, but we'll see soon ha =)

 

I put a few strips of electrical tape on the underside of the base just above where the coil is. Probably not totally necessary but I good idea anyway.

 

Sweet i did all of that! Now to get it tuned so it's not running too "rich or lean" ?? What does that all mean? ? Obviously I'm real new at this but I'm a sponge, and learn quick.