I went out and purchased one of those eldebrock triangle open air cleaners. Ive heard that they are bad because if you get a backfire through the carb you will melt the foam and it will drip into the carb/intake. Now since it was a replacement of the stock air cleaner, I still have the vacuum line that goes into that thing in the air cleaner. what should I do with it? should I cap it off or what, im kinda confused as far as that. aslo I have to get a new breather for the passenger air cleaner, I have it just hanging there right now.

 

Take it back, get a refund, and get a HO dual snorkel setup or make something similar.

 

why, are they no good? plus another thing thats a problem is that my air cleaner lid *not really stock* is too tall for the air filter I have so keeping the lid on normal is actually bad, I have had the lid flipped since I discovered that problem. I could probaby fabricate that sensor thing into the new air cleaner if need be.

 

Well, if you enjoy your car catching on fire, then by all means keep the "triangle of death" on your car. Otherwise get rid of it immediately.

 

Long ago, when those air cleaners first came on the market, I thought they looked cool so I bought one for my Dodge.

One morning on a cold day, my choke wasn't working at all and the car was bucking like crazy like it always did when it was cold. I stopped at a red light and the car was getting ready to stall, so I blipped the throttle and I heard the engine "pop" - then it stalled anyway. I tried to restart it, and noticed the paint in the middle of the hood started to blister. Then I saw smoke!

Popped open the hood, and flames shot out at me. The entire cheap foam air cleaner was "fully involved". I ended up grabbing an old t-shirt from my back seat and literally ripping the thing off the top of the carb, and I threw it in somebody's front lawn. It also caused the felt pad under the hood to catch on fire too. That also ended up in a front lawn.

It sat there on fire for a good five minutes till the guy that lived there came out of his house with a bucket of water to put the thing out. So for a good reason, it's been deemed the "triangle of death". You'd better mount a fire extinguisher somewhere handy in your car.

 

I've had a similar problem with the TOD(triangle of death), but I was a little luckier than Confuzed1. I was turning the carb, and it was about to die out, so I opened the throttle a little bit and it backfired. A couple seconds later smoke was coming off the TOD. I ripped it offand the underside of it was flaming. Luckily, I was able to get it off without any damage to my car or my person.

But anyway, take the TOD back and get a metal, open-element air cleaner at Advance for $20(I think it's made by Mr.Gasket). Then trace the vaccum line for your air cleaner sensor(THERMAC) back to the carburator, remove the vaccum line, and plug the port on your carb.

The THERMAC is designed mainly to help a car run while it is still warming up. As long as your choke is working properly and you let the car warm up in the morning(which you should anyway), you won't need the THERMAC.

 

alright sweet, thanks for the heads up on that. My car is pretty poorly tuned so just my luck, I would get an engine fire. I replaced the TOD for a 10 inch round, 2 inch tall edelbrock open air filter, looks a lot better actually. The TOD looked like crap on my engine since my engines really dirty and stuff. so yeah, I appreciate the advice and the forewarning.

 

if it'll fit,get a 14"round drop base air cleaner.you can use a castle bolt to fasten it to the carb with no extra height above the air cleaner!Very trick!
Eric

 

Glad we could be of service!

 

Waax, If you have a problem finding a authentic Dual snorkel set-up cheap enough let me know, I make a dual snorkel out of the original air cleaner systems. This is what it looks like.

I am now using the larger lid so you can fit a 3" tall air filter and the hood closes fine.
Tony

 

yeah im probably going to end up doing that eventually, I just cant afford to buy one from a junk yard right now. Are those better than an open air filter?

 

As for better, I really don't know. I do know when I put it in with the 3" air filter my throttle response is better.