Air Cleaner "Dent?"

[slikside]

So I had the air cleaner and riser tube assembly (stock '72 350 4 bbl) all powder coated. When I picked it up I was inspecting it all before I left, and I noticed a good sized 3-4" long "dent" in the main filter housing. It is located along the lower outside edge perimeter on the back side. I'm trying to determine if this is supposed to be there (factory), or if it was damaged at the powder coaters. I was thinking it could have been for clearance, like the distributor, or coil, etc.. But when I got it home, there is more than enough clearance without it.

I should have taken pics before I dropped it off, or at least inspected it more thoroughly before dropping it off, but I didn't

The shop supervisor pulled up a pic from the internet of a cleaner housing with a very similar "deformity", but it was from a different era truck. I ran a search here and, while none of the pics CLEARLY show what I have, they do appear to have something like it.

I will post a pic later today if I get a chance.

So is it a dent, or was it manufactured that way, for airflow perhaps??

Thanks for the input.

[leddzepp]

More than likely it's OEM from your description. Post a pic to confirm.

[67ChevyRedneck]

If it's anything larger than a "ding" it's likely factory. The air cleaners are pretty tough to put a dent in, like you would need to use a large hammer with a really hard smack.

[jocko]

it is factory

[slikside]

OK, the first pic is the best: Air cleaner is up-side down. Second one not so great, but I think you get the idea. This one is right side up:

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by slikside

OK, the first pic is the best: Air cleaner is up-side down. Second one not so great, but I think you get the idea. This one is right side up:

That does not look natural due to the way the housing is distorted on the bottom. I'd be concerned that the air filter seating surface may be distorted not sealing possibly by-passing the filter and putting dirt into the engine.

If the filter seats, and if the lower filter housing seals good to the upper, and if it's not un-slightly, it may not be an issue. But it's hard to say if it was there before or if the powder coater dented it.

[tcrist]

Here is a picture of one that looks like it has the same "dent", http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...lectedIndex=10

It is supposed to give you extra clearance for the plug wires.

[Blue/72]

It's factory

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by tcrist

Here is a picture of one that looks like it has the same "dent", http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...lectedIndex=10

It is supposed to give you extra clearance for the plug wires.

The one in your picture looks stock, the one shown by the author looks after the fact due to the "raised"(upside down) area under the dent.

The factory would have stamped that in there, as they DID, without that raised area. Looks like someone put the wrong air cleaner on there and made their own clearance.

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by Blue/72

It's factory

It's in the factory location, likely serves the same purpose as the factory one, but that's too sloppy to be factory come on now can't you see that?

Here's another one with "factory" LOL

[leftybass209]

When I go home I'll verify what the stamping on the original looks like. Yours has a stock appearance, but it looks a little wavy and creased for me to say 100% stock.

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by leftybass209

When I go home I'll verify what the stamping on the original looks like. Yours has a stock appearance, but it looks a little wavy and creased for me to say 100% stock.

Whether I'm right about this or wrong, I'm all for reality. The press that stamped those out may have made it irregular or they may have had a guy on the assembly line with a hammer banging them for all I know LOL.

Go leftybass!

[tcrist]

I have never bought one of these trucks new and never really looked on the ones that I had to see the air cleaner "dent" that close. My current truck had an after market air cleaner on it when I bought it so I cant compare it.

I do remember though that every "STOCK" 67-72 Chevy/GMC pickup that I have owned does have the air cleaner bottom "relieved" in that area for plug wire clearance. Just how it was done and exactly what it looked like, I can't remember.

That one does look like someone "relieved" it with a pipe though.


The dual snorkel one that mechanicalman posted looks like someone "relieved" it with a hammer.

[slikside]

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

That does not look natural due to the way the housing is distorted on the bottom. I'd be concerned that the air filter seating surface may be distorted not sealing possibly by-passing the filter and putting dirt into the engine.

If the filter seats, and if the lower filter housing seals good to the upper, and if it's not un-slightly, it may not be an issue. But it's hard to say if it was there before or if the powder coater dented it.

Originally Posted by mechanicalman

The one in your picture looks stock, the one shown by the author looks after the fact due to the "raised"(upside down) area under the dent.

The factory would have stamped that in there, as they DID, without that raised area. Looks like someone put the wrong air cleaner on there and made their own clearance.

I see what you mean when I look again at the first photo I posted. But I just went to take another look at the thing, and when I sight the entire bottom edge of the air cleaner on a even plain, there is no deformity whatsoever. So, I agree that in the pic I posted it does look raised on what is the bottom, but in reality it isn't. The filter does lie perfectly flat all the way around, so the "dent" has no implications on the filter.

[slikside]

Originally Posted by tcrist

Here is a picture of one that looks like it has the same "dent", http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...lectedIndex=10

It is supposed to give you extra clearance for the plug wires.

OK. Second row down 5th pic from left (next to last). Mine is in this exact spot and looks virtually the same.

I'm not sure MechanicalMan was looking at this same Pic.

i"m leaning heavily towards factory now. I also agree strongly with this from 67ChevyRedNeck:

"If it's anything larger than a "ding" it's likely factory. The air cleaners are pretty tough to put a dent in, like you would need to use a large hammer with a really hard smack."

It looks similar enough to discount that it was accidental either at some point before powder coaters got involved or after.

[davepl]

It's factory, or a slightly messy replication of what should be factory. Way too coincidentally close to OEM to be damage your powder coater did.

Of course, to cover his tracks, maybe your powder coater is breaking into everyone's garage and pounding the same dent into every big block truck air cleaner around the country.

[FirstOwner69]

I'm a long way from the original from my truck, but I'm sure mine has the "dent", and it was there when new. It lines up with the distributor when properly installed. I always assumed that it was a GM generic air cleaner stamping used on other vehicle models without the collar/riser for the breather that our trucks utilized. Those applications probably needed the dent to provide adequate clearance for the distributor and plug wires.

Jim

[slikside]

Originally Posted by davepl

It's factory, or a slightly messy replication of what should be factory. Way too coincidentally close to OEM to be damage your powder coater did.

Of course, to cover his tracks, maybe your powder coater is breaking into everyone's garage and pounding the same dent into every big block truck air cleaner around the country.

Agree.

Originally Posted by FirstOwner69

I'm a long way from the original from my truck, but I'm sure mine has the "dent", and it was there when new. It lines up with the distributor when properly installed. I always assumed that it was a GM generic air cleaner stamping used on other vehicle models without the collar/riser for the breather that our trucks utilized. Those applications probably needed the dent to provide adequate clearance for the distributor and plug wires.

Jim

I think you're on the money. There is only one position these air cleaners and heat risers can be installed in order for all the "plumbing" to hook up properly, and that "relief" is nowhere near necessary for my application. So I think it's generic, like you said. If you consider all of the millions of SBC motors out there in all the different models they came in over time, our trucks probably only represent a fraction of the vehicles those same air cleaners were installed on.

[Blue/72]

My air cleaner. Same dent. Like stated by many before, It's factory.

[davepl]

Just to complicate life even further, here's my big block unit. With integrated studs that don't appear to be added by anyone. Don't know what they're for.

[leftybass209]

Yeah, that's factory all right! Mine has a funky crease as well. I also searched this page for some other air cleaners and they were all creased with a little irregularity.

[mechanicalman]

Originally Posted by tcrist

Here is a picture of one that looks like it has the same "dent", http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=...lectedIndex=10

It is supposed to give you extra clearance for the plug wires.

OK, that picture on bottom is what I would expect to see, unlike the one on top. Maybe it's an optical illusion from my perspective (blind in one eye, can't see out of the other one).

They look different, IMO. However, it may look sloppy, but it might be factory. It would be difficult to replicate that with a hammer, I'd expect it to be more beaten up. If someone did this by hand, they had to support that air cleaner just right and hold an object close to it and hit it just right once or twice just the same angle and placement of the hammer blow to make that, and another poster has shown a picture of his that arguably looks very suspiciously similar to the one in question.

I think it has to be factory, they probably just made them different from a lot of others probably because of the smaller distributor, although I ran my stock air cleaner with my HEI no problems but I expect the later ones got more clearance.

You guys got me

Lefty? Where's that picture? LOL

[68C15]

Dent? What dent? I don't see no stinkin dent. Close the hood and drive it

[slikside]

Hey guys, thanks a lot for all the responses.

I'm satisfied that it was made that way, and not "added to" by the p/c shop.

I will call them tomorrow to let them know.

'Preciate all the input!

Steve

[ho70]

I bought one here from a member and it is dented the same way. I can not vouh for it being factory or 'dealer' installed