[Narti]

Did anyone read the March 1999 issue of Hot Rod? In it is a article on a red 1970 Chevelle SS that a guy at the GM testing facility in Phoenix AZ built. He put a 502 crate motor in the car with a aluminum high rise manifold and cowl induction. I've got a 1970 with a 396 (402) and a Edelbrock Performer 2-0 intake manifold with cowl induction. The problem I'm having is making the cowl induction air cleaner fit under the hood with the high rise Edelbrock. If you look closely at the car in Hot Rod it look's like the cowl induction air cleaner is slightly shallower.Did chevy use different air cleaner's for high rise manifold's? Are there air cleaner's from other GM model's (like the GTO) that are shallower that may work? If anyone can help, i'd appreciate it! Narti

 

[DZAUTO]

Not that I am aware of. Just the one.

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[SS454JC]

Hello,

Yes, apparently there is another cowl induction air cleaner base that was designed for Corvettes, which is "lower". There was another Team Chevelle post on this very topic recently.

I will look for the post again, and believe it had the part number also. You can call the guy mentioned in the article at GM Performance parts to ask. I understand he is very helpful.

On my 70, I have a 468 with Moroso solid motor mounts (same height as stock rubber mounts). When I had the high-rise GM aluminum intake on the car, and a holley 850 4781 carb, I could get the hood closed but it was really crushing the cowl induction rubber ring. At one point I installed the new GM "clam style" motor mounts, which raised the motor slightly, and the air cleaner rubber ring was preventing the hood from closing properly.

....Joe.

 

[Narti]

Hey Joe, I posted a cowl induction cure a few day's a go but it turned out the info I got was wrong. A guy at Gm gave me a part # for a air cleaner off a Corvette L88, but it doesn't work. There might be something off a GTO ram air car that might work, those car's seem to have a similar setup as the cowl induction Chevelle's but with a shallower air cleaner base. If anyone has any info. on that I'd appreciate it! Narti

 

[Stan]

Boy, I'm confused. I had the exact problem Joe describes on my last Chevelle (cowl seal being crushed with hood closed) when I used the Edelbrock Performer RPM intake which is supposed to be about 3/4 inch taller than the Edelbrock Performer. So now, on my current Chevelle I'm rebuilding, I bought the Edelbrock Performer based upon discussions I've seen here in the past which state that I will have NO clearance problem with the regular Performer, as it is the GM-recommended replacement for the original intake.

I don't want to put the original one back on, since I just had the heads and new intake gasket matched at the machine shop (just picked the heads up two days ago).

Can someone please clarify?

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Stan Hanek
'70 SS - 396 4 sp.
[email protected]

[This message has been edited by Stan (edited 02-22-99).]

 

[Narti]

Hi everyone, well, I just got off the phone with Scott Leon. He's the guy that built the Chevelle SS that's featured in the 3/99 issue of Hot Rod mag. What he did to get the cowl induction air cleaner to work with a high rise manifold was to weld in a Corvette L88 air cleaner base unit. The L88 base has a very low drop which allow's it to sit as far down on the carb as possible. So, what you gotta do if your using anything other than a stock GM Cowl Induction "low rise" intake manifold,which is what all cowl induction big block Chevelle's used, you have to cut out the bottom of the Chevelle's cowl induction air cleaner and weld in a Corvette 1968 or 1969 L88 air cleaner base unit (still available from GM or any Corvette supplier) then mount the modified unit on your Chevelle and hope to God it fit's!!!!! Wow, I never thought changing an air cleaner could get so complicated. If anyone attempt's to try this modification, please let me know how it turn's out,see ya. Nick P. aka Narti

 

[Stan]

Nardi, thanks for your efforts - great info!

I just reviewed Edelbrock's specifications, then measured my Performer 2-0 and my original stock intake on my '70 SS. Here's what I found:

Edelbrock Performer RPM: A - 4.45", B - 6.00"
Edelbrock Performer 2-0: A - 4.30", B - 5.40"
Stock 402 intake: A - 3.90", B - 4.90"

My measurement of the Performer 2-0 differed from Edelbrock's published specs by 0.1" (greater).

So, I'm cautiously optimistic the Performer 2-0 may fit ... if not, I'll try the Corvette approach!! Nardi, please keep in touch and let me know how it goes. By the way, Edelbrock characterized the Performer 2-0 as a LOW-RISE intake.

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Stan Hanek
'70 SS - 396 4 sp.
[email protected]

 

[Dave Birdwell]

Stan- When I ran a Weiand intake on my 396, I put the air cleaner on without the spacer on the carb, and the hood closed with no problems. Looks like only a half an inch difference on the intakes you measured, though. You should be alright. The idea of using a GTO ram air air cleaner won't work. They are completely different shaped. If anything, you might be able to take a piece of plastic PVC pipe the same diameter as the carb hat, about 6 inches long, put it on the floor, and sit the air cleaner base over it. Then push the air cleaner down towards the floor, thus raising the area where the air cleaner mounts and lowering the overall height. I've never tried it, but it might work if you only need a bit more clearance.