Joined: Dec 28, 2017 Posts: 194 Location: Salamanca,NY
Posted: Thu Jul 26, 2018 11:21 am Post subject: m38a1 air filter
I disassembled my oil bath air cleaner and the retainer assembly was full of what looked to be steel wool mixed with nut shells so I assumed something had got in there and built a nest but then I got to wondering if that material is supposed to be in there.
Not the nut shells, LOL. the filter is fibrous and relies on being oil soaked, but not clogged.
Oil bath air cleaners are junk, plain and simple. They cannot come close to the particulate size filtration that oil/gauze or dry paper can do.
Ive gutted every one of my military oil bath air cleaners and modified them to run a K&N style oil gauze filter. You can't tell looking at the air cleaner that it has been modified, but gone is the mess and hassle of cleaning the old one. _________________ '52 Dodge M37, '42 GPW, '48 FrankenJeep CJ2A/M38, '50 CJV-35(U), '51 M38, '42 WC-57 Command Car, '44 WC-51 Weapons , (2) M1941 Sperry 60" Anti-Aircraft Searchlights, John Deere M-gator, '44 White M3A1 Scout Car
In a nut shell (sorry, couldn't resist!). I gutted the upper portion of that thing that contains the horse hair or whatever. It takes a little patients as there were some spot welds to remove and you don't want any evidence of the mischief going on inside.
Then I fabbed up a flat plate that fit up in the top piece. Opened a hole in that accepted a sheet metal tube sized to accept a K&N cone shaped filter onto it.
I went a bit overboard and made another round plate with the big hole in it. It has pem nuts (captive) pressed into it. It in turn is fastened up into the upper filter house with structural adhesive (steel reinforced). The you mount the K&N to the plate with the tube using a large hose clamp. Then screw that assembly to the plate up inside the A/C.
Hope that makes sense? _________________ '52 Dodge M37, '42 GPW, '48 FrankenJeep CJ2A/M38, '50 CJV-35(U), '51 M38, '42 WC-57 Command Car, '44 WC-51 Weapons , (2) M1941 Sperry 60" Anti-Aircraft Searchlights, John Deere M-gator, '44 White M3A1 Scout Car
To me this is precisely why they are not the best choice, the maintenace and servicing is a pain in the rear . That and add the mess, the weight and the waste you have to get rid of every (often) filter service.
Maybe there are still some suitable applications, but they are not common any more. _________________ '52 Dodge M37, '42 GPW, '48 FrankenJeep CJ2A/M38, '50 CJV-35(U), '51 M38, '42 WC-57 Command Car, '44 WC-51 Weapons , (2) M1941 Sperry 60" Anti-Aircraft Searchlights, John Deere M-gator, '44 White M3A1 Scout Car
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