Cobra air cleaner

[rvrtrash]

I just bought a used open letter Cobra air cleaner. The guy had painted it red and I got it for $40.00 . A little beadblasting and paint and it looks right again. I didn't get the bracket that holds the base to the carb though and Ford doesn't have one, or even a picture. My base is for the single 4V and the top has two wing nuts, like for a dual quad. Does someone have the same thing that can post a pic of the bracket so I can fab one up?

Steve

(Now all I need is a hot deal on the valve covers. "Stock" is drifting further away.)

 

[case12]

The brace is an upside down "U" with a whole drilled in the middle of the bottom of the "U". It is about 1 inch wide. Without the top on, you mount the upside down "U" brace over the center screw for an typical air cleaner of your carb. That holds the bottom in place, then you screw the top to the bottom with the wing nuts. The "U" brace is notorious for not holding the bottom aligned straight left-to-right (ie, open the hood and the oval cleaner has twisted to the left or right a smidge). Some shops try techniques (tack welding, thickening the brack at the top, etc) to improve it, but the cleaner still moves around. I just open the hood at car shows, straighten it quickly and forget about trying to get it to stay in one place - it only moves slightly, but oval vs. round shows off misalignment more. Hope this helps without a pic. Casey

 

[Mustanger]

Steve,
Check it out:

http://www.cobranda.com/inhakitforov.html

:thumb:

 

[Mustanger]

... and Ford doesn't have one, or even a picture. My base is for the single 4V and the top has two wing nuts, like for a dual quad. ...

If you check out the Cobra oval air cleaner that Ford Racing currently sells you'll see that it has been changed to a single wing-nut center mounted configuration ... this is probably why they don't have the U-shaped bracket hardware that the original style had ...

 

[case12]

Steve,
Check it out:

http://www.cobranda.com/inhakitforov.html

:thumb:

You have it. That is the bracket. My shop welded an extra brace across the top to "strenghthen" it, since as you tighten it down, it obviously begins to bend.

There is some story behind the two wing nut vs one wing nut versions. I prefer the two wing nut version as it was the original intent, but as far back as the 60's there were conversions to one wing nut with instuctions on how to drill the hole and fill in the other two holes. To each their own.....

Casey

 

[Mosesatm]

Does anyone have a source for the filters? I recently bought some from Mustang Plus. Couldn't find any at the local auto parts stores.

 

[rvrtrash]

Thanks all. I can make that bracket in 10 minutes. As for it moving, I wonder if a thin rubber gasket between the air cleaner and carb. would keep it aligned? Arlie, my Tiger has an AC oval air cleaner and I used a K&N round filter and "deformed" it to fit. I figured I'd do the same with this one.

Steve

 

[Mustanger]

Thanks all. I can make that bracket in 10 minutes. As for it moving, I wonder if a thin rubber gasket between the air cleaner and carb. would keep it aligned? Arlie, my Tiger has an AC oval air cleaner and I used a K&N round filter and "deformed" it to fit. I figured I'd do the same with this one.

Steve

Actually, I think K&N makes an oval air filter ... I remember reading some Shelby/Cobra discussion board about it ... it may have been a little taller than stock height, though (3" vs 1.75"??). The height increase can sometimes present a hood clearance issue, but it also does increase the air flow and performance on the carb :thumb: ...

 

[case12]

Filters - Branda has them, but they are period correct and I think expensive. He likely has the inexpensive ones too. Many of my other mustang part sources have them. Usually $35ish.

Rubber Gasket - good idea. I dont have that, mostly because I dont have the clearance. Depends on the application.

Casey