That Mustang cleaner must have different snorkels. Both of my 351HO snorkels and the two standard snorkels are the same length. Anyway, several months ago I mocked up the air cleaner and put it on Rusty and everything cleared. But, I didn't think to do that today after I actually drilled holes and committed to that location for the snorkel, so I'd better try it tomorrow.

And, I may have to follow your lead on the PCV valve/breather cap location. The mockup uses the Edelbrock intake and carb, but I'm going with a Weiand intake and haven't settled on the carb. So, I may or may not have more clearance between the snorkels and the tall valve covers, and that driver's side snorkel goes right over the breather location. But, I could add the 1" spacer for the carb like you did.

As for the push-in breather falling out, I'll think about modifying the valve cover to take a screw-in breather. But I like these covers so want to figure out a way to use them. Thanks for the tip.

 

You will have to use a TALL carburetor spacer, or else you can't fit the PCV valve in your driver's side valve cover. The PCV valve is at least 2" tall.

And that was another problem I found with the aftermarket valve covers: the holes for the oil breather cap and PCV valve are located further away from the ends of the valve cover than the stock Ford valve covers. Stock Ford "screw-in" style covers had the holes right at the ends, which allows room for the PCV valve up front to stick up and clear without being under the driver's side snorkel.

 

Fonzie - Just so it doesn't get buried and missed, I have a few questions. Would you measure your snorkels as well as either take some pics of your air cleaner and snorkels or point me to them if you have the already.

On the snorkels, here's what I'm looking for:

• Top Length: I get 10 13/16" for both the HO and the standard unit
• Bottom Length: HO = 10 1/4" and standard = 10 5/8".
• Outboard Opening: Both HO & standard are 2 1/4" x 3 1/2"
• Screw Holes C/C: Both HO & standard are 5 1/2"
• Direction of angle: Do both snorkels angle the same way as they leave the cleaner base, or are they reversed from each other.

The difference between the top and bottom length measurements indicates how much drop the snorkel has. You can see that the HO has more drop than the standard one as the top/bottom difference is 9/16" vs 3/16" on the standard unit. Here's a pic of the bottom of the HO snorkel, in black, vs the standard unit. You can see the differences where the arrows are:




And the reason for all of those questions, y'all, is that the mocked-up air cleaner doesn't fit too nicely in Rusty. Here's a shot of it with two HO snorkels, and you can easily see both the different angle the two snorkels make as well as that the driver's side snorkel hits the A/C compressor and its plumbing:




Here's one with a standard snorkel on the driver's side. Better, but not good as it still hits the A/C compressor:




And here's one with an HO snorkel on the driver's side, but upside down to reverse the angle. Much better.




And here's a closeup of the A/C compressor, plumbing, and end of the reversed snorkel:




Bottom Line: Either I need to reverse the adapter that fits in the snorkel by drilling out the spot welds, as shown in the first pic, or I need to find different snorkels that have different angles. HELP!

 

Well, Fonzie may be off the hook for supplying the dimensions, but I'd still be interested. I say that because I believe I had a breakthrough today.

First, I drilled the spot welds out on one of the HO snorkels:




Then I cut a slot on the other side for the ridge to go in, slid it together, and held it with a few sheetmetal screws:




I put that one on the driver's side, a standard HO snorkel on the passenger's side, and it fit on Rusty with a bit of room to spare:




Then I put it on the mocked-up engine, but you are going to have to go to Dad's Engine Build to see that.

 

Sorry, Gary. I was away for Easter, and am now at work. I will measure the snorkels and/or take a picture when I get home this evening, if needed.

I am using a bone stock 1985 Mustang GT 5.0 H.O. air cleaner assembly. BUT the 1983 - 1986 302/5.0 F-Series engine uses a completely different style of A/C compressor, hoses, and mounting bracket that mounts the compressor higher up and closer to the engine and the hoses are tighter to the compressor. This allows room for the driver's side snorkel without any modification.

 

I'm not sure it is needed, but it might be helpful. So, if you get a chance please measure the snorkels - and maybe the distance between where they come off of the base as I'd like to know the angle between the snorkels.

Yes, the 82 and later trucks used a round compressor that mounted differently, which would alter the dimensions needed for the cleaner. But since the demise of the M/400 coincided with the introduction of that compressor I'm not sure there are brackets for it that would work on this engine. So my plan has been to stay with the big square compressor. However, I will look in my stash to see if I have the W style brackets as that might be interesting. In fact, it could be helpful since one change I've been planning is to go with the later style hose from the compressor to receiver/dryer that goes back to the firewall. I've always disliked the haphazard way the earlier hose runs, right through the middle of everything, and had planned to go with the other style hose - which works with the later compressor. Hmmmm!

 

Gary, I see where the A/C compressor clearance difference is.

From your pictures, it looks like you are using a stock "5.8L H.O." style air cleaner but you modified the base to accept the driver's side snorkel. You spaced the snorkels evenly from the center of the recessed area where the plastic cover is on the air cleaner base to clear the distributor. And that is the problem. The stock 1983 - 1985 Mustang GT "5.0L H.O." twin snorkel air cleaner had the snorkels spaced further away from the center AND offset. In other words, the driver's side snorkel is spaced further away from the center of the air cleaner base than the passenger's side snorkel, making the snorkels asymetrical and allowing more room to clear the A/C compressor.

Below is an older picture of my engine bay with a stock 1985 Mustang GT air cleaner before I swapped the oil breather cap and PCV valve locations on the valve covers (the Mustang air cleaner located the hole for the small breather cap filter at the back of the air cleaner base on the passenger's side) and before I mounted the A/C compressor, but you can see the asymetrical difference in the snorkel locations:

 

Fonzie - I think you've nailed it. I can see that yours has more distance between the rivet for the plastic shield and screw for the passenger's side snorkel than my stock HO base has. And, I can see that there is more space on the driver's side than on the passenger's side on yours, whereas I made mine the same. So, yours are both splayed further than mine are and are asymmetrical whereas mine are symmetrical.

But, I don't know that it is a problem, for several reasons. First, if the shoe fits..... Second, I really haven't fully modified the base as all I did was drill two holes to hold the driver's side snorkel on. I still have to cut the hole out to allow air into the base. But, I intend to cut up an extra base I have to use the existing formed outlet from the passenger's side as a reinforcement on the driver's side, which would mean I can still rotate it a bit further if I want.

However, I'd be interested in how your snorkels angle from the base. Do they angle at all or did Ford use two of the standard snorkels with no angle and less droop? Or, if they angle do both go the same way or do they angle opposite ways, like mine now do? I'm looking to see what my options are in factory snorkels.

And, I really like your engine compartment. Do you have other shots showing the view from the sides? Thanks for the help!

 

Almost sound like a dirty old man there, Gary.

 

I'm the dirty old man??? I'm not the one that thought of that. I'll admit to being a man, and an old one at that, and frequently greasy if not dirty. But, not in that context.

 

I had a long conversation with my brother yesterday regarding colors for the engine and accessories. I'll detail that in the Dad's Engine thread, but one part of that discussion revolved around the air cleaner. He suggested that I make the base of the air cleaner, as well as the snorkels and top, a natural aluminum. His thinking is that there's going to be plenty of black in fender liners, pulleys, etc so I need to lighten it up.

But, that made me think of an option I'd not thought of before - a dual snorkel using the standard aluminum base. I don't know what I think about that, but decided to mock it up and see what I thought. So, here are shots of both air cleaners from the same side.

Please let me know what you think. Is there any advantage to one over the other in looks?

 

I like the "old school" polished aluminum top with black base and snorkles.

 

Actually, the question was which base/top combo as either might be done in black/polished - although I'm not sure the standard top will polish nicely.

But, I do appreciate the response.

 

The older looking [base?] one actually appears to be in better condition, even though the polished top on the other one looks far better.

 

Looks are very deceiving. The standard aluminum base is cracked beyond use - although it was on Dad's truck when I got it. Apparently Ford expected people to run the heat tube to the end of the snorkel as w/o it the end vibes up and down, which eventually breaks the sides. But, I will say the small aluminum base is much lighter. The big HO base is steel and it is much, much heavier.

But, I don't see a preference in your response. Or, did I miss it?