Bob's Studebaker Resource Website


Studebaker - Old style carb Air cleaner to newer AFB or R1 AFB to a late AFB


Old air cleaner (WCFB) to a new AFB Carburetor....


If you use a "Mr. Gasket" #2082,

the weight of you original air cleaner will cause the adpter to fail with the engine bay temps.


Apr 2007
////I recently installed an Edelbrock 500cfm kit on a Jeff Rice intake manifold on my 1962 Champ 259. I would like to retain the stock look of the air cleaner, that is, black banjo style. I need one that would fit the 5 1/8" horn on the carb. I wondered if anyone had any ideas of what might fit. Colin////////////

I don't think anyone makes an adapter to put a 4 7/32 inch hole air cleaner onto a 5 1/8 inch carb. air horn. I have the adapter in stock to go the other way though. (a newer air cleaner onto a WCFB) thanks,
Jerry Forrester

Do you have an old AFB? You could put the top of your old AFB on but use the rods and springs from your new Edelbrock. Yes they are pretty much that interchangeable. Might have to get creative with the choke but everything else should be a direct swap.

nate

I cut the bottom out of the air cleaner, made the hole a lot bigger, then the machine shop that does my brake brackets made up a flat plate, and welded a "pipe" (for no better word) to the plate, the "pipe" is the same diameter as the throat of the AFB. Then I used some panel adhesive and glued it together, I should have done it out of aluminum, as my air cleaner probably weighs 10 lbs!
I have some pictures around here somewhere, Once I find them I can e mail them to who ever is interested, as I'd probably make them too big.

Jim

Forgot to add, I also drilled several 7/8" holes in the bottom outer edge to allow more air flow, the air is still filtered, and no ones the wiser, OK, until now.

Jim

if you cant find anything suitable another option is to modify your original air cleaner to fit the new carb.with some careful measuring and cutting you can graft the right size opening onto your original air cleaner.go to a pick and pull type junkyard and find a suitable size air cleaner. it doesnt matter what it looks like -only that it is metal and has the right size hole. cut the bottom of the donor air cleaner out so you can trim and fit the opening onto your original air cleaner. leave enough for some overlap. you will cut out a portion around the opening of your original air cleaner that you can weld or braze in the piece with the proper size opening. do not cut where the air filter sits only inside where the opening is.that way you can still use an original filter . i guess that pop rivets and jb weld would work if you dont weld or braze.

Homer stude59lark@hotmail.com

(R1) I put an Edelbrock carburetor on my R1 Avanti and had the same problem. The fix was easy. I went to a parts store that carried Edelbrock air cleaners and found that if I used the larger Edelbrock air cleaner base I could use the stock air filter and the the original air cleaner cover. When it is on the car it looks stock. Let me know if it works for you!

(WCFB Air cleaner to an AFB) This is made from steel, so if you're handy, get a couple lengths of quarter or half inch flat stock (1/8" or less thickness) at Home Depot. Measuring at the center of each air horn gasket, the AFB circumference is 16.75" and the WCFB is 14.0"(*). This has to be the inside diameter of the adapter. Cut the lengths, fashion them into a circle and silver solder the ends. You can use thin steel sheet for the filler between the 2 circles and solder that also. This isn't a hard job or a precision one, just a bit tedious. I pretty'd mine up with an old body filler, called all-metal, then painted it and covered the edges in fabric tape to seal it.

BobJ

(*) Note: The measurements involved in this adapter are
WCFB: 4 7/32 = 13.25" Air horn diameter (land for the oil bath air cleaner)
AFB : 5 1/8 = 16.10" Air horn diameter
This is the SPECIFIC diameter. You have to make the adapter fit on the land, OVER the air horn and under the lip of the air cleaner. So the diameter of the adapter (afb side) has to be a bit larger. The side going into the air cleaner has to be a bit smaller. Adding 5/8" or 3/4" to the lower piece will make the adapter fit correctly. Subtracting 1/2" on the air cleaner side will be suitable for the fit there.
./RJ

Jim Bradley

I also installed a 500 Edelbrock on a Jeff Rice manifold on my 259. To keep the air cleaner somewhat original, I made a 12 ga. steel ring to suit the carb diameter. I made the ring high enough so that the 2-bbl air cleaner cleared the carb when it was set on the ring. I welded the ring to the bottom of the housing and then cut out the housing bottom to meet the ring. The joint was sealed air-tight by pouring epoxy into the "V" where the ring meets the housing. Before welding the ring, I added holes at the inside of the bottom of the housing to add air intake area.