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By famdoc3 - 13 Years Ago
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what are the dimensions of the air cleaner? What are you guys using in your T'birds as a replacement?
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By Oldmics - 13 Years Ago
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Which one ? The round one or the early oval style? Oldmics
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By yalincoln - 13 Years Ago
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they're repoping both of them.
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By bird55 - 13 Years Ago
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I suspect this question is about the Element NOT the actual metal aircleaner?
Any response famdoc3?
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By NoShortcuts - 13 Years Ago
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famdoc3 (1/20/2012)
what are the dimensions of the air cleaner? What are you guys using in your T'birds as a replacement?
What follows is the back-and-forth between gritsngumbo and Rono last year regarding an air cleaner assembly that would work on an Edelbrock 257 (2x4) manifold with Holley 4000 teapot carburetors. Oldmics was involved in this discussion as well.
gritsngumbo (8/28/2011)
Bought a nice Edelbrock 257 dual quad manifold with two "identical" teapot carbs (Holley 4000). Not sure if I want to keep the teapots or not… but the availability of vintage or vintage-style air cleaners for the teapots may ultimately be the deciding factor.
Anyone know of anything out there that will fit, work well and look good?
gritsngumbo (8/28/2011)
[quote]Oldmics (8/28/2011)
I've yet to find one's that will fit the carbs and are tall enough to clear the top of the teapots (about 4") The center-to-center carb spacing on the 257 is 7 ¼”. It’s my understanding that the spacing on the E-code manifold is 7 3/8”. I have found a couple of the long one's for dual quads that supposedly are adjustable, but are not tall enough to clear.
Rono (8/28/2011)
Gerald; Mooneyes makes a nice, billet aluminum air cleaner for dual quads and I bought one for my Edlebrock #257 because it was a good match with my valve covers. It wasn't cheap though...think I paid >$200 for it.  Rono
gritsngumbo (8/28/2011)
Looks fantastic, but will it fit over the Holley Teapots? Do you have teapots? Looks like you might have some other carbs on there.
Edit: Just looked it up and it says that it's 4" tall, so it might work. $275 now!
Rono (8/29/2011)
I am running Edlebrock #1404's manual choke carbs (chokes wired open). The air cleaner uses a unique, adjustable mounting system and only 1 bolt in a recessed hole in the top cover. It comes with the K&N filter. It's a very neat, clean set-up (I think). I have only about 1/2" clearance between the firewall and the top cover of the air cleaner, but it hasn't caused me any problems.
Rono
With the T-Bird hood clearance issue and the carburetors mounted backwards, I do not know if this Mooneyes unit will work on the ‘Bird…
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By NoShortcuts - 13 Years Ago
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famdoc3 (1/20/2012)
what are the dimensions of the air cleaner? What are you guys using in your T'birds as a replacement?
An air cleaner housing for the dual quad set-up on the ’55 – ’57 ‘Bird is a head scratcher for me. The clearance between the front Holley 4000 carb. and the hood forced the factory to install the carburetors backwards from how the single teapot was mounted on both the ’55 and ’56 ‘Birds and passenger cars, and the dual quad ’57 passenger cars!
The factory mounting of the dual carbs. backwards on the ’57 ‘Bird required different throttle linkage components, fuel lines, and even a different air cleaner housing (upper housing height and dome heights are different; and therefore the air filter element height is also different) than the ’57 dual quad passenger car set-up! Can you imagine the tooling cost to Ford for doing that?!? 
A Forum member has shared with me the cost of used and reproduction air cleaner assemblies for the ‘Bird and I’m uncomfortable paying anything close to those figures! I’m working on a draft design that utilizes a 1/4 inch flat aluminum plate for an oval base piece, and a top piece that would be cnc machined from 1/2 inch aluminum plate. The top plate would be patterned after the '62 Ford 'M' Thunderbird 3x2 air cleaner top (oval perimeter shape) with two spun aluminum domes shaped like the ones on the ’57 air cleaner unit rising out of cut-outs in the top plate to accommodate the Holley 4000 carburetors. I am unsure how I’m going to secure the two domes to the top plate at this writing. Perhaps a beaded flange on the bottom of each dome that is TIG welded (four tacks each) to the underside of the top aluminum plate.
While this design will be termed 'aftermarket', it is intended to be functional, and complementary to the original Thunderbird cast aluminum valve covers. The sizing of this air cleaner housing is intended to fit the hood clearance of a '55 - '57 Thunderbird and to use the same oval air filter element used in a reproduction unit I was able to borrow from an acquaintance. The air filter element air intake surface would be visible as on the '62 390 and 406 3x2 engines.
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By famdoc3 - 13 Years Ago
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I was interested in the element for the big round double breasted stock air cleaner. I have been using the element for 2x4 barrel Buick and Cadillacs from the 60's which are still available at a reasonable price but they are 2"s high and clarence is tight., and you have to trim some of the rubber from the base. The air cleaner just touches the hood. I think the original T'bird part was 1 1/2". Thanks for the help. MIKE
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By Hoosier Hurricane - 13 Years Ago
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Mike: Most paper catalogs at parts stores have filters listed by dimensions in the back of the book. You already know ID and OD, so you can look at what heights are available. The info is probably in their computers also, if you can find a counterman that can look it up.
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By slumlord444 - 13 Years Ago
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The element I have been using is 2 1/16" tall and 17 1/4" in diamater. It is a Fram that I think is for a Pontiac Tri Power from the late '50's or early '60's. Will see if I can find the box for a Fram #. Have to trim the circumfrence slightly to fit. If you have a clearance problem you may have the wrong spacer under the carbs. The '56 Ford single 4 used a 3/8" or 1/2" spacer. The dual quads used a 1/8" aluminum spacer.
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By NoShortcuts - 13 Years Ago
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Hi, Mike.
Let me try to be of more help this time. -I went off in the woods on my two earlier entries! 
Dan Evans, 1955-57 on eBay, has two N.O.S. '57 'Bird dual quad air filter elements listed as available.
Item number: 380400747025 He's asking $49.99 each... Not cheap, but...
Hope this helps! 
Regards,
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By DualQuad312 - 13 Years Ago
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Hi, I, saw your question and I thought I could be of assistence....I bought two replacement air filters of that correct size from summit racing...If I remeber correctly it cost me less then $30.00 with shipping for both...Heres the adress and phone # 1200 southeast ave. tallmadge OH 44278, USA www.summitracing .com 1-800-230-3030.... the part # is AF26 Jeff
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By DualQuad312 - 13 Years Ago
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Hi...this is a messge for John, In regards to the two differant air filter assys. The Pass. type e-code air filters where higher then the t-birds....you probably know this I just wasn't sure..? I know someone who makes a wooden spacer to put under the metal air cleaner to make up the diff. Basically you are using a t-bird type air filter on a pssenger car air cleaner assy. The guy who made this wooden spacer is up in NY....If you are interested in dimensions or more info let me know.....You can buy the repl. air filters from summit racing AF26 is the part# there pretty cheap....Lookthem up on line....www.summitracing.com Best Regards, Jeff
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By NoShortcuts - 13 Years Ago
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I slept on Dan Evans' eBay listing of an air filter element for the '57 dual quad T'Bird. Per Dan, the original Ford part number was B7S 9601 B
I used the Ford part number Dan listed to cross reference with other air filter manufacturers. The following numbers are what I found listed on their Internet sites... which hopefully means the air filters are still available!
Hastings No. AF127
Fram No. CA114
Purolator No. A50080
Wix No. 42063
AC Delco No. nothing available
IF you've got an original '57 'Bird dual quad air cleaner housing, I'd consider buying a couple of replacement air filters to go with your set-up. The original application now being 55 years old, and not sure that it fits anything else, the replacement air filters may not be available forever going forward!
Jeff is correct, the '57 passenger car dual quad air cleaner housing is different (shorter domes, taller upper housing) and correspondingly used a taller air filter element!
Hope this helps!
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By famdoc3 - 13 Years Ago
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Thanks to all of you. These are all 2 1/4" and I believe the originals for the T'bird are 1 1/2". OD's are the same as are the thicknesses so all and all just shorter leaving more hood clearance. I have used the Wix and am currently using the hastings part numbers above and was hoping for something a little shorter. MIKE
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By slumlord444 - 13 Years Ago
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The Fram I am using in my '57 Bird is 2 1/16 high and fits fine. Matched the original that was in it when I bouth the aire cleaner back in the '70's. While we are on this subject, does anyone know the correct paint color for the T-Bird dual quad air cleanr base? The top is Argent Silver and when I went to strip the base today I found a nice metalic gold that sort of looks familiar. Need a paint color and source to match it.
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