First Time Cleaning Oil Bath

[ChrisMinelli]

First time cleaning my air filter.  Can somebody give me some confirmation I’m doing it right?  Old oil drained and sludge cleaned out.  The top filter element is soaking in mineral spirits over night and tomorrow morning I’ll let it air dry and reassemble with SAE 30.
 

Is that right?  The mineral spirits is what is throwing me off.  The manual says kerosene but I don’t have any. 

[ChrisMinelli]

Also — the gasket that was around the center hole in the base crumbled in my hands.  Is it necessary or can I leave it off?  Thanks in advance.  

[MarcDeSoto]

Mineral spirits is OK.  Shop manual says to use 50W oil.  You need a new gasket.  Buy or make one.  

 

[Andydodge]

The top element with the oil soaked wire can be cleaned with basically any solvent that will loosen or dissolve the oil........a good soak with turps,kerosene etc or even just normal degreaser then wash out and let dry thoroughly then inpregnate with oil.........thats what I was told to do by an old time mechanic when I 1st got the Dodge in 1971........installation of the 318 Poly,Holley carb & new air cleaner solved this issue.................lol..................andyd 

[DJK]

8 hours ago, ChrisMinelli said:

Also — the gasket that was around the center hole in the base crumbled in my hands.  Is it necessary or can I leave it off?  Thanks in advance.  

Does anyone has some specs/dimensions on this gasket, I know mine is missing? 

[Tom Skinner]

Chris,

It looks like you - I hope still have the Rubber Gasket in the picture?

Take it to an Auto store and or Hardware Store and try your best to match it.

My 1948 Chrysler doesn't seem to have one (although yours and my housing look the same) or I would measure I.D. and O.D. for you.

Good Luck

Tom

[RobertKB]

The gasket should be used. It's probably not as important now as when these cars were new and there were a lot of gravel roads. The gasket prevents any dusty air being sucked directly into the carburetor. It also makes the air filter fit more snugly. I used an old inner tube and and a deteriorated gasket as a template. Worked great.

[JBNeal]

Get yourself a can of Pringles..."dispose" of the contents...take the plastic lid and a ball point pen...set the lid over your carburetor opening...apply downward pressure to the lid perimeter by holding with the kung-fu grip...firmly trace the desired inner diameter to cut with a sharp utility knife...trim the desired outer diameter...if'n ya don't like the results, get yourself another can of Pringles and try again

[Frank Elder]

Whattaya do with the pringles?........lol.

[plymouthcranbrook]

2 hours ago, Frank Elder said:

Whattaya do with the pringles?........lol.

The dogs?  Ours prefer Ruffles but some are not as fussy.

Edited March 14, 2021 by plymouthcranbrook

[ChrisMinelli]

I used the old gasket for now.  It is made of cork from what I can tell.  I’m going to pick up a single sheet of cork material from Hobby Lobby on Monday and make me a new one.  This one lasted for 50+ years and I imagine mine will last as long.  
 

you would not BELIEVE the stuff that came out of that wire mesh during its overnight soak.  These things work very very well.  

[Tom Skinner]

Chris,

Glad to hear you will make one. That is what differentiates us (P-15, D-24, or Chrysler, Desoto) folks on this Thread.

We are the mechanics that keep these beasts rolling.

Tom

[Frank Elder]

2 hours ago, plymouthcranbrook said:

The dogs?  Ours prefer Ruffles but some are not as fussy.

I feed ‘em to the grandbabies then I teach them how to stomp the tube and make it go ? boom, just too dad blasted salty for me....those and no more fritos.

[Frank Elder]

2 hours ago, ChrisMinelli said:

I used the old gasket for now.  It is made of cork from what I can tell.  I’m going to pick up a single sheet of cork material from Hobby Lobby on Monday and make me a new one.  This one lasted for 50+ years and I imagine mine will last as long.  
 

you would not BELIEVE the stuff that came out of that wire mesh during its overnight soak.  These things work very very well.  

I wonder how that rubber impregnated cork gasket that they use for valve covers would work??

[Frank Elder]

I’ll bet berrymans carb cleaner would do the job.

[Happy 46R]

I am just saying that the tray the air cleaner is soaking in looks like it came out of someone's refrigerator?????? Hope no one gets into trouble for that! I just received my original oil bath air cleaner in the mail today as I am a purist for my Club Coupe and wanted to get away from the pleated paper filter and back to the original. Found one through the classifieds on P15-D24. I am glad I read this thread as the conversion in my car currently doesn't have a gasket and I certainly don't remember if the car I had as a kid had one either but that said off to IGA to buy Pringles! Have a great weekend.  

[Eneto-55]

I soaked mine in the degreaser (Caustic Soda, I think it was) that we used as a first wash in the plating shop where I worked, and the fiber stuff in there (horse hair, someone said?) completely disintegrated.  I opened up the crimped rim to put something back in there, but then the car has set in storage ever since.  I was thinking that I had another oil bath, but I either didn't remember right, or it was lost over the years.  Just saying that I wouldn't suggest using anything that isn't oil based.

[JBNeal]

On 3/14/2021 at 6:31 PM, Frank Elder said:

I feed ‘em to the grandbabies then I teach them how to stomp the tube and make it go ? boom, just too dad blasted salty for me....those and no more fritos.

https://www.pringles.com/us/products/lighter-side/lightly-salted.html

https://www.fritolay.com/products/fritos-lightly-salted-corn-chips