Oil Bath Air Cleaner?

[umrebelsfan]

Continuing a thread from the parts board, several folks think this is a pic of an optional oil bath air filter. Mine looks like a hacked up one of these. Does anyone know for sure if it is? If so, where would one find a filter for it. Does it work better than a paper filter. (I know my truck was a gov't fleet truck, I suspect either armed forces or forestry department if that lends anything.) Someone said it was a K-30 option, my truck is a 1967 C-10 with a 250.

[Scrub]

You don't need a filter, just wash it up with gas or solvent and put more clean oil in up to the line. I always thought the oil bath filters were great. I had a 72 with one and really liked it.

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Scrub
70 GMC 1,000,000 + miles
72 K-20 project, 456 Dana60 front, Corp14 rear w/locker, 265R19.5 tires 20-ply. Warn 12k winches both ends, Cross-over steering with raised tie-rod, Powerbox steering, 4500 watt 120-AC power, Air, Hydraulic aux power, 4 inch lift, 5000 lb air-bags both ends.

[umrebelsfan]

The descriptions I have seen talk about wire mesh in them, does this sound right?

[O'l Buck]

When I went to tech school, to work on big trucks, they told us the oil bath filters are not as good as paper, and besides that, they tend to be kinda messy. If it was mine, I'd throw it in the iron pile and go get a nice paper element breather, unless you really want to keep it original, then the element just needs to be cleaned, we've always just used gasoline to clean them, and then clean out the breather, and refil to the line with clean motor oil, we use 30wt in the old tractors.

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Ol' Buck: '72 Chevy 1/2T 4x4 shortbox stepside 350/350auto on '84
ralleys and 31/10.5s

Angel girl: 67 Cutlass convertible
330, 3spd stick

Greener: 90 GMC Jimmy
350/auto
Chad Stephens
Orleans,NE

no name yet: 72 442 under serious construction

[Yukon Jack]

Here's a pic of my oil bath breather on my 307. Figure I will change to a regular element when I change carbs or engine someday. I've heard they actually filter the air well but they sure seem like they would be more restrictive than a paper element.



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1969 C20 4x4 with roughly 6" lift and 35's
residing near Rose Hill, Kansas

Yukon Jack's Web Pages




[This message has been edited by Yukon Jack (edited April 18, 2002).]

[slam33]

Paper filters flow better, no restrictions. Yes they did use a wire mesh screen in some of them, usually over the carb. I have one for a 2 barrel on a 327. I hope the kid cleaned it up and put it away.

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71 basic C-10 350. The only option is the rust.No nothing on it, but thats all about to change. <A HREF="http://www.geocities.com/stevemau/slam33page.html?1004806705410

" TARGET=_blank>http://www.geocities.com/stevemau/slam33page.html?1004806705410

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[Erl]

When I was about 10 and working on minibikes my dad brought a man over for me to meet. He had been washing parts with gasoline (just like me) in an open field. The gas ignited and burned him severely, I could hardly look at him, his face was melted. NEVER wash parts with gasoline. Use diesel fuel, if that is all you can afford.

[truckster]

The military still uses oil bath filters for some applications. They excel at filtering very fine particulates, dust that passes through an ordinary paper filter. Unless you're operating in an extremely dusty environment, or you like the nostalgia, a paper element is much easier to deal with. A good compromise is something like a K&N filter, which is less restrictive but still uses oil to trap particulates.

[Fast68Chevy]

oil attracts dirt alot better than paper does, oil type is way more effective, but more expensive. common sense regarding the dirt and oil info

K30 is the option code, not the model of truck, its ansd RPO code just like A11 or G50 or LS9
K30- oil bath cleaner option

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Randy- Lincoln, IL
r68c30@hotmail.com
-71 C-10 350/CH465/3.07
-84 Z28 Camaro 5.0L 700R4, 3.73
-84 Firebird SE 2.8L T-5
-82 Firebird 350 4bolt (TBL)/TH350
buy/sell/hoard/trade most any GM vehicle parts of any kind
-parting out: '81 Cutlass Supreme Brougham
*Paint is overrated
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[umrebelsfan]

Thanks Randy. That is kind of what my research is showing. Oil cleaners are more restrictive but trap alot, paper are easier to deal with and less restrictive according to what I have found.

Doesn't make alot of sense to me that oil filters are more restrictive unless it has something to do with the offset design.

I'm now all but certain my truck spent some time in the army. My option plate is metal (wish I could find it in my junk) and mentioned GAO or something leading me to believe it was a gov't mule.

Brad

[Longhorn Man]

truckster...

The military still uses oil bath filters for some applications.

What vehicles you refering to? Even the old M-35 (duce and a half) has paper filters, and teh only thing older than that is the M-88 Full track med recovery vehicle, and it has 2 paper filters.

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'69 G.M.C. 350/350. Trying to clean up the left over damage from the Dope-Smokin-Old-Man
I've been dubbed the Longhorn Freak/Fanatic/Expert, I just hope I can live up to it.
FINALLY got the HORNIAC...a '70 one ton Longhorn with a Pontiac 350/350 and lots of 'personality'. Check out The Longhorn Webite.
If you need a pic posted, E-mail me at longhornmail@yahoo.com
Andy, in Columbus Ohio

[don t. - 72gmc]

FWIW....my 2n tractor has an oil bath air filter. The only time i've had problems was when the condensation was high and then froze. Wouldn't pull a puff. But hey, its only (+/-) 23 h.p.