ACDelco Charcoal Impregnated Air Filter?

[Big O Dave]

I was just over at the ACDelco website, and I was doing a parts lookup for air filters. They had two choices - a standard paper air filter and a charcoal impregnated version.

Why would I want to use a charcoal impregnated air filter for my engine? I double checked and this was not a cabin air filter. I thought that charcoal was used to absorb odors... does it provide any advantages for an engine?

The part numbers are A355C for the standard filter and A931C for the charcoal impregnated version. Both are for an '83 F250 with at 460.

Are any of you familiar with this?

 

[jason07-1zzfe]

No, that doesn't make any sense. Stick with the regular air filter.

 

[T-Keith]

I've seen some diesels with an addition foam type filter stuck to the front of the paper. I wonder if it has something to do with this.

Makes about as much sense as "triad" fibers.

 

[smthrj53]

quote:

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No, that doesn't make any sense. Stick with the regular air filter.

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I second that. I understand the main purpose of charcoal would be to reduce odor or remove microscopic amounts of volatiles. How it could do anything that would affect an engine is hard to fathom.

Maybe if the air intake smells better the engine wont be as cranky?

 

[Big O Dave]

quote:

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Originally posted by smthrj53:


Maybe if the air intake smells better the engine wont be as cranky?

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Very punny!

 

[Big O Dave]

Is there no one here who know anything about these ACDelco charcoal impregnated air filters?

Help!! I'm dying of curiosity about this!

 

[mechtech]

We used to see them in the shop years ago, on some carbureted engines.
I surmise that the carbon would absorb fuel vapors, when the engine was off, and let them be re-ingested later. Sort of like an emmissions vapor cannister does. The idea didn't last, and was probaly used trying to help with emmissions in the early state of affairs.

 

[Big O Dave]

mechtech, your answer is a LOT more plausible than the response I just received from ACDelco:

"Thank you for writing ACDelco.

We appreciate your e-mail regarding the A931C Air Filter being charcoal impregnated. The charcoal is for odors. Regular Air Filters only filter particulates; however, the charcoal impregnated Air Filters aid in filtering odors such as car exhaust, skunks, etc.

If we can assist you again please visit www.acdelco.com.

Thank you for your interest in ACDelco.
ACDelco Customer Assistance"

Why an engine would care about the odor of car exhaust or skunks, I don't know.

Holy Cow!

 

[kenw]

Internal Memo:

From: Inventory Control

To: Product Marketing Group

Hey, Joe, we've got a lot of left-over charcoal impregnated cloth from when we ordered the wrong stuff back in 73. Legal says we spec'd it, so we own it. Engineering says it's useless.

So you guys got any ideas on how to get rid of it?

 

[GT Mike]

Big O Dave,
Did you email them back and ask them why odors (or the removal of such) matter in this application?

Do they know this is an engine air filter, not a cabin air filter?

I'd like to see their reply.

 

[Big O Dave]

Mike, I assumed that when I gave them (ACDelco) the part number, and also when I made it very clear in my email that this is an engine air filter (and NOT a cabin air filter), that they would know these things.

Truly, I don't get their response.