How Important IS Air Filter

[Black Bart]

I have a friend that built a radical custom car and powered it with a 383 mopar.
This car has been running for 35 years with no air filter just velocity stacks out though the hood.
In 35 years he has put 284000 miles on it and it don't use oil and runs perfect.
So how important do you think an air filter really is

 

[Dr_No]

He has dirty dirty dirty oil.
Wrong forum.

 

[ARB1977]

I wouldnt do it although i would to a uoa to back up those claims.

 

[lazaro]

10,000 gallons of air moves through a engine like a 383 when one gallon of gas is burned, your buddies silicone sample should be in the 3 digit range, maybe 4 digit?
if ring seal and valve seat longevity is imoprtant then a air filter is the best way to keep the engine alive.
so 284,000 miles and what is his OCI? dont use oil eh?
guess it hasn't had an oil change in 35 years either

 

[simple_gifts]

One data point?

 

[Gary Allan]

Well, the odd thing isn't the velocity stacks poking out the hood with no air cleaner. It's that he never had to refresh a muscle car engine in 35 years/280k miles. It's very unlikely that he went to the trouble to setup the engine that way to putt-putt across town. So, I'd say that we can figure that he surely hammered it a bit ..and probably more earlier on in it's life. That mileage is commuter mileage for someone who lives close enough to work over the same time span. The thing should be rusted junk with that mileage on it.

 

[Black Bart]

Quote:

---

Well, the odd thing isn't the velocity stacks poking out the hood with no air cleaner. It's that he never had to refresh a muscle car engine in 35 years/280k miles. It's very unlikely that he went to the trouble to setup the engine that way to putt-putt across town. So, I'd say that we can figure that he surely hammered it a bit ..and probably more earlier on in it's life. That mileage is commuter mileage for someone who lives close enough to work over the same time span. The thing should be rusted junk with that mileage on it.

---

This proves you know absolutely nothing about a show car.
The car has been repainted several times and new interior several times and it looks awesome.
NO it don't use oil and it is far from a rusted junk you should be so luck as to own a piece of junk like this is.
It has been featured in several nation magazines.

 

[highmiler]

Well, something does not add up. No filter in 284000 miles and no oil consumption? Oil changes every 1k miles or what?

 

[Black Bart]

Car is driven about 1000 miles a year oil is changed once a year.
Crankcase capacity is 12 qt of GTX with oil cooler

I have a K&N air filter ahead of my supercharger on my car and I drive around 1000 miles per year.
I change once per year 12 qt. 10w 40 Redline.
We go to a lot of shows together so we both travel about the same miles per year.

 

[Master ACiD]

my dad was stupid enough to run his yamaha scooter without an air filter because he was too cheap to get a new one. after 2 years and about 6000 miles the thing had really low compression, would barely do 25mph (when it use to do 40).

 

[Spector]

you can get away with no oil filter easily IMO but air, no way. one of the most important maintenance items on the engine

 

[onion]

Quote:

---

In 35 years he has put 284000 miles on it and it don't use oil and runs perfect.
So how important do you think an air filter really is

---

Quote:

---

Car is driven about 1000 miles a year oil is changed once a year.

---

Yeah, something doesn't add up here. Unless that car has been around for 284 years. Perhaps there's a wormhole somewhere in Indiana?

Seriously, though- there aren't many 35 year old cars with 284k miles in the Rust Belt that are still in even marginally useable condition, let alone magazine-fare. Seems unlikely. IF that mileage, age, and condition are in fact true, then I suspect multiple rebuilds, repairs, and upgrades over the years.

I work on long-haul trucks and busses every day. I've seen LOTS of engines that were 'dusted' from just a small hole in the air piping coming from the air cleaner. It'll wear out the rings and cylinder walls in short order- and I don't know why a mopar 383 would be any different. Maybe he's very lucky and lives in an area with very little airborne dust... but I wouldn't do that to my vehicle.

 

[Black Bart]

I knew that those of you that believe the air filter is so important would be disbelivers but no matter what you believe it has 284000 miles on it with out an air filter.
This car has been in all 48 states and won best of show at the Canadian nationals.
It took first place at the street rod nationals in Memphis in the late 60's

 

[lazaro]

2000 miles X 35 years=70,000 nope dont add up
284,000 divided by 35= 8,114 miles driven a year for 35 yrs
ya I think my math is skewed
or your freind is confused

 

[Anduril]

Are you sure that's not 28,400 miles? That'd make more sense.

 

[andyd]

the cheapest lawnmowers dont have oil filters, but everyone of them comes with an air filter.

 

[Brogy]

Of course air filters are important, what kind of question is that? I can understand why he doesnt use one though, I took the air filter out of my corolla once and I was running low 12's. They really do restrict power that much!

 

[Tosh]

If you live in a dust free area and don't drive behind another car kicking up dust, you wouldn't ingest too much dust. And without a sensitive air mass sensor, there isn't really anything vital that needs immediate protection.

Lawn mower is a bad example, as the blade is basically a fan kicking up dirt for the engine sitting just above to eat.

 

[snoboy]

Quote:

---

I knew that those of you that believe the air filter is so important would be disbelivers but no matter what you believe it has 284000 miles on it with out an air filter.
This car has been in all 48 states and won best of show at the Canadian nationals.
It took first place at the street rod nationals in Memphis in the late 60's

---

Who cares? What's yer point? If you don't believe in using an air filter then don't. Send in a UOA from this guys wonder engine and show us the beef. If he only logs a 1000 miles a year and the thing holds 12 quarts of oil and he changes the oil every year you aint gonna see much oil consumption. Drive it as a daily driver, put 5000 miles on a fill of oil with out an air filter and produce a UOA

.
I guarantee it'll eat a bunch of oil in a 5k run.

 

[oily boyd]

Your friend is lucky - good for him.

After some of the things I've found in my car's air filter, I wouldn't recommend running without.

You can probably find some UOA's with elevated wear due to poor air filtration.

I'd bet Terry Dyson could tell some stories.