air breather taking on water need help!

[raser13]

Goofy question, the PO put an aftermarket carb and one of of those after market airbrethers that is just an airfilter sandwiched between two chrome plates. Everytime i go thew a large bit of water or mud the filter gets soaked and the carb gets flooded with water. I'm getting tired of getting stalled out in the middleof feilds and creeks. I'm not going threw deep water. Maybe a foot deep. Is there a way to get an air breather that won't flood out like this? Or a way to mod something up to sheild the one i have from getting dumped on everytime i go threw a decent sized puddle. Help! Thanks

 

[Posi]

Keep your wake low and slow. What carb do you have?

 

[Torxhead]

The later model CJs had a "Fresh Air Intake" where the air filter is enclosed and there is a tube from the front of the vehicle into the filter housing. There are a number of other rigs with a similar setup, like the later YJs, XJs, ZJs, and so on, but none on the aftermarket that I have seen. This allows clean air from the front and not thru the hot engine compartment.

 

[duffer]

Like Posi said-slow down. You could build a vertical shell to stand off from the filter, but if you are sucking a lot of air and there is a lot of liquid water under the hood, it will be getting into the carb. You can disconnect an electric fan or remove the belts on the mechanical fans to minimize this but the latter is a pain in the butt on some rigs. Slow is easier.

If this is something you really enjoy doing, put a snorkel on it. Frankly, I think those are most at home on mall crawlers but just my opinion. When in water, I'm usually more concerned about the breathers on the axles and gear boxes.

 

[gutthans]

Definitely 'solw down' as mentioned, but ...

I didn't see where you mentioned the type of induction but you may want to do a junk yard and find one of the old style enclosed, stock breather assemblys. Hi-Po models (Olds 442, Chevelle 350/396, etc.) have 2 snorkel openings, where bone stock has one. You can find a passenger car that may have the same carb (or same make of carb) and the breather may be a direct fit.

The critical factors are the carb neck size (bottom breather opening), the degree of 'dish' or droop of the bottom around the carb linkage and the outside diameter (clearance for brake booster). These are designed to stop water from getting into/onto the filter. Should be around $10 - $20 for a decent used one.

Don't know what might work, as you didn't list ANY dimensions or type of carb...but that's what you'll need to know when you go to a yard. You could fit a 'snorkel' too if you're handy fabbing.

 

[raser13]

here's a pic of the carb.



i don't remember who makes it or the diameter of the opening. i'll get the info and post it tonight when my wife gets back with it from work. i will have to admit when i see a huge water puddle i just cant help gunning it right at it. ill have to look and see if i can come up with more of a snorkel type air box. i really don't want to have a pipe going up the side of the window if i can avoid it.

i don't do deep fording(sp?) usually nothing that would even submerge the axels. i have moved the vents for the differentials higher up on the jeep by making them longer. i haven't really taken it out much yet and i'm just now starting my journey on finding all of the ins and outs of making it more water and mud resistant. so any other suggestions as to how to better button up the working parts of the jeep would be wonderful.

 

[duffer]

I tried to make those end pivot bowls to work off road for 20 years and failed. Baffles, whistle tubes, spring loaded needles, extended vents and even a boat wedge under it, along with playing with the rest of Holley's near endless array or tweaking parts. Bottom line is if the nose is really up and a little off camber, it's going to choke it's self to death. The cure was the side pivot bowls-same as used on the truck avenger. Not as sexy, but they certainly work better. The real cure was EFI but that's another story.

As far as a stock type air cleaner, a lot of muscle cars used Holleys and those did have a stock type housing. You might find one in a salvage yard-if you are REALLY lucky-but if that's what you really want, someplace like Eckler's will have repops.

 

[duffer]

One more thought. That appears to be a double pumper. Check the numbers on the air horn. There will be something like 4777, 4779 etc that will tell you the size. If this is on the AMC 304 , even the smallest of these (which I believe is 600 or 650 cfm) is way bigger than you want if you desire any bottom end torque and decent throttle response. I was running a 650 on my 381 and it was plenty.

 

[gutthans]

Yes, it's a Holley DP w/ manual choke. I see the timed spark port is blocked off, so I suppose you have a full vacuum manifold connection.

A Rochester QJ would be a better choice on this motor, but since you have the Holley there will be lots of stock cleaners to choose from. The carb neck is the standard 5 1/4". You can go for pretty much any Chevy, and most GM, even Dodges/Chryslers will have units you can try. The trick is whether it will sit down on the carb w/o hitting anything else.

You can get a 7.10, or 12 wedge spacer in 1/2" and 1" thickness that will help with clearance AND make the center floats more reliable, but Duffer was right about changing the bowls out to sidehung.

Also, since it's a DP...isn't there supposed to be idle adj screws in the secondary metering block? I don't see one there??? Most DP's have 4 corner idle setting (unless somebody changed out the metering block).

 

[raser13]

Don't hate me but the motors a Chevy 350. The PO had almost every hose on this thing pluged instead of going to anything. I've thought seriously considered going back to a stock Chevy carb. This thing is great if you want to mash it on a straight a way.(I've actually shot down a few ricers with it) but it's horible when you get bouncing around. Any good sugestions on a good carb to swich out to?

 

[gutthans]

I'm going to offend some people by suggesting a Rochester QuadraJet. It's a very stock Chevy type item and very tuneable. Better at emissions and mileage that a comparable Holley or Edelbrock.

HOWEVER, A nice NEW Holley or Edelbrock is tempting...Look for something like a Holley 390 or 470/570TA or even the 600 cfm group. The Truck Avenger series is well done and uses good quality parts made for bouncing around.

If you really want to tinker, get a Vacuum secondary 600 cfm, side-hung float Holley 4160 series carb. Change the secondary plate to a 4150 style metering block (there is a $25 kit) (without idle control screws) and change the Nitrophil (black) float out for the brass unit. Buy 2 .093 Off-Road needle and seat assemblies and the quick-change diaphragm kit and you basically have a truck Avenger carb.

IF you pick up a used carb YOU REALLY WILL WANT TO BUY A NEW BASEPLATE, or get it rebushed...they all wear and start sucking air around the shafts after 20 - 30 thousand miles. Makes idle really tough to tune and wastes gas...

Nearly forgot...your manifold...Square bolt pattern or spread-bore??? If it's square use the Holley. If it's a spread-bore pattern try AllState carb in New York for a remanned Rochester. IF you're going to but a new manifold, The BEST one made for a small block Chevy (IMO) was the 70-71 Z-28 dual plane FACTORY manifold and it used a Holley.

 

[duffer]

Don't hate me but the motors a Chevy 350.

Just an opinionated old fart here, but small block Chevy's are and have been my favorites for the last 50 years. Just so many ways to put one together to fit just about any need. I've been running one version or another in the Willys for the last 42 years and wouldn't have it any other way. It does tend to warp your perspective on how a Jeep is supposed to perform.

As for a carb choice, it depends on what you want the Jeep to do. If moderately difficult trails are on the menu, either build a Truck Avenger clone out of your present or another Holley or go Quadrajet as suggested above.

Or go TBI. Personally, I would spend the money on a TBI conversion or aftermarket EFI rather than another carb. It is that much better. The only real downside is if it pukes far from home you are pretty much dead in the water so to speak if you don't carry a replacement ECM.