Black 84 Z

I'm not sure which is better for my car. I just got my tranny rebuilt a month ago, and now I have to have my engine replaced. It blew a head gasket, started blowing white smoke, and hydro-locked the engine up tight. Oh well, after 216,000 miles, something had to give, right? Back to my question. I currently have the stock single snorkel air cleaner, and am considering getting an open element type air cleaner. The single snorkel breathes cooler air, but the cfm is not enough for a 305 let alone a 350. On the other hand, the open element can flow more air, but it is much hotter air killing some of the horsepower. I know that a L69 dual snokel would prob. be best, but funds are too tight right now (read above). So, oh geniuses of the board, tell me which is best.

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DG

1984 Z28 LG4/A4
Mods: are you kidding? They cost money.
Powered by Eclipse, Kicker, Rockford Fosgate, JL Audio, and MB Quart.

Aaron87SC

This argument could go back and forth for awhile. I personally like the dual snorkel better, but I doubt if it's signifigantly different from the open element. It comes down to your personal preference. If you like the look of the dual snorkel, you could look for one in a junk yard or make one from two single snorkels (There are tech articles here I think that adress that). I you prefer the look of an open element or don't want to be bothered "making" a dual snorkel, go with that. I doubt you'd feel much of a difference between the two performance-wise.

Neo

I agree with Aaron it will come down to personal prefrence. Open element lets in a whole lot more air, especially with a cowl hood. But a lot of hat air is hot coming off the engine. The dual snorkel will not take as much air but it will be cold air. BTW I have a open element.

LFN AT U

iTrader: (1)

The dual snorkel air cleaner is the way to go but I would say even the single snorkel is better than the open element. Then engine will benefit more from air quality over air quantity.

Bort62

I dont know LFN, I switched from the single Snokrel to a 3" Open element, Non drop base, and Noticed a Very Definate Differance.

Eventually, I plan to run Ram Air down through where the brights go, Should be the best of Both worlds.




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60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Sport Coupe LG4 - Daily Driver

Just another Hot Rod kid, or thats what they all tell me.
Livin' the Stereotype

gruveb

Just to see, I went from my dual snorkel to an open 14" element, and there WAS an IMPROVEMENT, a large improvement at that.

Go with the open element.

Black 84 Z

Thanx for the responses guys. I think I'll be going with the open element w/a K&N.

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DG

1984 Z28 LG4/A4
Mods: are you kidding? They cost money.
Powered by Eclipse, Kicker, Rockford Fosgate, JL Audio, and MB Quart.

85berlinetta

I have the edelbrock pro flow air cleaner and noticed a HUGE inprovement over the stock single snorkle. A lot of people have poo pooed the pro flow saying that pieces have broken off the foam element and went into the engine. If you take care of them and clean and oil them once in a while this won't happen. I perfer the open element, looks better.

Ed Maher

This is an ancient debate...there will always be those who say that one is better than the other. To date, noone i know of has actually done back to back dragstrip testing, thus believe noone.
I'd run the open element for one main reason. Low cost, completely unhindered flow. I actually had a dual snorkle that i stole at a swap meet for $25...meant to do some testing, but never made it to the track/forgot. Eventually i sold it for $80+shipping, easily. Just to give you an idea of how easily overpriced these are unless you find the stoners in the back of the lot with a dual snorkle hiding under a pile of parts.

My only complaint about the dual snorkle is this...the teeny tiny stock filter. If you look inside, you'll notice that from the lip of the airhorn, you only have a small gap to the lid of the AC. Air flows DOWN into a Qjet, not sideways. Therefore, by not having enough breathing room on top of it, it seems to me that the dual snorkle will restrict flow. This is not imaginary. There is an easy fix, run a G-body/truck lid which takes a filter that is almost an inch taller than stock.
The only complaint about the OE is hot air...well IMHO, once you get rolling you get plenty of fresh enough air into the engine compartment. And my car never had a problem getting down and boogying off the line when all the air underhood was HOT, so this seemed like a non-factor to me.

...ed