Dale
Club Member
I recently took off my (type unknow) pancake air filters as the foam was pretty much knackered and beyond washing and refitting. The car was running quite rich as I think the filters were restricting airflow a bit.
The engine now runs much better (and this is not the main reason for the question in the title) so as yet I haven't sorted a replacement set of filters. I also realise that with new clean filters the engine will run great too.
However, I see so many engines with carbs other than the stock Hitachis that don't have air filters on them, Webbers, Dellortos, Mikunis, that I wonder if I really need to put some on?
How much damage really is caused by the little particles in the air that get sucked in, particularly as these are mostly low mileage cars?
I think it would certainly be prudent of me to put the pancake boxes back on so that stones and small animals get stopped by the mesh and don't get sucked into the engine. Fuel being spat out and dropping onto the manifold is also a concern!
So what are everyone's thoughts? For and against?
The engine now runs much better (and this is not the main reason for the question in the title) so as yet I haven't sorted a replacement set of filters. I also realise that with new clean filters the engine will run great too.
However, I see so many engines with carbs other than the stock Hitachis that don't have air filters on them, Webbers, Dellortos, Mikunis, that I wonder if I really need to put some on?
How much damage really is caused by the little particles in the air that get sucked in, particularly as these are mostly low mileage cars?
I think it would certainly be prudent of me to put the pancake boxes back on so that stones and small animals get stopped by the mesh and don't get sucked into the engine. Fuel being spat out and dropping onto the manifold is also a concern!
So what are everyone's thoughts? For and against?