Air filter for right-hand drive vehicles?
 

Hi Guys


I am interested in the question of what type of air filter was installed on the carburettor in the A's with right-hand drive ?! For the normal, the steering gear would be in the way. The cars won't have driven without an air filter. What solution did Henry Ford find here?



Greetings from Berlin

Andy

Re: Air filter for right-hand drive vehicles?
 

Henry Ford did not have a solution because air filters were not fitted when new . The ones you see on cars today are after market and not original fitment . I have RHD cars and have no airfilters as in England we do not have a dust problem .I do not think you would need one in Germany .If you do fit an air filter the carb. jets have to be adjusted to avoid running rich . Some RHD cars here have been fitted with convoluted plastic piping I think it is not worth the bother . I do have a LHD p/u in dusty Arizona and it seems very happy with no filter . Most other cars there I have seen have no filter .

John in very very cold Suffolk County England .

Re: Air filter for right-hand drive vehicles?
 

Re: Air filter for right-hand drive vehicles?
 

Re: Air filter for right-hand drive vehicles?
 

Thank you, learned something again. I had thought there was a better solution than the dripping air filter next to the exhaust, but I had no idea that the better solution would be to do without the filter. I admit the air filter is very rough. It really only keeps away flying birds.

Re: Air filter for right-hand drive vehicles?
 

There are many things on a RHD car that Henry either didn't consider or didn't find an answer to. An air filter is one. I sometimes wonder if his decision not to fit an air cleaner on any Model A was influenced by that.
Even on the B motor when he had well over 30 years of experience (problems) with it, he screwed it up. The larger B carburettor had to be savagely cut away at the intake almost back to the choke shaft because it fouled the steering box. An absurd oversight that should have resulted in someone in the design department being sacked, IMO.
There used to be an air cleaner available that did a U turn under the carby, then came upwards a bit to the actual cleaner mounted at the front of the valve chamber cover but they can't be used with one of those full flow oil filters. Another oversight by people who know nothing but LHD cars! I get around it by making a short convoluted manifold that comes upwards and out between the steering column and the choke rod. A flexible hose then connects to a modern paper element air cleaner mounted on the radiator stays.

Re: Air filter for right-hand drive vehicles?
 

Maybe after all was said and done in the engineering department, the right hand drive car was an after thought? :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Re: Air filter for right-hand drive vehicles?
 

No, I don't believe so. Up till the Model T, all American cars including his own were RHD so it was nothing new. Henry had been selling Model Ts into RHD countries for years when the A came out and he set up manufacturing plants in RHD countries especially for those markets. He wouldn't have done that if it were an afterthought. Besides, at that time, about 1/2 the cars in the world were RHD, half LHD. IMO, just a very insular view of the world.

Re: Air filter for right-hand drive vehicles?
 

Dude, chill. I was just joking. See the little eye rolls, :rolleyes::rolleyes:

Re: Air filter for right-hand drive vehicles?
 

pm.

Re: Air filter for right-hand drive vehicles?
 

Helau Andy,

As mentioned in the previous replies, air filters were not original to the Ford Model A, no matter where in the world they were sold.

However, if you are anyway looking for a solution, Early Ford Parts of New Zealand offers an "air cleaner" for a RHD Model A:
https://earlyfordparts.co.nz/wp-cont.../08/Ac-11C.jpg

....and mounted on the carburetor:
https://earlyfordparts.co.nz/wp-cont...8/P1070322.jpg
Note that it has a support bracket by the filter end that attaches to the valve cover bolt.

They also provide fitting instructions to properly install their filter - click this link.

MfG (mit Ford Grüßen) aus den USA,
Brad in Maryland

PS: Alaaf !! :p

Re: Air filter for right-hand drive vehicles?
 

When I bought my RHD 34 it came with an air cleaner. It goes UP from the carby and sits above the head with a little bracket that attaches to one of the head studs.
I doubt it is an aftermarket fitting as the previous owner was not the sort of person that bought such things.

Manuel in Oz

Re: Air filter for right-hand drive vehicles?
 

Well, how many previous owners has the car had since 1934? Maybe someone retrofitted something beforehand. 87 years is a long time.

Re: Air filter for right-hand drive vehicles?
 

According to my August 1931 Ford of Canada parts book, they offered a R.H.D air filter. It was part number AF- 18500 Air Filter R.H.D 3 1/2 diameter model, A & AA R.H.D.

Re: Air filter for right-hand drive vehicles?
 

That would be an interesting thing to see. I doubt any would still be in captivity.

Re: Air filter for right-hand drive vehicles?
 

After a bit of searching I found this listing in the Aus Parts Book.
But no pics or measurements unfortunately.

"40-4 BB-4 Air cleaner and silencer (copper mesh) assembly (4 cyl) 1934"

Re: Air filter for right-hand drive vehicles?
 

How about a picture?

Re: Air filter for right-hand drive vehicles?
 

I can't see how they could put an air filter on a B engine in a RHD car. The whole thing is so poorly conceived that they had to cut away the intake almost back to the choke shaft to clear the steering box as an afterthought.

Re: Air filter for right-hand drive vehicles?
 

The one shown above designed by previous owner in my mind his a heap of crap, serious restrictions , have couple here than are going in the rubbish tin ,Snyders do sell an expensive one that has its intake above head line , Have had a couple for customers, They work very well , any restrictions & the A will drink fuel, probably not needed, Seen a few home made ones, by using pvc elbows etc to get up from S /box, Mainly used for deep water crossings on some irishmans rallies ??

Re: Air filter for right-hand drive vehicles?
 

After an exhaustive search on my old computer, I found these photos I took at the 13th National Model A Rally here in NZ. From memory this was in a roadster pickup. I wonder if this is the elusive AF- 18500 Air Filter as the plate on it says East Windsor Ontario.
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