Confused about air cleaners

[Chuck Lutz]

I was wondering around cyber space today looking for errant Mark IIs to add to our up on the list and found a few updates to confirm the cars are still around. Some came up on dealer or auction web pages most of which were outdated but still had photos of the cars and general locations of where they were located.
I found a few 56 Marks with an air cleaner that I hadn't seen previously. Well, at least not like mine.
Can anybody tell me if these were original or maybe off other 368 engines or are they the cleaners used with the Carter?
The one on the left is mine with the Holley Carb #2287 and the right one was on a car on Ebay #1738

[Barry Wolk]

The picture on the left is a '56 and the one on the right a '57. Oil-bath vs. paper filter.

[Chuck Lutz]

Ah, so it must have been changed to Carter? or would the cleaner fit the Holley?

[Barry Wolk]

I don't believe they were interchangeable. I believe there are probably more than a few cars like Shelly's that are '56 cars with '57 carb, air cleaner and distributor. The T-pots were known for boiling over.

[Chuck Lutz]

I don't believe they were interchangeable. I believe there are probably more than a few cars like Shelly's that are '56 cars with '57 carb, air cleaner and distributor. The T-pots were known for boiling over.

I was headed in that direction too but this car is much earlier A1738 (November 55).

Maybe it was a RestoMod. :)

[Barry Wolk]

I think it was a legitimate factory response to a known problem. I don't know why the distributor needed to be changed. I'd simply leave the retard chamber open to atmosphere.

[Shelly Harris]

I think it was a legitimate factory response to a known problem. I don't know why the distributor needed to be changed. I'd simply leave the retard chamber open to atmosphere.

Maybe the distributor didn't really need changing, but I believe the one they switched to was also a switch in 1957 for the entire Ford line.

[Barry Wolk]

I don't know Shelly. I don't think the standard Ford distributor had a tach drive, did it?

[Shelly Harris]

I don't know Shelly. I don't think the standard Ford distributor had a tach drive, did it?

No, the tach drive unit was a variation on Mark II, but the distributor head itself, it's guts including design, single vacuum advance, the rotor, the rotor shaft is common to the other 8 cyl Ford production. I'm basing this on the Pertronix Ignitor people I spoke with who told me their one designated model fit all 1957 8 cyl ford distriributors

[Shawn Newcomb]

Why does a paper filter require an offset lid on a '57 Mark II?

[Barry Wolk]

I've thought about your question and I believe I have come up with a proper answer.

Note that the part numbers for the hot air baffle and intake are the same between years.

The difference is in the placement of the air cleaner flange relative to the mounting location of the carb on the intake manifold.

In order to use the same air intake the air cleaner needed to move rearward to match the new location of the newer carb. By moving the air cleaner rearward it would have interfered with the bracket that holds the carb linkage and a/c kick-up module. Thus the cut out at the rear of the air cleaner.

I tried looking at the manuals posted for the two carbs, but there didn't appear to be good side views. If I had drawings like that I could show you what I mean.

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg18/barry2952/1%20Mark%20II%20docs/Aircleaner.jpg

[0bird2]

There is a major differnce between the '56 and '57 distributors. The '56 is called a 'Load-a-matic' and requires that it be used with the teapot carb and that both vacumn lines be hooked up to operate correctly. If a '57 carb is used with a '56 distributor the vacumn advance is useless, the system goes to full advance and stays there, you might as well leave it disconnected.

The '57 distributor has a mechanic advance as well as vacumn advance and uses a different vacumn signal. It (57 dist) cannot be used with a teapot as it does not send the correct vacumn signal to the dist and the '56 carb is not useable with mechanical advance.

And that's all I know about that subject,

[Shawn Newcomb]

Interesting that the air cleaner assembly for '57 has breakout part numbers for all 3 pieces, but is still referred to as 9600 as a whole just like the '56 unit even though they varied by year.

Imagine calling the parts dept for a replacement p/n 9600 and being asked, "now do you want the 1956 9600 or the 1957 9600?" hahaha