Whats the best way to go for air intake/cleaner for a L20B

[Batsun.man]

I'm using the stock air cleaner w/ k&n filter, but was wanting to know what other options there are. I know some guys use the chrome air cleaner from the parts store, and the old trick I use to do as kid (on my straight six 63 chevy p/u) where you just flip the stock cleaner lid upside down to let more air in. I'm not trying spend a lot lol.

[datzenmike]

Stock is best. It keeps the heated air and the mixture valve in the snorkel. This keeps the engine supply air at a constant 100 or so degrees so the engine drives and performs more consistently than with fluctuating outside air.

 

Under hood air is not good for performance. From a performance standpoint cooler outside air is best except in very cool weather.

[Batsun.man]

Stock is best. It keeps the heated air and the mixture valve in the snorkel. This keeps the engine supply air at a constant 100 or so degrees so the engine drives and performs more consistently than with fluctuating outside air

.

Under hood air is not good for performance. From a performance standpoint cooler outside air is best except in very cool weather.

I was thinking that when I switched to k&n, and the pcv line runs to the outside of the filter rather then the carb or intake manifold,and some of the flashy chrome ones have to have holes drilled for that if they don't have one already. I wasn't sure about the exhaust snorkel, (kind of reminded me of the VW bug heat exchangers for the heater) but it works like the intake and exhaust manifolds on some straight sixs by heating the air. Ok, sold I'm staying stock then.

[Zeusimo]

Flipping The Lid Upsidedown Makes It Sound Nice

But It's Still Not The Smartest Thing

[Batsun.man]

Flipping The Lid Upsidedown Makes It Sound NiceBut It's Still Not The Smartest Thing

Yeah maybe not with a datsun but old chevy motors it actually helped since nothing went to the air cleaner, but I thought there might be a similar cheapskate trick I didn't know about.

[racerx]

if you can go stock then go stock...

[datsunaholic]

The PCV shouldn't be anywhere near the air cleaner.  There is, however, the valve cover INLET vent.  It's on the outside of the stock air cleaner, but uses a small filter of its own.  It draws air INTO the valve cover area, to keep the block from drawing a vacuum when the PCV opens (vacuum in the block is bad as it increases blowby and other things).  The reason it's in the air cleaner is in CASE you have blowby, it forces the blowby back through the intake, though if it's bad enought it fouls the air cleaner (I've seen L20Bs with so much blowby the air cleaner housing was filled with oil).

 

 

The flipped lid is stupid.  The air snorkel is far larger than the carb barrels.  The filter element is far more restrictive than the snorkel.  Plus, having air drawn through the snorkel cools it (by increasing velocity, in addition to being drawn from in front of the big heat generator under the hood) so a flipped lid just means you're running hotter (and hence less efficient) air through the carb. 

[Batsun.man]

I didn't want to do that like I said

Yeah maybe not with a datsun but old chevy motors it actually helped since nothing went to the air cleaner, but I thought there might be a similar cheapskate trick I didn't know about.

but I'm going to stay stock. Thanks for the info guys.