>I just had my oil-bath air filter sand blasted to get the crud and old
paint
>off. After blasting, the "bowl" of the air cleaner looked like it was made
>of copper. Anyone know if these things were originally copper......or had
a
>copper coating??
>Tom Caperton
Hi Tom, the designs for the round air cleaners most guys find on their
trucks go way back, at least to the early thirties and perhaps earlier. I
stripped and repainted two last summer, and they were both galvanized steel.
I originally thought they were stainless because I couldn't believe that
galvanization would last that long, but on subsequent consideration, I have
come to believe that the graying metal finish is quality galvanization.
Both of mine are magnetic, and I would suggest to you to try a magnet to try
to rule out solid copper or brass.
Is it possible that the zinc used in galvanization may have been in short
supply due to the war when your air cleaner was made, and it was copper or
brass plated instead of being galvanized? I guess it was the other way
around, because I remember zinc pennies were minted during the war to
conserve copper. Maybe you have a real old one from a time when they were
copper plating them instead of galvanizing.
It would be worth calling Bob Adler on this. I suspect it would interest
him.
Regards,
Grant S.
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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