Open Air Cleaner vs. Enclosed or Snorkel?
So what’s the big deal about cool air going into your engine? Simple physics. Cool air is dense and contains lots of what engines like, Oxygen. Talk to anyone that runs a race vehicle, and they will tell you they run faster when it’s cool out. Cooler air also means the combustion chamber runs cooler, and has less tendency to ping or detonate. Your stock air cleaner is designed to draw in air from outside the engine compartment, typically at the front near a headlight. Add a snorkel and the intake raises up to your roof line. The air here is cooler than the air nearer the ground, which has been heated by the energy coming off the road. Cooler, cleaner air = more power, & a cooler running engine. Now let’s take the opposite of a snorkel, or the “open” style air cleaner found on some modified vehicles. When you open your hood after driving your Cruiser have you noticed it tends to be a little hot under the hood? Put an open air cleaner on a carburetor that is located right behind the radi
