Question, does anyone have or had an original survivor 1968 385 hp Canadian built Chevrolet or pontiac who has pictures of or knows/remembers definitively which air cleaner was used?
My car is a 1968 Biscayne and I have the recognized 4 speed air cleaner (no thermal heat stove) but since the 68's did not have A.I.R pumps like the american 4 speed counterpart, It has come up that perhaps the 4 speed Canadian built cars used the Auto trans air cleaner (the one with the thermal heat stove).I have seen some parts books that suggest this, but I want to be sure to have the correct air cleaner. My engine is a 3S. Also might be helpful to know if the 396 4 speed cars used the thermal air cleaner from stock as well.
The apparatus is all part of the total emissions control package. What I have observed is that manual use the A.I.R. Pump with no Thermac valve on the snorkel, while the automatic cars got the Thermac on the snorkel & no A.I.R.. So conventional wisdom suggests.... Except that in '68 I have seen documents for high-performance U.S.-sourced models (L78 Camaro SS396, L79 Nova) that listed "KD1 - A.I.R. System delete for General Motors Canada". KD1 eh? It would have come in handy when ordering a late Corvair.
Any 1969 Canadian Pontiacs I have seen followed the protocol for emissions equipment, e.g an L36 / M20 got the smog pump. Closed element air cleaner V8s (and sixes supposedly) with automatic transmissions used a Thermac & no smog pump.
For '70 the TCS replaced in almost all cases the smog pump. TCS "games" the emissions for the duration of the 10 - 20 second test then reverts to allow vacuum advance. How that is different from the VW Dieselgate I don't know.
-- Edited by CdnGMfan on Friday 17th of March 2023 02:53:41 PM
The object of all that apparatus was to control the intake air temp, and especially to get the engine off the choke and out of the dirty phase quickly.
Here's a GM chart circa 1970:
I do also think the emission laws were lax at that time. I remember friends importing a European Peugeot 404 wagon in '69 no problem, and I recall a 1974 Ford Taunus new in Hamilton (certainly not U.S. certified).
In 1966 & 7 in the U.S. the smog pump was a mandatory option for California. In Canada we didn't even offer it as an option.
I have air cleaners just wondering which is correct. the auto or the 4 speed for canadian built cars. I've been told the auto air cleaner for all applications.
Yes pictures of any factory original 4 speed l36 Canadian cars air cleaners would help, or if someone has their build sheet that shows the two letter code for the air cleaner.
Question, does anyone have or had an original survivor 1968 385 hp Canadian built Chevrolet or pontiac who has pictures of or knows/remembers definitively which air cleaner was used?
My car is a 1968 Biscayne and I have the recognized 4 speed air cleaner (no thermal heat stove) but since the 68's did not have A.I.R pumps like the american 4 speed counterpart, It has come up that perhaps the 4 speed Canadian built cars used the Auto trans air cleaner (the one with the thermal heat stove).I have seen some parts books that suggest this, but I want to be sure to have the correct air cleaner. My engine is a 3S. Also might be helpful to know if the 396 4 speed cars used the thermal air cleaner from stock as well.
thank you
My 68 SD396 w/L35 and M20 has a Thermac style oe air cleaner, I think all Canadian spec cars used the Thermac style air cleaner except the high-perf open element engines.
