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.
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67 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe, Oshawa-built 250 PG never disturbed.
In garage, 296 cid inline six & TH350...
Cam, Toronto.
I don't judge a man by how far he's fallen, but by how far back he bounces - Patton
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.
Ok thank you, so that would lead me to believe that the 68 427 4 speed would do the same. Use the thermal style air cleaner unlike the US counterparts. There are just no pictures floating around so it's hard to be sure.
1967 2dr Biscayne. L36, M40, G80, K05, F41. #'s. 1967 Impala convert. 283, glide. Parked in the garage since 74 and hasn't moved. Soon to be BB 4speed.
I guess I don't have an auto one just the 4 speed versions. Same as the on pictured above, but no thermactor built in. I would trade the 4 speed one for an auto one if it has all the tubing for the stove to air cleaner with it. I don't need a chrome lid version, but can work with either.
I believe the 1968 situation was unique with the "K81 - deletion" of the A.I.R. pump on manual & open-element air cleaner cars. Remember that in '67 there were no smog pumps in Canada even as an option. Back in '66 in California when smog pumps really started there was a 1-year exemption for the L78 smog, but for '67 they had to comply.
For 1969 GM Canada seemed to make their cars more aligned with the U.S., from lacquer paint to smog equipment. I believe this was likely due to sending much more Canadian production to the U.S. in order to offset the stuff coming into Canada from the U.S as per the Auto Pact.
I've seen a '69 Pontiac L36/M20 that had all the smog stuff a U.S engine would be dressed with. It was on a gold 2+2 that had sat since '76. Many here probably remember it years ago when it came up for sale.
Every gear-head hated those smog pumps and most were thrown away. Today with the smog police doing reconnaissance covertly at cruises, that old garbage is now worth gold if you want to keep your car on the road around these parts.
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67 Chevelle Malibu Sport Coupe, Oshawa-built 250 PG never disturbed.
In garage, 296 cid inline six & TH350...
Cam, Toronto.
I don't judge a man by how far he's fallen, but by how far back he bounces - Patton
