So I was real excited to get my curved monte carlo bar to help stiffen up my car but as I went to test fit it I realized that the snorkel on the stock air cleaner is completely in the way. Now what do you all think I should do?

Here's my options that I see.

1. Simply unbolt my snorkle, I'll have the stock air cleaner still but it will look in complete. This is obviously the cheapest and easiest method.

2. Buy a $20 open air cleaner from some auto store, but will this look good?

3. K&N air cleaner!!! buuuut I don't have that much money.

4. Return the monte carlo bar

EDIT: hears another solution. It looks like this person got rid of the heat shield part that goes on the exhaust manifold and simply rotated the air cleaner so it was out of the way. I like this solution... I don't even think that heat shield tube thing does much anyway



I really want the monte carlo bar because it's supposed to be real nice for the front end. One reason why I'm leaning towards simply unbolting my snorkel is because I don't think getting some open air cleaner will look good without getting some different valve covers as well. I have a pretty stock looking engine bay and think it will look out of place without updating the valve covers as well.

LAST question:
Should I drill the two holes on each side to mount the top part of the bar? My bar has two square holes on the top, I'm thinking for carriage bolts? Will I be okay with just mounting it on the inner wall without the top ones or should I do all four bolts on each side??

 

You can't just turn the air cleaner a little? I agree that air cleaner and valve covers look great together in stock blue like you have them and if you change one you really need to change the other.

Personally, I would rather have an engine bay like you have than one with the cheap dress up parts. They always seem to look bad in a short period of time.

I would put the once piece export brace one it first.

If it were mine I could keep the m c bar and get a different air cleaner.

Here is what I have.

 

Nice looking engine! I can turn the air cleaner like the pic i posted if I remove the heatshield/tube that goes to the bottom of the air cleaner snorkel. And I already put in the one piece export brace, just wanted to add the bar for better handling.

Here's my engine bay, you can see where the snorkel will interfere with the bar, if I remove the piece underneath I might be able to rotate it enough to get clearance, and then I just need a longer hose for the oil cap/breather.

 

ya if u have a functioning choke on ur carb that heat transfer snorkel really isnt necessary. all it does it pull warm air up from the exhaust mani area to help the car warm up quicker on cold days. and ur in cali, so its even more unnecessary. and if its getting in the way of a MC bar its just downright useless.

i do agree tho that if u went with a different air cleaner u would want to also pick up different valve covers. but from that picture you posted its obviously possible when u ditch mr. snorkel

as for drilling holes for the top bolts, probably not necessary, but might as well. i did it one afternoon cause i was bored lol

EDIT: gd it, i was using the word snorkel when i mean the piece attached to the snorkel. keep the snorkel, lose the heat tube! u know what i meant

 

I think I would try what you just said. Also, you will want the top bolts for the MC bar as well. On my car I had to drill 2 holes. I see alot of cars that don't have them and only have 3 bolts on each side. It looks to me like your car doesn't have any top bolts in the position. How many bolt holes does you MC bar have? I'm more familiar with 65-68 than I am 69-70.

 

My bar only has three bolts..

I also just removed the snorkle from the cleaner. It looks fine. But I do plan on replacing it at some point.

 

turns out I can't keep the snorkel, when I tried to rotate it it was still in the way, it is a beast! the 69 air cleaner has a notch taken out for the distributor, so it won't work.

I'll probably do what you did booger, I'm glad everyone feels the same that if I change the air cleaner I should change the valve covers. Unless I paint the chrome air cleaner blue...

and my MC bar has spots for 4 bolts on each side, two for the shock tower cover, then two on the top. I suppose I'll drill the holes