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Air Cleaner Bases
Pontiac V8 Air Cleaner Bases
Where the Filter Sits — Air Cleaner Bases for Pontiac V8s
The air cleaner base is the piece that decides how tall the whole stack sits. It bolts to the carburetor flange and either holds the element level with it or drops the element below it, which is how you buy back hood clearance on a Pontiac V8 without going to a shorter filter.
Butler stocks 14 inch steel bases with a 5-1/8 inch carburetor flange in flat, 7/8 inch drop and 1-1/8 inch drop, each in chrome or black, plus the Holley Sniper EFI 1 inch drop base plate contoured for the Sniper throttle body.
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1. Flat base or drop base
Both accept the same 14 inch elements and lids. The difference is where the element ends up relative to the carburetor.
| Flat base | the element sits at flange height. This is what Edelbrock and Carter AFB carburetors need, and it is the right base when hood clearance is not the problem. |
| 7/8 inch drop | the common compromise, and the drop depth most factory style drop bases use. It is also the limit on most shaker drop base units. |
| 1-1/8 inch drop | the most clearance a steel base here will buy you, for a tall element under a low hood. |
Each is offered in steel with a chrome or black finish, 14 inch round with the 5-1/8 inch carburetor flange.
2. The Sniper EFI base is not just a drop base
A Holley Sniper 4-barrel throttle body has its fuel inlets on the front face, and a plain stamped base sits right on top of them. The Sniper drop base plate is stamped steel with a 1 inch drop and clearance bulges specifically for those front mounted inlets, so the install needs no modification. It is compatible with the Holley Vapor Guard -6 to 3/8 inch 90 degree fittings and is designed around a 14 inch element. Chrome or black, to match the throttle body you are running.
3. Buying the base on its own
A base by itself is the right purchase in two situations: you like the lid you have and only need to change height, or you are assembling a stack from scratch. If it is the second, Butler's build-your-own air cleaner walks the same choices as one order, pairing any of these bases with a paper or reusable element and the lid you want. Measure carburetor flange to hood first. That number, minus the element height you want, tells you which drop to order.
Not sure what your Pontiac needs?
Call our tech team at 866-762-7527. Tell us your engine, heads, car, and power goal, and we will put the parts together as one combination that works.