275 Air Filters: Snorkel/Non Snorkel.

Whether 3 or 6 carburettor, short and long nose, 2 Cam (SOHC) (non comp) 275s have either the carburettor air filter/box with 2 down pointing snorkels at an angle at either side, or the narrower, simple looking filter without snorkels atop the Weber carbs. Why were the different types used?

 

The snorkel type housing is I believe generally applicable to later 3-carb long-nose 2-cam cars, no idea of transition point and no doubt it must have been a mixed transition like other features. 6-carb cars seem to still have the traditional simpler slotted grille housing, even later 2-cams. 4-cams have the snorkels. This is not presented as definitive, just my observation over the years.

 

Found on the 90xx series 275GTB/C
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Steve: Some comments-
1. Generally speaking, snorkels appear later in the production run.
2. Both styles appear intermixed throughout production.
3. Some late six-carb cars had snorkel style air cleaners.
4. I suspect (just a guess) that the snorkel style was developed to reduce carburetor intake noise.

 

Thank you, Lancia and Dyke.

The first short nose 1964 275 GTB brochure shows a 6 carb engine with an air filter with snorkels and an original type drive shaft.

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In the 275 Owner's Manual, which was written when the Short Nose was current, a filter is shown with snorkels, though I have not seen one on a car of that type, or perhaps the diagram makes it look deeper than it actually is.

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Although the above literature shows the snorkelled air filters early on, I've not seen one on a short nose car. As Lancia says, they seem to have been fitted/introduced on the Long Nose 3 carb 275 GTBs, such as 08507 below

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...but then the filter without snorkels are also seen on 3 carb Long Nose 275s as late as Torque Tube examples such as chassis number 08729 below which has been Red Book Classiched.

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6 carb cars seem mainly have the non snorkelled filter such as Long Nose Torque Tube 08749 below.

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But here is Red Book Classiched 2 cam 275 GTB 6 Carb Long Nose Torque Tube 08311 below with a snorkelled filter like that of a 275 GTB/4.

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The 3 carb engines have filters with 3 round elements inside the filter box in both snorkelled and non snorkelled filters.

6 carb engines have one large oval filter that runs inside the periphery of the non snorkelled filter box and underneath the periphery of the cover on the snorkelled filter (?)

Most of the 275 GTS cars have the non snorkelled filter, but I have seen one with a snorkelled filter.

All genuine 275 filters have a top cover which is affixed with 3 nuts running down the centre and 3 circles indented into the cover.

 

Quite a few 275 GTS had snorkel air cleaners (7543 for example). Yes Steve, I was thinking of the brochure photo of the six carb engine as an illustration that snorkel air cleaners were around from the beginning of the 275 run.

 

Great illustrated details there Steve!

Here is another motor example on 06437

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and a 1968 later example 11057 >

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a further comment perhaps regarding what decals if any, should be present on the air cleaner assembly...
Where is Parker when you need him?

 

2 Cam (SOHC) 275 GTB & S.

The 3 carb snorkel and non snorkel air filters use the same top cover plate, which is different to the top cover plate on the 6 carb filter, which also uses the same top cover plate whether snorkel or non snorkel.

4 Cam (DOHC) 275 GTB/4 & NART Spyder.

The 4 cam cars look like they use the same or similar air filter box as that of the 2 cam 6 carb snorkelled filter. However the top cover plate on the side of the back of the engine is a different shape and straighter and follows more the less round edge of the filter box.

4 Cam Diagram below.

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Here is the other side of 275 NART Spyder 11057 where you can see the different contours at each end of both the air filter box and the top cover.

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That's an unusual air filter box for a 275? Looks like the one used on a 330/365 GTC.

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Interesting!

 

looks same as for a 330 GT serie 2

 

Now I am going to have to junk it

 

Might as well have the obviously now toxic, entire car crushed while you're at it.

 

not to open my self up for ridicule but aren't these the same?
Previous post "such as 08507 below"

 

No, you do not have to junk it. I am wrong. Your air filter box is actually correct, and is the same as the one in my post number 5 above, where the cut out on the box, which I missed, can be seen.

 

Yes, they are the same. My apologies to you. Please see my post above.

 

I actually find the snorkelled air filter boxes on the 275, 330, 365 and 500 Superfast cars to be quite the sculpture. It must come from being fascinated by the one on my father's 330 GT 2+2 when I was about 7 or 8 years old.

 

Here is 3 Carb Short Nose 275 GTB #07633 with a snorkelled air filter box.

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in period magazine road tests would greatly help to identify correct air cleaner.

 

Car & Driver wrote about a late Ferrari; the 275 GTB/4 but it didn't go well. The owner and a friend sat on the lawn admiring the Ferrari. The took up different positions but then came to the conclusion that the left side and the right side of the car didn't match...

The only older car driven from that period was I think a 275 GTS in 1965.

By far the best Ferrari story was 1965 David E Davis Jr driving a 275 LM in New York!!!

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This 275 GTB is 08349 a steel body 3 carb long nose with the torque tube 1966 version.

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similar to 08311 but missing the decal at the back of the top cover.

 

1965 275 GTB 06899 is silver with 3 carbs. No snorkel and the decal is a the front end of the cover.

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a rather flat finish to the paint on the air cleaner cover. Compare that with the smooth texture gloss black paint on the 06437 cover and rough texture finish on the valve covers seen in post #7 here. On 06899 it looks like the same paint was used for both the air cleaner element cover and valve covers to...

 

A later 1965 275 GTB 07855 a steel car with 3 carbs. Again it looks like the same paint for both the air cleaner cover and the rocker covers to. One liberty along with a different non-original black paint color for the body is the 'Ferrari' name done in silver paint on the rocker cover.

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decal is present at the front of the cover.