Flame Arrester

[Bo Dillingham]

Hello,

I just figured out that I am missing a flame arrester inside the air cleaner of my 65 (it has a lot of 66 and aftermarket parts in it, including the air cleaner, etc.). I found the item in Corvette America P/N 22389, and in Corvette World P/N 3784.

Is this thing actually important? Can one get along without a flame arrester and still be safe? Is there any aftermarket part that fits inside the aircleaner that is an improvement over the original equipment?

As usual, thanks a lot for all your help.

Bo

[Viet Nam Vett]

Originally Posted by Bo Dillingham

Hello,

I just figured out that I am missing a flame arrester inside the air cleaner of my 65 (it has a lot of 66 and aftermarket parts in it, including the air cleaner, etc.). I found the item in Corvette America P/N 22389, and in Corvette World P/N 3784.

Is this thing actually important? Can one get along without a flame arrester and still be safe? Is there any aftermarket part that fits inside the aircleaner that is an improvement over the original equipment?

As usual, thanks a lot for all your help.

Bo

Well heres my quick $.02 worth. The tube that connects to the rear of your carb generally goes to a PVC Valve if so equiped creating a suction in the crancase. Fresh air is then inputed thru the flame arrestor in the air cleaner down the pipe to your valve cover aand into the motor

In other words you have an exhaust of blow by gases that are sucked from the crankcase into the intake and reburned by the motor. Fresh filtered air is then sent thru the crankcase from the air cleaner.

If you should have a Back fire thru the carb think what could happen..!!
Picture the flame from the back fire entering into the crancase of your motor igniting the flamable blow by gases.... Ba-Da- Boom..!!!

Enter the flame arrestor.... It strains the flame out so to speak...

Yes it is a very important little item...

[critchie]

Very important. A backfire in your carb could propagate through that path to the explosive blowby mixture in your crankcase. Blow the engine right up. Kablooey. These things are mandatory in the marine world. Ask your local boatyard about them.

All it is is a screen. The screen breaks up the path or connection somehow so that a flash in one place can't travel to another. I used to buy washing machine hose filter screens and use them as flame arrestors.