Air cleaner doesn't fit

[alloriginal1owner]

Hi all,

next problem to the new engine in my 1957 4-door: This extraordinary oil-filled air cleaner doesn't fit. Unfortunatelly I haven't any old photos of the former installation. Where do I fix it so that I still will be able to fill oil into the engine?:

[philthehill]

There should be two adapters Pt No: ACH 8516 under the two air cleaner steady/support stays which are above the dip stick
Looking at your photo they appear to be missing or not utilised.
They are items No: 27 in the parts illustration below.
Later adapters had a female bottom and male top and was fitted over the respective cylinder head stud with the male part passing through the air cleaner steady/support brackets.
The air cleaner will still be relatively close to the rocker cover even when fitted correctly. It was always a fiddly task to remove the oil filer cap and fill with oil.
You have the wrong oil filler cap which does not help. The cap for use with this air cleaner is BMC Pt No: 8G612.

[firedrake1942]

Errrr that is exactly where it goes and you seem to have the very rare bushes on the a frame mounting. Do you also have the round seal to the air intake to the carb / oil bath filter. It stops vibration when you do up the jubilee clip.

You do have to slacken off the jubilee clip and withdraw the air filter from its mounting to access the oil filler on the rocker cover. It has never been too much of an issue for me. I do not seem to have the spacers Phil refers to but its not an issue

[palacebear]

The plastic oil filler/breather cap is IIRC deeper than the original metal filler cap, requiring more vertical clearance to remove it...?

[philthehill]

Unfortunately for the OP not having the adapters is an issue as the air filter is not supported by the O/S head studs/adapters and the air cleaner could come loose as it is and fall into the engine bay.
It is most important that the air cleaner is supported as designed.

Correctly mounted there is absolutely no need to remove the air filter assy to access the oil filler.
If the OPs photo is blown up there does not appear to be the correct rubber bush Pt No: ACH8364 in the support bracket.
I agree that those bushes are hard to source - my Minor had a piece of suitable rubber tube inserted into the mounting bracket which was a satisfactory solution for many years.

Firedrake
You appear to have possibly a non standard air cleaner steady support.
A photo of the support would be appreciated.

[firedrake1942]

Phil, it is standard and I have blown up the photo . They appear to be exactly as you describe and are the same shape as the head nuts albeit elongated but are cunningly painted engine green and camouflaged.

[philthehill]

firedrake
Many thanks for the reply.
Now to be really pedantic your support bracket appears to facing the wrong way - the feet should point outwards so as to get the support as close to the air cleaner body as possible.
Possibly that is why it looks to be non standard.
Phil

[alloriginal1owner]

There should be two adapters Pt No: ACH 8516 under the two air cleaner steady/support stays which are above the dip stick
Looking at your photo they appear to be missing or not utilised.
They are items No: 27 in the parts illustration below.
...
You have the wrong oil filler cap which does not help. The cap for use with this air cleaner is BMC Pt No: 8G612.

Thanks, that's it. Hope these adapters are still with the old cylinder head. I will check that tomorrow.

And thank you for the cap-tip.

[firedrake1942]

Phil be as pedantic as you need! That's a job for the weekend. I had wondered why there was so big a gap between the oil bath and the support.