Ok, I must be dumb as a stump. I'm reconditioning my air cleaner base. I figured now would be a good time to remove and clean the screen flame Arrestor. I bet it's never been done. And it should be removed before painting the base.

So how do you remove the darned thing? I pulled up on it. No good. I twisted it. Nope. I don't want to destroy it. Help please.

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Flame arrestor? On a '72? Hmmm....
Not 100% sure your engine originally had one, but if it did, it will be glued down on the base. Taking it off forcibly will damage it. You can clean it with solvents such as mineral spirits/varsol, etc, then a rinse with clean water, and a blow dry. You can mask it off and paint around it, if needed.

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

   Not sure if it is correct, BUT, my base 72 has an arrester. Also has the hose to go to the valve cover from base of cleaner.

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Mine doesn't have one, but that doesn't mean it came that way.  Mine's probably a replacement air cleaner assembly and they didn't bother to put a new arrestor on it.

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Mine's just like yours then. I'm sure it's original based on the amount of buildup in and around it! Now I got it out the next problem is putting it back without crushing the screen!

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You can purchase them from the catalogs. After new paint, hoses, and decals, the new arrester will tighten up the looks.

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This is kind of a crazy question.

I stripped and painted the air cleaner base. It's correct semi-gloss black and it looks really good. Except...

That part is extremely hard to paint because of all of the holes, bends, and angles. Well mostly the visible parts turned out very, very well. But one drip fell on the top of the left snorkel and there is just a little orange peel adjacent to the left snorkel.

I am prepared to repaint the parts that are not perfect. But I got to thinking. If I struggled to get the paint just right, I'll bet the original painter did too. Do any of you guys know if this or similar parts were dead perfect or did Chevy let a few dribbles or orange peel slide by? I know there were drips on the frame and less than perfect paint behind the rear wheels, for instance.

|UPDATED|2/26/2015 3:07:10 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|


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PERFECT? What's that?  If they were hand done, a little closer to a better job, but they are assembly line cars. NOTHING was perfect back then. NCRS will verify the fact that if they didn't have the part that was suppose to be there, they used something else. Paint ran and dribbled, equipment was less than precise, laborers had bad days. If you are happy with it, so be it. Enjoy it.

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Click on image for full view

Boy isn't that true? I bought an inside mirror from Wilcox. It was the wrong one. Why? It was black plastic. Mine was silver. My 72 was built in August 1971 and got a leftover 71 mirror.

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Suggestion You have two post Edelbrock vs. stock and Flame arestor. There is important information about the air cleaner ex. Element, space between lid and base in the Edelbrock post that you didn't mention in flame post.I checked the members that responded to Edelbrock are not the same has the members that answered flame. Just trying to be helpful.

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I forgot to mention that the members that replied to arestor post have 72 Vettes according to there description. I think the members with the 72 vettes can answer the question about air cleaner clearance, element etc. or give you information how theirs are set up. 😬👍

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I thought the flame arrestor was just used on the big blocks and the small blocks used the little air filter on the inside of the side of the air cleaner housing.

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1973 L-82 4 spd

The flame arrestor I'm talking about is this guy. And yes, my SB has one.

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Ah HA!! That makes more sense. I thought you were talking about a large one that fit inside the air filter.
You can certainly clean that little turd with brake cleaner.

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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56    
My Link


(click for Texas-sized view!)             NCRS

"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

I mis-remembered about the flame arrestor.  I thought it was only BBC because that was the one I got when I was running a '65 Rochester FI unit on mine and was using a custom open-element air cleaner cuz the stock mid-year one wouldn't fit. (not to mention insanely expensive)

Anyway I just looked it up in one of my old Chevrolet Parts Catalogs and discovered it was used thru '72.  When they went to the closed air cleaner in '73, they put the crankcase air intake on the outer shell and used a small filter there.  Not sure why the change unless it was somehow emissions related.


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1973 L-82 4 spd

Flame arestor?  I don't got one of them!!!!

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Joel?  Have you seen anything about a guy that got a new ECM for his 1981 Shark?  Just wondering.

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Flame arrestors are only req'd when crankcase is vented downstream of the air filter to prevent a backfire from igniting the crankcase.


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1973 L-82 4 spd