John, If you are the same member that had the problem with the car running rough and stalling, and you were going to replace the carb but you thought there might be a clearance problem, etc,etc, I believe it was a different tread than this tread, or maybe you replied to that tread but it wasn't you, I do remember the red 73, Anyway, Yes you do ball up silly puddy about 1 1/2"x 1 1/2 in dia. bolt down the air cleaner ,put the S.P. in the center of the air cleaner, gentley close and lock down the hood, open the hood and measure the thickness of the puddy, MAKE sure to also look at the side of the puddy that was facing  the top of the air cleaner and look for the impression of the stud and wing nut and subtract that depth from the overall thickness, thats the part that sticks out above the top of the air cleaner, then  subtract 3/4" for the air cleaner spacer and hopefully you have clearance, 1/2"to 5/8" or more is good, ....NO, 3/4" or more just in case you break a motor mount.  BTW. it might be easier for you to get the wing nut and stud measurement deduction by just putting a straight edge or torpedo level on the stud or wing nut what ever is the highest, measure down to the top of the air cleaner, not to the bottom of the taper where the wing nut sits, write that measurement down FIRST,  then put the puddy down and close the hood, then deduct the wingnut -stud measurement from the compressed puddy, and so on, hopefully I haven' t confused you more than helped  anips2009-06-06 15:21:07

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v399/Eddie70/Alternator%20and%20Brake%20Bleeder/DSC05133Small.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v399/Eddie70/Alternator%20and%20Brake%20Bleeder/DSC05132Small.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v399/Eddie70/Alternator%20and%20Brake%20Bleeder/DSC05131Small.jpg

I ran mine with this gap for a number of years with no problems.
Eddie 702009-06-06 16:44:58

man,
if the air cleaner doesnt fit,
i think you need a new engine !!!!!
LOL !!!
joe

There  you go John, a picture is worth a thousand words, looks like about 3/8's to a 1/2, it,s not so much that the drop on the base is not enough, because the Q-J, holley, and Edel carbs, share the same mounting height from the intake manifold base to the air cleaner base, its because the darn choke housing sticks out so much and the air cleaner base tapers in towards  the air horn.......Yo Joe, did you blast your frame in the garage, with a home built blaster, Ive  never noticed a plumbing union on blast tip before, and if you did thats backyard'n at its best and I don't mean Bar-B- Que'n, let alone the work and clean up   anips2009-06-06 19:56:12

Thanks Joe and Eddie, That info and pics really help.

Now its time to get some silly puddy and a new air cleaner base.

i did blast it myself in the garage.
i built a 10 ft wide, 16 ft lg and 7 ft high booth out of PVC pipe and clear plastic.
i bought a heavy duty sand blaster from
TEXAS BLASTER.
it's awesome !!!
john, hope you get that figuered out !!!

joe

Joe, looks like you did a good setup job on the blasting booth, very "green and politically correct" keeping the debrie confined, not wanting to piss of the neighbors, here in the Socialist Republic of kalifornia and living in the middle of the wine country also called "God's Country" people are soooo PC, when I'am useing the blaster I just do it in the middle of the road without too much trouble, mainley cause I live in Buba's Mobil Home Park and Rest Stop, one of these days ole Buba is going to have to pave the road, right next door to Buba's  is  the Sonoma Valley Wine Growers Asso. free housing for the migrant vineyard workers, whenever I'am blasting they come out  waving and shouting, I'll be darned, but I can't hear or understand a single thing they are sayin, but they are a friendly bunch tho, I just wave and shout back," YOU SHOULDN'T HANG YOUR LAUNDRY IN THE CARPORT LIKE THAT, SOMEONE MIGHT STEAL EM...YEA.. POWER TO THE PEOPLE"!! anips2009-06-07 17:44:45