62 FI Air Cleaner

[Leo M.]

I am looking for some clarification on fasteners for the air cleaner. The AIM shows bolts and lockwashers going into the weld nut plate assemby and nuts and bolts for the lower bracket. The Judging Guide shows the same graphic as the AIM, states that nuts and bolts are used for the lower bracket, however goes on to state that the fasteners attaching the air cleaner to the inner fender are dished hex-head self tapping sheet metal screws with a seperate flat washer. What are the correct fasteners into the weld plate?

[Mike E.]

Re: 62 FI Air Cleaner

I believe the manual says separate "attached" washer because the washer is not machined as part of the head, but is pressed on to the shank of the screw. The head is a dished head, and I have generally seen a "double M" marking in which the m's overlap partially. Hope that helps.

[Patrick S.]

Re: 62 FI Air Cleaner

I believe that the question concerns the "self tapping" part. Mine may have been self tapping in the beginning but now they are dished head, 1/4 x 20 with attached washers.
Pat (12382)

[Jim L.]

Re: 62 FI Air Cleaner

I believe that the question concerns the "self tapping" part. (12382)

Well, both actually. The '62 judging manual provides ambiguous guidance, in my opinion.

Although it makes no sense to try forcing a self tapping screw into the nut plate which is tapped 1/4-20, it's possible to infer from the JM text that this is what would be correct.

Or maybe the JM is indicating the self tapping screws should be used in the lower air cleaner bracket. However, the steering column is sufficiently close to the inner fender that installing self tapping screws here would be a tedious project. Not even a ratcheting, right angle screwdriver would fit between the column and the inner fender.

The issue, as I see it, is that the graphic in the JM and the words in the JM contradict each other.

The graphic, lifted from the AIM, clearly shows bolts and split washers used at all four mounting holes. In particular, it shows bolts, split washers, and nuts in the lower two holes. The JM text, in contrast, calls for the self tapping screws...... somewhere.

Jim

[Mike E.]

Re: 62 FI Air Cleaner

Absolutely true that it makes no sense to. Must be why GM did that. There is absolutely no question that in 62, FI cars came with self-tapping screws to hold the upper air cleaner bracket to the inner fender. The graphic in the AIM may indicate what was intended, but what was done on the line was different than the AIM. I've been looking at this specifically ever since 1974 when my unmolested 62 had the "wrong" self-tapping screws. This was pre-AIM days. I can assure you that original 62's came with self-tapping screws!

Well, both actually. The '62 judging manual provides ambiguous guidance, in my opinion.

Although it makes no sense to try forcing a self tapping screw into the nut plate which is tapped 1/4-20, it's possible to infer from the JM text that this is what would be correct.

Or maybe the JM is indicating the self tapping screws should be used in the lower air cleaner bracket. However, the steering column is sufficiently close to the inner fender that installing self tapping screws here would be a tedious project. Not even a ratcheting, right angle screwdriver would fit between the column and the inner fender.

The issue, as I see it, is that the graphic in the JM and the words in the JM contradict each other.

The graphic, lifted from the AIM, clearly shows bolts and split washers used at all four mounting holes. In particular, it shows bolts, split washers, and nuts in the lower two holes. The JM text, in contrast, calls for the self tapping screws...... somewhere.

Jim

[Jim L.]

Re: 62 FI Air Cleaner

There is absolutely no question that in 62, FI cars came with self-tapping screws to hold the upper air cleaner bracket to the inner fender.

Mike, I think the light bulb has just turned on here. The reference to self tapping fasteners means something like what is shown by one of these two pictures:



or



I understand how these might be used to tap threads into the riveted nut plate.

Where my brain had done a left turn was in thinking that the JM was specifying something akin to a sheet metal screw, also self tapping. It would make sense to use such on the lower air cleaner bracket....if you could get access. It wasn't making any sense to use these on the nut plate, which is how I was reading the JM

Jim