Talk Morgan Forums Morgan Sports Cars Classic Morgans (pre-CX) air filter clearance

Newbie here, and I look forward to picking everyone's brains.

61 DHC with TR motor----Looking for alternatives for installation of effective air filters.

Obviously not much clearance between the SU throats and the inside surfaces of the bonnet. I have been looking for photographs but have found nothing useful. Did the factory actually send cars out without air filtration? The old Stelling and Hellings filters "might" fit but they are just awful as far as air flow and filtering is concerned.

looks like you will have to install a bonnet scoop to accommodate the air filters. It was a common mod years ago.The factory did not care about such mundane things as air filters. Watch out for rain entering to. Scoops tend to concentrate the flow of air and water directly to your carbies.

Thanks RM! Very weird that they would sacrifice piston rings.

I don't suppose any one knows of an off the shelf "stubby" intake manifold for TR motors ???

If I had just another inch or so in clearance I could fabricate an aluminum or stainless plenum that would cross both carb throats and contain a filter element off to the side. I believe that I could put up with increased turbulence at the throat opening if I knew that the incoming air wasn't filled with grit.

Hello Jack, Welcome to the forum - Happy Hunting

There was a thread here on this subject with a few ideas.

'Itg or something else' was the name of the topic. Worth a look

It appears that this car already has a "short" manifold and a set of SUs with "long" bodies. I can't say for certain until I gather some reference measurements, but if there are longer bodied SUs I would be surprised. Too, the existing manifold has very little ( perhaps 0.5" ) clearance between the back side of the rear runner plenum and the outer surface of the exhaust runner so I don';t see where a "shorter" manifold wouf fit into the picture.

Please forgive me as I farble through this as I am more deeply routed in MG/A-H and Jaguar than I am TRs and Morgans. There are two TR3s, along with three MGBs, the Morgan and a Big Healey in my little shop at the moment though and dealing with them, the TRs, has been enjoyable.

Thanks again for all of the input so far. Jack

Jack,
There are certainly many picures of TR- Engined Plus 4s running Strombergs with no air filter whatsoever and the reason that the Plus 4 Supersports had the bonnet scuttle was to accomodate ram ends on the Webers.
I don't know if a set up like 40 or 45 DCOE Webers on a swan- neck manifold would fit but others on the site may have more info
Don't even think about pancakes- they just won't fit
One good place to start might be someone like Racetorations who are TR specialists
If you want to go down the bonnet scuttle route, try Malvern Sheet Metal. They will make you a scuttle half bonnet ( price I think about £470-ish in Alu)
Cheers,
G