1950s 1955 Air Cleaner wobble.

[Bob Kielar]

On our 55 Cadillac 331 engine the top part of the air cleaner wobbled back and forth side to side. There is about a quarter inch gap between the base and the top. Didn't what to put too much pressure on the threaded rod fearing it would strip the threads in the carburetor. So what I did I bought a  ten foot long piece of buns o ring material quarter inch diameter. I then wrapped it around the base of the air cleaner and cut it a little shorter so it would be snug then super glued the ends together. No more wobble. Does anyone think there is a problem doing this?
Thanks,
Bob Kielar

[Caddy Wizard]

That will probably work. 

As you know, the lower part of the air cleaner assembly has two parts -- the bowl (the part with the oil in it) and the filter body.  The bowl doesn't normally spin around.  The bowl has a frusto-conical rubber gasket that seals to the filter body and the gasket tends to keep the filter body from spinning.  If that rubber gasket is missing or hard and slick, the filter body will spin relative to the bowl. 

The distinctive cover can also spin relative to the filter body.  I think that the first order of business is to check the rubber gasket.  Assuming that it is in good shape, you can probably stop the cover from spinning relative to the filter body by placing a firm rubber washer on the top of the filter body where the retaining stud extends therethrough.  That should create some friction between the filter body and the cover to keep the cover from spinning relative to the filter.