Ford 6V Carburetion Air Cleaner Identification Guide

Ford 6V Top Plate Background

There were only three possible 6V Top Plates for Ford 6V Ari Cleaners. The original SBF 6V Air Cleaner top plate pictured to the lower left came only on the 260 and 289 versions of the SBF 6V Carburetion setup across the counter from Ford. The two top holes are approximately 10 inches apart and are situated such that you need to straight 1/4×20 threaded studs approximately 2 3/4 inches long with the original Ford paper air filter element 1 13/16 inches thick. the 10 inch dimension between the holes is the same dimension between holes on all Ford 8V or 2 4 barrel Top Plates but the 2×4 top plates sit 180 degrees out from the 6V top plates. In regard to some of the reproduction 6V air cleaners certain makers have for some reason used a 8 7/8 inch dimension between the top plate holes which requires both threaded studs to be custom made and offset inorder to attach your air cleaner to your carburetors. Classic Blue Performance Blue Thunder cast 6V air cleanrers all use the correct 10 inch dimension between top plate holes. So if you need an air cleaner for your SBF, Thunderbird FE or just FE 6V carburetion, all correct original top plates from Ford used the 10 inch dimension between the top plate holes so make sure you look for that in a reproduction air cleaner. As of January, 2022, Classic Blue Performance now offers a correct, reproduction SBF Top Plate which is correct for all 260/289 SBF 6Vs.  You can order the air cleaner from them via their ebay store now. I purchased the first one which came available in early January, 2022 and have it for my own SBF 6V setup. John Mora from Classic Blue Performance worked very hard to make this happen over the last year. Like all of John Mora’s reproduction Ford alum parts, they are cast and made by Blue Thunder here in the USA. See pictures of the first production piece which is on my personal SBF 6V. You may order your own air cleaner via John Mora’s E-Bay Store.   

The second real Ford top plate for the original Thunderbird FE Carburetion has the original Ford Thunderbird badge cut into the grooves of the top plate. The groves go the complete distance from front to rear on original top plates. They like the other original 6V top plates use the 10 inch dimension between the two mounting holes in the top plate which match the front and rear holley carburetor air cleaner threaded stud location. Again Blue Thunder through Classic Blue Performance offers exactly correct reproduction air cleaners including the correct 10 inch dimension.

The third and final top plate came only on all FE 6V carburetion sets purchased from Ford for use on any of the variety of Ford FE engines, including the 352, 390, 406, 427 and 428. This top plate had groves which ran the full length of the top plate (including slightly over each end edge) with absolutly no cut outs for fender emblems or other items. Nothing but the cast top plate. Like the others, it came with the top holes in the top plate 10 inches apart. Pictures of the various three top plates are shown below. Again beware that some productions come with the incorrect hole spacing on the top plate. Insist on top plates with the 10 inch dimension to be correct and to make it very easy to bolt the air cleaner onto your carburetion.

All three Ford 6V air cleaners with correct 10 inch dimension between mounting holes use the following lengths of straight rod 1/4×20 threads in the following lengths based on air cleaner element thickness:

Ford Stock 1 13/16 inch thick air cleaner element-2 threaded rods 2 3/4 inches in length

2 1/2 inch thick K&N style air cleaner element-2 threaded rods 3 3/4 inches in length

3 inch thick K&N style air cleaner element-2 threaded rods 4 1/4 inches in length

SBF 260/289 6V Air Cleaner Top Plate

John Lettner kindly shared a two diagrams of his original ford SBF 6V ToP Plate with full dimensions and annotations below.  Click on either of the two pictures to download.

Scott Aston’s original early, Ultra Rare FE 6V Top Plate drilled for all three Carburetor sttachment Studs

When Ford began offering the FE 6V Carburetion setup across the counter from your favorite Ford Parts Guy, the correct original ford 6V top plates came drilled for 3 attachment studs with the outside dimension of the front and rear holes still 10 inches, but with a 3rd hole over the center carburetor. The FE 6V air cleaner below has belonged to Scott Aston in Michigan for years and came with the FE Holley 2300s (2436/2437s)on a early 6V maifold which at some time in the past migrated to his personal Buddy Barr SBF 6V intake manifold. I have checked with Joe Bunetic who confirms Ford provided some of the very intial FE 6Vs over the counter with the top plates drilled for 3 holes before migrating to the two hole system.

Ford cast alum Top Plates for 6V and 8V applications. Top plates in general look the same other than age and casting, however the top two holes are in different locations for the 6V and 8V Toplates.

6V Top Plates(Below)-Between both holes the distance is 10 inches for the SBF, FE and T-Bird 6V Top Plates. This dimension is the same as the Ford 2×4 8V top plates but in the 2×4 applications the top plate mounts 180 degrees different than the 6V top plate making them not interchangeable if they come configured with the T Bird emblem or fender flags.

8V Top Plates(Below)-Between both holes the distance is 10 inches.