I'm thinking of building a flathead with a blower. I've never had a blower motor before. With a blower you obviously get the cool factor of having a blower plus the increase in power, but what are the downfalls/negatives of having a blower ? Other than cost of course.
well, let me see where i can start... the EGT's are high, the intake temps are high thus causing the motor to run warmer than normal of your not prepaired for it.. timing is a real bitch, so is getting the plug gap just perfect... its takes alot of time to get two carbs to tune in just right.. if you go with a vintage blower, parts are hard to come by, and i drive mine a lot so its alot of clean oil changes and such to care for it. blowers are a different style of driving. all in all i love my blown flathead. there is nothing more cool to people when they see you drive in with a blown flatty!! oh and the sound is great!! mine whistles like a bastard when your lead footing it.
Huh, I put a blower on a homebuilt intake, home built drive system and just drove the shit out of it. Sure, you have to fiddle with the carbs a bit, but no more so than 2 carbs on a non-blown set up. Flatheads breathe poorly and IMHO a blower is one of the best things to do to one.
No "downfalls", really no "negatives" (not counting the costs of course), they are actually fun to drive. Have been involved with more "blown" builds a few years ago, not as many today, but no issues whatsoever. The one item I would recommend is a "girdle" that straddles the center main and ties into the pan rails and block web. Pan still works. I made these at one time but have none available anymore. This is not to be confused with the main cap "strap", it has more support. I have a photo of the "pattern", but that's about it. Thanks, Gary in N.Y. P.S. Here's a shot of one, I believe taken at the N.Y. coliseum, was a 2x4's setup. Have done single 4's as well. And also a shot of the "girdle" pattern.
Hello, I made a video back in the 1990's called "Fullrace Flathead" I detailed building a 296 Supercharged Flathead that I built for my front Engine dragster. Let me know if interested and I can transfer it to a DVD. I originally offered it on VHS for $20.00 That's the Dragster and the same "Fullrace Flathead" that is shown in the Video in my Avitar on the left.
I've got a bunch of flathead stuff that will be for sale soon including a nice blower setup...PM me for details. Steve
I put 3.5-4 lbs at WOT. I'm still having some timing issues with the advance ... Its has the ability to run better once I straighten it out . But it's a good running old flathead Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
McCulloch on a stock engine gives about 4 or 5 PSI and 25% more HP. Flatheads respond well to supercharging because they have low compression and the breathing is not the best. Don't go crazy and you should get 25% - 50% more HP without hurting driveability and reliability too much. 5 - 7 PSI. Disadvantages, cost, complexity, weight. One more thing to go wrong. Keep it mild and it shouldn't cause problems. PS the above was posted while I was typing but I will let my answer stand.
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