As some of you know I recently purchased 55 Bel Air with a blown injected sbc. Yesterday I pulled the blower, injection and mag. The injection and mag are going to Fuel Injection enterprises, and I was planning on sending the blower to Littlefield. After cleaning up the blower it looks a little rough. The rotors have a little damage and the rear bearings have some slop. Their is also a crack on the case. I'm also not crazy about the pulley and belt combo, I'd prefer a 3" pulley and belt combo. What do you guys think?
With all those cracks inside and out I would say don’t use it period. One good hit on the throttle and that thing is toast.
I think even if it worked okay I would be thinking about those cracks opening up every time I drove my car anywhere! Send that blower to a reputable shop and let them look it over just for peace of mind. If they tell you that crack isn't in a stressed area and it won't go anywhere you are good. Those rotors are trash IMHO though, I am no expert.
Anything can be repaired, how much do you want to spend? Since the car is so cool I would consider fixing/refurbishing it
That rear cover may be rare , I haven't seen too many Potvin parts. Cases and rotors are more common. I'm sure it can be saved somehow.
I wouldn't use that blower case. But you can put the cool potvin ends on another case. Check your intake and make sure it's flat. If it's warped that could be why that ear cracked
Same here with the phone. That’s cool. First one this fat guy has seen. Cases can’t be hard to get if I have access to a couple.
In the spirit of hot rodding, what you have there is a chance to learn something. That aluminum can be welded. That bearings can be changed. Rotors can be pegged, some is worth salvaging and efficiency is subjective. After that, it's worth so much a lb. as scrap. But as others have mentioned, you have options if you have the cash to spend.
The rotor can be repaired easily,,,,,,They have a fixture to weld up the rib,,,,,.and then they will mill it right back into place,,,,,just like it never happened . The case can be repaired as well,,,,it will take more time,,,,,,but it can still be fixed . Does the case have any cracks in the pressure chamber inside ,,,or just at the mounting area ? Either way,,,it can be fixed,,,,,,but depending on the damage,,,it can limit the amount of abuse it can tolerate . Yes,,,,,,the bearings and seals need to be replaced,,,,,,over looking bearings is probably what contributed to the rotor damage. I can’t tell from the pics,,,,,,it looks like the Potvin plate doesn’t belong on there . It is a full square piece,,,,,,and the bearing plate behind it looks like it’s half square,,half round ? I’m not sure from the angle of the pic . How does the inside of the case look,,,,,,very much gall area ? Depending on the amount of work needed,,,,,, it will still be a fair amount of money for welding and dressing all the parts . You might be better off replacing it,,,,,it depends on how much work you do yourself . Good luck man ! Tommy
Having read your intro post, the smart thing to do would be to save the parts (for checking/rebuilding later) and get on with the build so you can get to cruising quicker. Try not to be of those guys who has that never ending project/money pit. Historical restoration on a car without any major signifigance (except that it's cool) usually ends up in a major loss of time and money. Keep in mind the HAMB really likes spending your money, and to a certain extent wasting your time.
That looks like it's been rode hard and put away wet, it will make a great wall hanging though. Hello Littlefield!
As, always great info. The portion of the case that sees pressure is fine, but it's definitely going to take some time and money to make it road worthy. The whole thing seems like it was pieced together using various left over parts, the end cap doesn't line up, and I don't think there's a matching set of bolts holding it together! I'm leaning towards a new blower and an intake with a thermostat housing
Get another case. That is an OEM 6-71 case. They are not hard to find. Fix the rotors. A little TIG welding and some lathe work will make them right again.
At least you have an early Delta drive unit on the blower. That drive is more rare then the later Delta drives. the Delta Drive and the Potvin cover are probably worth a lot to someone re-storing an early front engine dragster. Probably worth enough to cover the cost of another 6-71 blower, and another rear cover and a front drive assembly.
The right guy can fix all that damage. I've got a friend who blew the left case apart on my old 49 panhead. It looked like a road map of rivers and streams, it looked terrible. Big pieces and little pieces. He wanted to save that 70+ year old casting. He found the right guy, and has run the hell out of it for many miles since. No problems with that repair.
That's good to know. I think I'm going to install a weind 671 and intake with thermostat housing, so the current blower and intake will get sold.
Hello, You are taking the old blower to the right place near you. The cracked case does look shaky, despite the expertise of the machinists/welders at any shop, including Littlefield Blowers this might be a lost cause. We knew back then a new 671 was too much for our budget. There were very few shops that specialized in blowers at the time. So, we decided to go to a diesel shop near out house and got a great discount on a new 671 supercharger that was on display for quite some time. It was new, but the owner wanted a completely new display for his diesel motors, which included a new from the factory 671 set up. He wanted to get rid of the display 671, so he gave us a deal we could not pass up. The importance of something so powerful, increasing horsepower by the gobs was ingrained in us so, we decided to get a new/old one without any blems or cracks. At the time, the best rebuilder for drag racing with 671 superchargers was Reath Automotive. So, listen to what the shops have to say about the cracks and dings. It may not be worth it to run anything that has been run through the ringer. Most shops do blowers for racing and also for the street applications, whatever they may be. We certainly would get a new one. YRMV Mert Littlefield was in my graduating class at Long Beach Poly High School. He was also in 2 years of Metal Shop and Auto Shop during our last two years of school. He was a skilled mechanical person that could lay a bead of oxy/acetylene and when it was time for us to learn “arc” welding, he was the best in the class. I could not see out of the dark flip down face mask, so my beads were wanderers. Ha! The oxy/acetylene glasses were less dark and I could get a great looking bead on my welding. But, his beads in both were top quality machine shop, professional work. But, after our drag racing era, Mert Littlefield went into drag racing with a flourish. Besides Don Hampton Blowers, (https://www.hamptonblowers.com/superchargers) The other shop has been around after we were teenagers, but originally developed and run by a friend of mine from high school, Mert Littlefield. He developed his skills and became a builder, racer and specialist in the industry. He is now gone, but before he left us, his company, Littlefield Blowers is still going strong with the skill and knowledge from the history in So Cal. (racing and street applications) https://www.littlefieldblowers.com/ 1-714-9929292 Jnaki This was an old story I wrote about the supercharging from my friend, Mert Littlefield. Hello, Every time I see a Littlefield decal or photo, my mind wanders back to the teenage years at our old high school in Long Beach. The local area had produced a ton of people involved in all sorts of drag racing history. Some had early hot rod/drag racing history already in place. Others got involved and over time, became part of that history themselves. Mert Littlefield was one of those people. I would see Mert at school almost every day as we had classes together. But, what we learned in those early, practical technology classes helped us develop in different ways. His practical skills were at the top of our technology classes and we all respected that. But, his friendly demeanor was always nice to be around when he was doing his class projects. It was never a secret way to get a better grade. He always helped others do better in all forms of auto mechanics and in the metal shop classes. Jnaki His machining skills were top notch and we usually watched how he did his projects. After high school, we drifted apart until our drag racing adventures were over and his was just beginning to get some notoriety. Those articles about his skills and builds were always impressive as the years rolled on for all of us. He is gone now, but his work skills, designs, and supercharger business is still going strong in So Cal. Previous post in another thread: Hello, Over our hot rod/drag race history, we have met and known many wonderful people in those early years. From our junior high school years through our teenage high school cruising/racing days. From teenage hot rod builders, speed shop owners, drag racers and of course our high school friends from those tedious classes we all had to take. Mert Littlefield was in several of my high school classes. We were in the Autoshop, Metal Shop and others that don’t stand out as well as the mechanical tech classes. We both like hot rods and drag racing. He was someone with a lot of hot rod skills, but, was for me, a quiet person that was a friend to everyone. His welding skills made mine look like a beginner, until I kept at it until I could get a good bead for strength. But, welding was not for me in the future as I could not see what I was doing, using the standard dark protection shield glasses. As all sorts of friends come and go during the years of high school. We were all impressed that many years later, he became well known in the field of drag racing and supercharging. His history in hot rods and funny cars started it for him. We did not see him during our foray into stock car racing with the Impala or the 1940 671 SBC Willys, B/Gas & C/Gas racing days. But, when looking at editions of Drag News, the OC papers, or the various magazines later on in life, his name popped up frequently. Jnaki Maybe had he started his drag racing career a bit earlier, or in our next phase, if there was going to be a next phase back then, a cool Littlefield Supercharger would have played a big part in our future build. Thanks, M...
Hey Jnaki , That is the best testimony that I have ever read,,,,,,I always thought the Littlefield logo was a cool design . I’m sure he was a real gentleman,,,,,and you as well ! I wish more people were like that,,,,,,and you also,,,,,,,for telling everyone what a great guy he was . Tommy
Send it to those crazy bastards in India that fix ANYTHING. If they can repair a crankshaft that is in 2 pieces, a blower case will be easy for them.
Hey T, That is a very nice comment about Mert Littlefield and our old high school/drag racing days from those past early 1960s moments. Thank you. Some of these memories just stay in our brains for quite some time and pop up when something sparks it, to show itself. Those were great times to experience hot rods and drag racing. Some folks were just starting and did what was necessary to succeed with their talents. It is an impressive thing that some of those old drag racers from "back in the day" can still be remembered through stories and memorabilia. Jnaki Thanks for enjoying a fun time of memories and what it took to tie it into the current story. Safety is what would be told from this story. Don Hampton (Hampton Blowers)and Mert Littlefield's company, great mechanical skills and knowledge with continuing great business sense.
It can be saved /fixed, Are you capable doing all the work, knowledge to set up? Not hard to do ,you will need mill , lathe , tig or know other ways to weld aluminum. If not ,will not be cheap unless you have a bud, I personally do not like New Weiand Bearing plate & snout
Is the case damage "old", the blower was working that way for years? I run a 2" belt on my blown 427, it works fine....and looks right for a 60s build. But I don't have the engine setback that you do, so that extra inch of clearance makes a big difference for me fwiw, the 1961 Cragar catalog lists V belts for street blower drives, and 3" toothed belts for competition drives. But they didn't really have street/strip blown cars so much back then. If you're going to get a new blower, well, there goes all the "old" from this project. Sigh....
I'm not positive but I believe the Potvin cover was for a front mount blower. It might be worth more to someone who needed it for a restoration than other than a conversation piece. A street blower running under 7 lbs. of boost probably won't hurt that case and the rotor looks like garbage was ran through it. Until it is properly measured, there's no way to know if it's good or just a chance for a rebuild. If the case is hurt from improper installation, it might be dimensionally ok but if it's had a serious backfire that caused it, replacement would probably be the best option. You may find that reusing the drive with a fresh blower to be your best option. Beware of people blowing smoke up your you know what because they can smell "newbie" a mile away. Best of luck to you.
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