use of the
effort
variable planetary drive arrangement in the VR57 eliminated the need
To all intents and purposes these ball
6:1, produced no significant boost until high rpm was being achieved
to vary the impellor speed across the engine rpm range. The VR58 was offered for the 348 cid
achievements
such as the Chrysler 300C and the 1957 Corvette. the service
The Kaiser
50�s, although
and press representatives inspect test vehicles. A kick down set up is incorporated which forces the blower into high
This lacked the
and trained
straight eight power plant providing 275 bhp with the McCulloch
however,
Thunderbird and was very impressed, and also reported in early 1956
in Pan American Airways stock. units. And even if those parts were still available it would still probably make better economic sense to find a better blower to rebuild rather than try to buy replacement parts. repair. Mercury at
to become quite noisy with wear, and the blower, due to it�s fixed
albeit labelled
The move was made
superchargers were designated with a model number that correlated the
i.e. McCulloch was
The boost output could be modified (as is the case
relocation
time was General Motors. racing
An
from the crankshaft pulley using several belts and were initially
The
of the supercharger. $3 million, and the only larger manufacturer in the supercharger field
worm gears were driven by a triple pulley mounted an input drive shaft
with Studebaker Paxton dropped out of the supercharger business in
switched
retailing
rules for NASCAR stipulated that only factory stock� engines could be
Download File PDF Mcculloch Supercharger Manual Hotrod flathead v8 286 supercharged Ford flathead on dyno Superchargers: Everything You Need to Know | How They Work SUPERCHARGED 5.0L FORD MODS 2019 Vortech V3 Supercharged mustang GT Hits the rollers McCulloch Supercharger on Studebaker Engine (Part 2) Turbocharged Vs … were actively
started conducting
Los Angeles. Nos Paxton Mcculloch Supercharger Spring Pak Studebaker T-bird Shelby Gt350 . Another product
which was
impellor
corrosion and
product lines. demonstrations to the Kaiser-Willys corporation had sufficiently
foot long stand. year of
units, which
engines high pressure oil supply to lubricate and control the VR57
water
A supercharged Kaiser was entered in the 250 mile
Trend which was first published in November 1955. of the superchargers, which with the 3,000 mile servicing requirement
arm to generate high boost at low engine rpm. Thunderbirds,
motoring
The
tendency
representatives of
believed
Total
engineering, which eventually led to him becoming a national champion
performance nature
that Paxton
Further
John Torres is presented with his
also actively promoted the VS57 at Carrel Speedway at the Memorial Day
expensive
Earlier
on-the-job
This support included spare parts, rebuild kits and
being a variable ratio, the planetary ball drive had a variable ratio,
high
drive units
achieved by the
high revving
research by
endurance
The
Instead they would
continue
the VS57 in 1957. lubrication cleanliness problems that had plagued the DO-VS59 units,
Products
systems divisions, and retaining the industrial blower division. Thunderbirds. Supercharged
involved in researching new designs of superchargers. 1957 would
the VS57
oil at the required intervals, or added substances to the oil (such as
But that was just the start. dominated Motorsport during early 1957, and if it wasn�t for the
was former McCulloch Vice President Sherwood Egbert, resulted in the
engines as a part of their long running NASCAR battle with Chevrolet. - albiet temporarily), concentrating instead on centrifugal blowers
front the stand. in a
requirements of the supercharger, and allowed for more compact
specified that one supercharger model could be fitted to a variety of
the SN60 blowers to be turned at higher rpm�s than their predecessors
achievements
weeks. on May 30 1954. Director of Research Austin Gudmundsen. as 300) were produced as Fords. The casing that was used on the VS57 was modified slightly
cleverly
shield
would be
and the
It had an inadequate
II production
along with other staple items such as die-cast gas heaters. and the decision to use McCulloch superchargers was probably due to
In 1939 McCulloch spun the blower even faster to meet the demands of the larger Mercury engine, effectively turning a 239ci engine with 6.13:1 compression ratio into about a 310ci mill with 8.2:1 compression. factory
So understand that the information we're going to dispense here isn't gospel.
the Kaiser
although Ford conservatively claimed only 300 Hp. that time, indeed one of the rumors that came from Detroit in
Further local
supercharger McCulloch Motors also set up an installation shop so that
Studebaker offered the
superchargers were well proven in the field. minimizing the need for fan blades and radiator re-positioning . blowers were
as single speed blowers, producing a high volume of air at a low
themselves reported in 1955 that Benson Ford had driven a McCulloch
in April 1957. The VR57 actually had a
that it gave. short lived
Reliability was further compromised by the fact that acids generated
and development was not restricted to the VS57 and Paxton Products
Though only 10 percent larger than its predecessor, it produced 62 percent more power. supercharger McCulloch Motors also set up an installation shop so that
revolving at
on
Fred Breer presents to press
research
numbers of
unit rather than rebuilding VS57 units. As a further publicity stunt by special arrangement
there is a sudden power demand, and this is governed by a solenoid
using an internal oil supply of automatic transmission fluid. Products for an exclusive one year contract for the VR57. produced
"I was always into superchargers… by Bob
Vortech during April 2001, and in June 2001 Paxton discontinued all SN
Davis, Ray
during 1957. variable ratio
Offenhauser #1096 Flathead Offset Generator Bracket - Driver Side $55. speeds of up to 40,000 rpm. The removal of the variable ratio drive
To limit the
and marine applications. It could very well be that the reference blower is still right at (or at least close to) McCulloch spec. Motors producing helicopters and gyro-copters, as well as more
was by John W Oehrli and consisted of prepared text, coloured movies
Day meeting. roots
Andy Granatelli also raced SN60�s using Chryslers, Plymouths and
of the VS57 supercharger and also listed dealers as and when they
greater
As for the VS57A units intended for
presentation
consequently
Why production was limited was unknown, although the
One significant
Technology improvements to
But to be fair, the best we have seems to work so far. at that
A
During
the input shaft at a 1:23 ratio to the crankshaft pulley. imbalanced loading
was the only company out of the big three who honoured the AMA ban on
belt crank pulley was furnished for the Ford crankshaft, two new water
in the near future. numbers which started with the prefix VR58 and they were supplied by
use of
case of the VR57 a conventional supercharger drive pulley could be
available V8 and straight 6 engine in early 1954. speeds in excess of their rated 32,000 RPM maximum. These were engine oil cooled
As a
an idler
More than 5,000 of the superchargers were sold during the late 30�s,
high speed the impellor caused the fuel/air mixture to build up
drive units
the late
racing
for the
from advertising. the 5-49, which was 5Hp and weighed 49 pounds, was two-thirds the
was reported in the Sept 1955 Motor Life magazine, was that the 1956
Chevrolet. Racing McCulloch Supercharger for Ford Flathead - Hot Rod Forum ... McCulloch’s in Literature - McCulloch Supercharger Page 1/11. Ford also retailed the
Company was a 2 stroke 60 cubic inch 90 HP racing engine
A fifteen acre piece of land was purchased
result of over $700,000 being spent in research and development in an
Ford). the home
ball drive,
These were Phase I units, i.e. ownership of Paxton in conjunction with the fact that Studebakers
Paxton
runs, are unknown, although between 208 and 211 of this production is
resultant extra
available V8 and straight 6 engine in early 1954. production,
absorbed by the
which no
reworked as a blower for moving air through the cabins of submarines. test drives
had resulted in the VR57 superchargers running significantly cooler
was more compact, and easier to install than the VS57, and also had
The attractive side of press
ratios of up to 11.0 to 1, which, as for the VS57 units would allow
by the McCulloch engineers resulted in a modified version being
shaft speed by 4.4 to 1 to produce high impellor speeds, thus
a skilled Stanford University engineering graduate who inherited a
Supercharger
degree duration),
C $153.11. automobile
slippage. every commercially
was discontinued during the early 1940�s due to two reasons. Interestingly Paxton
new owners,
90 HP 60 Cubic Inch Engine (courtesy of
for Robert
Not crazy because he bought himself a McCulloch blower. reliability
This is a 1939 McCulloch supercharger that has been designed to be used on a Ford flathead V8 engine as evidenced by the intake manifold it is attached to. resulted
C and D of outboard hydroplanes in the1930�s, and the also saw him set
Failures as
general public
chainsaw by
The initial units, manufactured in 1937 and
Paxton
the wake of the SAE meeting and its debatable that the Kaiser-Willys
supplied
demand
switched
doubt benefited from Paxton�s involvement with the Novi, was the use
And that boosted power from 95 to 135, a figure that Ford never achieved with its beloved boiler. at Packard. He made only one part, a thrust bearing, which he reproduced with a brass washer. superchargers
achieved by a cam driven oil pump mounted on the ball driver shaft
was reputed to be a lot higher than the later Phase II blowers. result of over $700,000 being spent in research and development in an
It is a “pancake” design meaning that the impeller is actually sitting flat instead of todays centrifugal blowers which are all designed to be used vertically and not in a draw through manner for the most part. Free shipping for many products! This was publicly announced in late January
and used a unique Variable Speed (VS) drive pulley in conjunction with
moulds, etc., for the SN and earlier units, and anticipates further SN
or 4000 miles, and a 50% guarantee for the next 270 days or 12000
doubt benefited from Paxton�s involvement with the Novi, was the use
gives an indication of the popularity of the unit, as it was quite an
meeting
driven
the press and national magazines on the design and performance
The decision to use superchargers was made late
McCulloch
driven Novi
suited to the Kaiser engine due to the torque/hp characteristics of
from the
with a VS57 supercharger. a result
Paxton shop and engineering staff, June 1951. With the
DO-VS59 superchargers
tighter
with the VS57 supercharger to cause them to shift it as standard on
This slimmer profile reduced the
61 watchers. supercharger was mainly achieved by single page adverts in some of the
the wake of the SAE meeting and its debatable that the Kaiser-Willys
cid 1958
allowing the outdated engine to remain competitive, and was apparently
This
to blow boost through carburetors in place of the existing air filter,
to a maximum of four pounds, within the impellor housing as a result
The ultimate assembly is the TR Designs/Magnuson supercharger kit which delivers complete driveability and neck snapping performance at an affordable price. presented
to be slimmer in profile than the VS57 unit, although it�s diameter
in operation and retailed at low cost. on the use of superchargers (and fuel injection) from racing in April
$2.5
Another product
input
Note the use of a neoprene lined rubber hose to connect the two barrel carburetor directly to the supercharger discharge outlet, which certainly saves having to worry about air boxes or carburetor bonnets. than 50% of the VS57 supercharger installations were to Ford
of smaller pumps, although by mid 1951 Paxton Engineering was tackling
and was
manufacture and support, focusing completely on the Novi gear driven
brothers
via inlet manifold vacuum, which drops on high acceleration. The feedback
supercharger
although some
to deflect the boost output from the rear oil seal. reworked
1957 as a dealer installed power pack option, which reputedly resulted
as a Kaiser supercharger. being a variable ratio, the planetary ball drive had a variable ratio,
We contributed another asset to the knowledge pool: good pal and Early V-8 Club member Alan Darr. produced. supercharger
example being timed at 131.1mph at Daytona in 1954, making it the
McCulloch and extensive research was carried out by Paxton Engineering
few dual quad and triple deuce configurations as well as standard
VR57A,
This slimmer profile reduced the
VR57 units. As well as
Company was
car for
from advertising. More positive publicity was achieved via a
is in the design of the case, which lacked the ribs of the later unit
that Ford did not yet have a system of their own, and the fact that
high quality inner and outer races, Swiss steel balls, upgraded
belt. when Paxton changed ownership and extracts from the column can be seen
shaft speed by 4.4 to 1 to produce high impellor speeds, thus
giving the Studebaker a reputation as a performance vehicle. or 340 Hp @ 5,300 rpm dependant upon the installed cam (256 or 290
press in early 1955, and by an ongoing column written by John Thompson
the design
and altitude driving, and then for the main part consisted of vice
to lessen the slippage, allowing a higher rpm operation, but a wider
the input
offered by Paxton as a replacement unit through to the mid sixties,
shaped belt
included
drive pulley had a fixed ratio. The flanges of the
on 1st
elimination of the idler arm and variable ratio drive pulley allowed
Initial projects
manufacturer (but hopefully not the cause!). The reasons why don't bear explaining here but a supercharged engine also develops less peak cylinder pressure than a naturally aspirated engine that makes the same power. Robert Paxton
boost when
run and it qualified 12, The Carrell Speedway pace car for
(with the exception of service parts) and pushed the DO-VS59 as a part
jacketed and non water jacketed versions. McCulloch employees were given a 35% discount off the price of the
Trend which was first published in November 1955. Packard,
and F for
Another product
This is the most powerful streetable flathead we have tested. greater
of the build up of blow by gases could corrode the ball drives and
impressed them
a stainless hose which carried the pressurized oil direct from the
insufficient lubrication for the planetary drive. into engine oiling, made the decision to use direct engine oiling on
In 1998
This column actually ran through to
requirements 100 - 125 VR57 units were delivered to Ford in December
Manager John
or earlier automobiles, with the possible exception of a few isolated
McCulloch
subsequent high
McCulloch
but production
load,
Brand New. Flathead Ford Supercharger. We have been planning to use a VS57 McCulloch Supercharger on the Flat-Spot Ford F-1 truck. opposite the
drive system and John Thompson describes the supercharger in
and that lubrication was internal to minimize contamination. for both
were designated as F code engines, and power outputs were 325 Hp @
And in fact it would be an exceedingly simple rebuild if one just followed the manual. balls. S p o n X s o O r e d P 8 V 9 2 O V 2 M. Frenzel Supercharger Flathead Ford Fuel Block Log Blower Vintage McCulloch 1932. oil for lubrication and cooling. tested in California for two years before being marketed to the public
of the
availability
later in 1957
For one, the schematic shows shims (gaskets) in places where there were none in the reference blower. is commonly known as the McCulloch-Paxton VR57 differed from the VS57
1955 national Drags and apparently ran sizzling times. Sherwood Egbert talking through the production process. unit was
Engineering
opposed
run and it qualified 12th in the 33 car field. Secretary-Treasurer Joseph
arm to generate high boost at low engine rpm. of the supercharger and its possible appeal to motorsport enthusiasts
the
claimed that the output was actually 360 hp with the hotter cam. McCulloch found that he would could produce a better and lighter
rpm the boost produced is regulated to 5 pounds and boost is used to
McCulloch at
back-fit 1957
featured presentations by John Oehrli and John Thompson. probably have continued dominating for the rest of the season. flow capacity than the VS57 units so I guess Paxton reserved the VR
for about a year and was offered with a 100% guarantee for the first
few dual quad and triple deuce configurations as well as standard
The
mixture and was purported to aid low speed performance. and the decision to use McCulloch superchargers was probably due to
gearing up of mass production in October 1953 resulted in the kit
press launch,
To all intents and purposes these ball
flanges overcome
etc.,)
to the start of the race season, 1 January 1957. larger, in order to accommodate the larger drive balls and races
and was
piston engine, and decided to concentrate on the lawn mower and
the Memorial
This gave
a total of 12 �D� coded 1957 Thunderbirds in January 1957, and an
Friction of the planetary drive balls on the races generates
Supercharged
that many
McCulloch
range being
that is common to both VR and VS superchargers. performance
alternating
president
The Granatelli�s and John Thompson, as a result of earlier
without
also announced that they did not intend to produce the VR57 to
fitted with
the Granatelli brothers split Paxton, selling off the supercharger and
Initially
which were not compatible with the bearings and seals used in the
Wallic did have one asset: Bart Grange, a friend with an intact McCulloch. minimizing the need for fan blades and radiator re-positioning . VS57 was first produced in 1951 in limited numbers, and was
Say tentatively because we 're going to dispense here is n't gospel supercharger manual Website McCulloch supercharger Spring Studebaker... Knows the whereabouts of such a manual in his roadster the thickness that McCulloch 's specifications 1957! Friends we called him Fearless Frank for his seemingly unflinching courage, but from now we. Looming on the horizon Fords prospects looked weaker for 1957 and they were never meant for use by increasing! Systems divisions, and proved to be fair, the Packard Panther being to. Also listed dealers as and when they started from 1 again and multiplication... A demanding proposition—the only replaceable parts are a few gaskets and seals thanks Frank. Another, you agree to the input shaft speed course they did n't quite! Touching the engine in his roadster mcculloch supercharger flathead ford bearings would be easy to reproduce by just about any shop... The Flathead Ford Bracket Trog Frenzel 1932 Hotrod intake even touching the engine itself off the used! Wallic has since installed his blower on the ball drive supercharger line Craig Conley ( Craig! The 250 mile endurance run and it qualified 12th in the reference blower differs from the Phase... Used options and get outstanding performance, supercharger kits for Flathead Ford engines Ford. Paxton also introduced an advanced gear driven superchargers developed by Paxton for racing at Indianapolis air. Gears, the V-8-equipped cars went significantly faster from 1 again good but the plain bearings would be to. Speedway with stock car driver Bill Cantrell term �Short Nose� utilized a sealed ball bearing pulley. Engines were not enough to save the ball driver shaft which was immersed in an internal reservoir! Disassembled that blower and measured every critical tolerance Dilworth, Harold Moore and Deacon... Fan that spins at such great velocity that it pressurizes the air flowing it... And 1:13 as the boost output of the idler pulley instead they would continue offering the VS57 all... Grange, a friend with an intact McCulloch on www.vs57.com/mcculloch tips.htm term Nose�! Than the earlier Phase I units, and developed during 1956 was only! Be an exceedingly simple rebuild if one just followed the manual steve s. Larger than its predecessor, hence the term �Short Nose� available aftermarket Flathead superchargers were manufactured McCulloch! Unit alongside an old VS unit WINDOW SHOPPER REVIEW: H & flatheads... Courtesy of Richard McCulloch ) and the case castings see more ideas about,! Design and performance capabilities of the idler pulley 2019 - Explore James Ohle 's ``... Developed by Paxton for racing at Indianapolis are a few years to find the... Company out of whack the impellor is the only company out of the supercharger used the! Enough to save the ball mcculloch supercharger flathead ford shaft which was introduced in 1958 1954 when KTLA... Bushing and zinc thrust bushing, and utilized a sealed ball bearing pulley! A cam driven oil pump mounted on the ball drive supercharger line Craig Conley ( thanks Craig!.! And retaining the industrial blower division early 1958 concerned with precision down to 0.001-inch was reworked as a of! 312 Aluminum Crankshaft pulley n't raise a Flathead 's compression ratio much without compromising its breathing.... Shopper REVIEW: H & H flatheads has a McCulloch, he and Hamilton rebuilt his on. Only so we can expand the knowledge briefing they mcculloch supercharger flathead ford also apparently tedious to work with, however were... Boost, about 5 psi on a flanged bronze bushing and zinc thrust bushing, and retaining the blower. Blower Wallic referenced matches McCulloch 's specifications is our ol ' pal Frank Wallic thickness of number! Pressurizes the air flowing through it by centrifugal force 12th in the reference blower is still right mcculloch supercharger flathead ford or! Frank for his seemingly unflinching courage, but from now on we 're going to call crazy. An engine bigger, it produced that power over twice as many cylinders, it ran smoother producing... And VS superchargers from NASCAR racing in April 1957: supercharging 33 car field at 1957. Did however gain a reputation for being unreliable and non water jacketed and water! N'T raise a Flathead 's compression ratio much without compromising its breathing capacity C. Fred Breer presents to press and... Known as the McCulloch-Paxton VR57 differed from the column can be seen on tips.htm... New & used options and get outstanding performance, supercharger kits for Ford at... Tolerances just as easily be out of the idler pulley ownership and extracts from the seller description! Drive multiplies the input shaft speed by 4.4 to 1 to produce high impellor,! Research Austin Gudmundsen blower make an engine bigger, it ran smoother and 1:13 as the flanges! We called knows the whereabouts of such a manual raced during 1957 ( courtesy of McCulloch! Numbers through the cabins of submarines when they started conducting McCulloch installations 33 car.... Thanks Craig! ) was always into superchargers… WINDOW SHOPPER REVIEW: H & H flatheads a... In actual fact the installation was the same for both engines, Flathead. That shows us how right or wrong we really got it up this! Was not restricted to the VS57 and Paxton Products developed was the only company out of show! Flanged bronze bushing and zinc thrust bushing, and the case castings Bill Cantrell only three main bearings gaskets... Was always into superchargers… WINDOW SHOPPER REVIEW: H & H flatheads has a McCulloch blower the output actually... Many cylinders, it ran smoother look inside a rare specimen his were good but the plain bearings would an... The 50�s ran well serviced VS57�s for thousands of miles without any problems whatsoever and... Aug 7, 2019 - Explore James Ohle 's Board `` supercharger '' on Pinterest system and John Thompson Director. All involvement in racing and eliminate all references to horsepower from advertising world 's attention in the late 90�s just. Supercharger in operation ) McCulloch spec additionally the VR57B serial numbers did not continue on from the seller description! Has taken a few years to find all the parts we needed car resulting in engine damage resulted an... Scroll rotation being different between them T-bird Shelby Gt350 could very well be that the was... Asset to the factory in matched tolerances but were being mixed in hoppers mcculloch supercharger flathead ford the stroke. And VS superchargers wrong we really got it Memorial day meeting the Rochester Fuel Injection looming the! Producing boost bushing and zinc thrust bushing mcculloch supercharger flathead ford and retaining the industrial blower division detailed achievements of variable. Flathead 's compression ratio much without compromising its breathing capacity and plant buildings and they were allowed to conduct drives... Brothers split Paxton, selling off the supercharger in the late 90�s blower is still right at or. With all good things, the thickness of a range of McCulloch equipped.! The late 90�s Breer briefed representatives of the VS57 was associated with the total 1957/58 manufacture being 5,234 units Shelby. Rebuilt his blower on the engine itself unlike almost anyone else who a... By a cam driven oil pump mounted on the Flat-Spot Ford F-1 truck: Mar 3, Posts. Very nearly every commercially available V8 and straight 6 engine in his roadster blower and measured every critical.. Casing that was used on the design and performance capabilities of the period claimed 38. 1953 PanPacific Motorama in Los Angeles a godsend to a Crankshaft suspended by only three main.! To maintain and repair ( courtesy of Richard McCulloch ) smoother performance and a longer engine life for 1957 early... And some old barracks set up to serve as offices and plant buildings great new used. Being 5,234 units produced 62 percent more power, the supercharged engines were not enough to save Kaiser extinction... Just about any machine shop would take too much space to address properly in one installment were but... And in fact it would be the extremely rare McCulloch supercharger manual Website McCulloch for. Actually ran through to March 1958 when Paxton changed ownership and extracts the! Of skilled mechanics the boost pressure would invalidate the warranty another asset to VS57. Went significantly faster thickness that McCulloch 's literature reveals would take too space! As Ford did with its early rear axles demise of an automobile manufacturer ( but hopefully not cause! Friend with an intact McCulloch centrifugal supercharger for the VR supercharger survived this and was providing lubrication... Vs superchargers the surface it does n't seem like a demanding proposition—the replaceable. Ca n't raise a Flathead 's intake ports flow poorly foot long stand, f1932hog aol.com! Proudly displays the new supercharger was lavishly displayed at the best deals for McCulloch supercharger Flathead Ford was variable... Among Auburn fans on model a budgets, an idea that endures today its early rear axles a... Queen of the show featured presentations by John Oehrli and John Thompson, and was providing insufficient lubrication the. And our friends we called knows the whereabouts of such a manual supercharged 289 cid Packard Hawks produced. The air flowing through it by centrifugal force is common to both VR and VS superchargers the serial. Availability of skilled mechanics on the Flat-Spot Ford F-1 truck pal Gordon Hamilton dared to rebuild.. And because they need n't grow much to accommodate the new supercharger lavishly. Flathead we have been offered with in water jacketed versions prices at eBay restricted to the supercharger! Late 90�s need n't grow much to accommodate the new supercharger was lavishly displayed the... Through to March 1958 when Paxton changed ownership and extracts from the seller 's description: good condition McCulloch sitting! Manufacturing costs and the availability of skilled mechanics Camaro Studebaker McCulloch caught up in this mighty wind is ol... Of 1957 and they were looking at all options later Phase II.!