If it's OK to post regarding a front mount blower and not interfere with the back stabbing, I'll post 3 fotos that I did today of Treit's streamliner build. I will be adding to his build site in the next few days.
This post will show Marlo and Hume's approach to the front mounted blower.
Treit's lakester was a test bed for engine development for the streamliner. Marlo used a PSI blower. It was a top mounted application on the KB engines, driven by a belt. For several years they were not successful. The belts were not capable of transmitting the necessary power to drive the blower. Several cooling devises were used and still the belts jumped off before the end of the first timed mile.( 2 to the 3 ) In order to get adequate air from the PSI the overdrive was 2.1:1. Gates sent a factory rep to the salt and observed but they still could not develop a belt that eliminated the catostrophic explosions.
Les Davenport, driver and engineering consultant on the 678 lakester and the 'liner, built an overdrive unit that spun the blower fast enough for the desired boost and slowed the belt speed down to a manageable ft/min. Using that unit, on the the first run, the belt stayed on and they were timed through the first measured mile. They replaced the belt and decided to attempt multiple runs on the new belt. After two successful passes it was determined that the belt would be replaced every two runs. That was adequate for the car to establish records above 300 MPH. The lakester has not run for a long time and two passes was the most any belt has experienced. But, the data that they needed to establish had been determined. It's much more thrifty to replace a belt than a 500 inch KB after lifting the blower, windowing the block, ballooning all the aft body panels and leaving Les unable to hear for 2 days and his ears ringing for 14 days.
This information was the basis for the design of the blower drive for the liner. The switch to Whipple blowers provided more air at a lower blower speed.The Whipple only needs an overdrive of 1.45:1. Pulley size and belt length was a problem off the crank of the lakester. There wasn't enough room for a larger crank pulley to get the desired blower RPM and even if they did accomplish that, the ft/min was still too high. On the streamliner, pulley size is not a problem. There is enough room for whatever is needed, so the blower is driven off of the crank by a short belt that doesn't have to spin the blower as fast. The drive for the Whipples is through the back plate of the blower. It is offset and all of the needed clearance is available. The stress on the belt is no longer a function considering the reduced RPM and lesser ft/min on the belt.
I do not have a foto that shows the pulley drive off of the crank but it does show the pulley on the Whipple and the relationship of the blower to the engine location. Driving through the back plate gives the proper rotation for the blower.
Problem solved? He sure as hell hopes so........
FREUD
