371 on 59AB in 34 Ford Coupe

[NDFlathead]

Putting a "pruined" 371 on a 59AB with 59AB Edlebrock heads.
I need to gain a little more clearance at the head outlets for the radiator elbows where my chrome tubes attach. (get it away from the blower).
DO NOT want to use flexible hose.
Any ideas????

[Pete]

Originally Posted by NDFlathead

Putting a "pruined" 371 on a 59AB with 59AB Edlebrock heads.
I need to gain a little more clearance at the head outlets for the radiator elbows where my chrome tubes attach. (get it away from the blower).
DO NOT want to use flexible hose.
Any ideas????

Been there done that.
Cut outlet, fabricate elbow, weld on.

[JWL]

I just cut a "pie" slice out of the outlet and welded back on canted outward. However, on the latest set I made a flange to match a Chevy bolt-on thermostat housing, and welded it on at the outlets after machining them to accept the angle I wanted the flanges to be. Bought some of those adjustable Chevy outlets for the hoses.

[Dak Rat]

How about a couple of pictures of this set up?

[whizzernick]

what blower ? 371 ?

[scicala]

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Originally Posted by whizzernick

what blower ? 371 ?

371 on 59AB in 34 Ford Coupe

[cmbrucew]

Originally Posted by whizzernick

what blower ? 371 ?

3 cylinder 71 series detroit Diesel, 2 stroke engine.
Bruce

[JWL]

I don't have picture posting skills but can email a picture. If it is me to whom you are asking for a picture??

JWL

[JSeery]

JWLs photos:

[outlaw]

Guys, Thanks for the info & pictures on this. I too have a 3-71 that I probably will use on a future build. Unless I come up with a 4-71, but I'm sure that the water outlet problem will be the same. Bill

[rotorwrench]

3-71 was for the 213 CID 3-banger Detroit so it's output is somewhat limited. A GMC 4-71, SCoT, or Weiand 142 might be a better choice. The SCoT & Weiand 142 set a bit lower too.

I've seen folks use the 8BA/EAB type heads for the early motors to get some clearance for the GMC type super chargers.

[scooder]

Blower sizes (cu.in per revolution)
3-71 is 210 ci
4-71 is 280 ci
Scot is 172 ci
Weiand 142 is 142ci
B&M 144 is 144.
The 3-71 is much bigger than the 144\142 and a fair bit bigger than the Scot.
A 3-71 will work on a very fruity flathead and not run out of puff. It's what Barny used to great effect.
Based on that, Bill, the 3-71 is fit for use, no need to dig up a 4-71.
I say run it. As been said above, useing 8BA style heads will cure the water neck issue.
Martin.

[Fordors]

I agree with scooder, and if it does run out of steam you can always add more overdrive with a pulley change. Navarro for sure ran a 3-71 on a de-stroked 240 inch flathead and probably more combos as well.

[JSeery]

These GM blowers were used on 2-cycle diesel engines to clear the cylinders and move air with little to no compression, a completely different application than being used to compress the incoming air on a 4-cycle gasoline engine. So it is hard to compare the original engine size or hp or anything to use on v8 4-cycle engines. The original application produced 112 hp.

[JSeery]

Off topic, but I find it interesting:

"Barney Navarro is usually credited with the first installation of a GMC blower on a race car/hot rod. This was a 3-71 unit brought to him by Kong Jackson (Roto-Faze ignitions), taken off a WWII landing craft. Barney was making his own patterns and having castings done for flat head Ford intake manifolds and heads at that time, so he modified an intake pattern to fit the blower, and had one cast. He bored the blower case a little to increase rotor clearance for the heat build up with the boost he was going to run. He used a V belt drive and four Stromberg carbs running alcohol through the blower to a destroked flathead V-8 in his roadster, which ran 147 mph. Barney ran the car at the dry lakes and dirt circle tracks, having to solve drive belt issues rather than mechanical issues with the blower. He also ran the roadster at the drags in Santa Ana in 1950, one of the first to run a blower in a drag racing venue. Tom Beatty, who worked with Barney, built a belly tank lakester, using a Navarro blower setup, and set an open wheel top speed record with it. Beatty made manifolds and drive kits for the GMC blowers and expanded their use considerably."

[Ronnieroadster]

Barney Navaros and Tom Beatty pruned the GMC blower case doing that eliminated any water outlet problems when using early Ford heads. Navaros blower manifold for the flathead is designed for a pruned case GMC blower. Done correctly a pruned case GMC blower will look right at home on a flathead. The process of pruning the case takes some time but with some care using a right angle grinder or better yet a milling machine the case modification can be done easily.
Another often missed detail is the rotor rotation and direction. GMC blowers when used for boost applications require the rotors to be reversed in the case. You will notice on the 371 ,471 and 671 case the bolt pattern from side to side is not the same they mounted in one direction only. When used on gas engines not diesels the rotors are swapped end to end and the case is also reversed. To learn more a how to it book should be read its not hard to do but hard to describe.

[outlaw]

Originally Posted by scooder

Blower sizes (cu.in per revolution)
3-71 is 210 ci
4-71 is 280 ci
Scot is 172 ci
Weiand 142 is 142ci
B&M 144 is 144.
The 3-71 is much bigger than the 144\142 and a fair bit bigger than the Scot.
A 3-71 will work on a very fruity flathead and not run out of puff. It's what Barny used to great effect.
Based on that, Bill, the 3-71 is fit for use, no need to dig up a 4-71.
I say run it. As been said above, useing 8BA style heads will cure the water neck issue.
Martin.

Martin, Thank you. This future build will be a 284ci motor built on a factory relieved 59ab block that I have. I would like to use aluminum 59ab style heads with the center water outlets. As mentioned I can always over drive it to bring the boost up if I need to. Bill

[scooder]

Originally Posted by JSeery

These GM blowers were used on 2-cycle diesel engines to clear the cylinders and move air with little to no compression, a completely different application than being used to compress the incoming air on a 4-cycle gasoline engine. So it is hard to compare the original engine size or hp or anything to use on v8 4-cycle engines. The original application produced 112 hp.

Yep, it's the blower size that's important, not what it was originally bolted too. The listed blowers don't compress in the blower itself, they just move a sized amount of air. They are positive displacement blowers.
Martin.

[rotorwrench]

While the 3-71 is definitely usable, A lot more work has to be done to use it. There are kits available for the others and they are pretty sanitary set ups. If a person has the wherewithall to do all the mods, it will save some bucks but take a lot of time. If bucks aren't a problem then call H&H or Joe Abbin and bolt the stuff on & go. Size is mostly on the outside since the drives can be modified for blower speed but the GMC types are tall units. They do look a lot better when pruned down though. If you put dual 97s up on top they are really tall.

[Fordors]

Originally Posted by rotorwrench

.........but the GMC types are tall units. They do look a lot better when pruned down though. If you put dual 97s up on top they are really tall.

The hot rodder's maxim- If some is good more is better, and too much is just enough.

And personally I prefer the DIY method over the check book any day.

[whizzernick]

Not to change subject : I have a scot with nothing but the blower. it has the two holes up front (I assume for late model eng 49-53 ) My question is what water pumps lower pulley etc. do I need ? My scot has a 3 thin belt pulley that doe not match up with anything .????????

[rotorwrench]

Joe Abbin's set up is not too badly priced for what you get. The SCoT stuff is high though. After you get done putting a workable set up together, you might not find Joe's price too high.

Nick: I'd check with H&H about your SCoT. Max is pretty well the specialist on those units.