Supercharger for my Apache

[Daze57]

excellent work

[crossfire84]

Nice work!

[diceman50]

Thanks guys!

[diceman50]

I hope to start the engine swap on my 58 Apache soon so I recorded some performance runs with a GTECH Pro. This will give me something to compare after the engine swap and supercharger installation. I made several 0 to 60 and 1/4 mile runs and averaged them. As it turns out the 0 to 60 and 1/4 mile times were almost the same.

0 to 60 avg = 21.88 seconds
1/4 mile avg = 22.10 @ 63.3 MPH

Since I know the weight of the truck (4160 lbs.) I used an online horsepower calculator to estimate the rear wheel horsepower. Using the trap speed method it came out to 82.3 horsepower. Using the elapsed time method it was 76.2 horsepower for an average of 79.25.

Then I used another online calculator for rear wheel to flywheel horsepower which came out at 101 horsepower. My service manual says the brake horsepower is 145. I know that manufacturers used gross instead of net numbers in 1958, but that seems like a lot of difference to me. However, since my power numbers are all calculated instead of measured it is really hard to compare them. Besides it really doesn't matter since I just wanted something to compare later.

I wish I had thought about doing this before I put the fuel injection and dual exhaust on the truck. From a seat of the pants perspective I know the truck runs much better than it did with the stock induction and exhaust, so it must have been really anemic before. When I bought the truck the drivetrain appeared to be all original so I assume all the internals are stock.

Please excuse the white tape on the radiator hose. It is an experiment.

[diceman50]

Originally Posted by diceman50

I hope to start the engine swap on my 58 Apache soon so I recorded some performance runs with a GTECH Pro. This will give me something to compare after the engine swap and supercharger installation. I made several 0 to 60 and 1/4 mile runs and averaged them. As it turns out the 0 to 60 and 1/4 mile times were almost the same.

0 to 60 avg = 21.88 seconds
1/4 mile avg = 22.10 @ 63.3 MPH

Since I know the weight of the truck (4160 lbs.) I used an online horsepower calculator to estimate the rear wheel horsepower. Using the trap speed method it came out to 82.3 horsepower. Using the elapsed time method it was 76.2 horsepower for an average of 79.25.

Then I used another online calculator for rear wheel to flywheel horsepower which came out at 101 horsepower. My service manual says the brake horsepower is 145. I know that manufacturers used gross instead of net numbers in 1958, but that seems like a lot of difference to me. However, since my power numbers are all calculated instead of measured it is really hard to compare them. Besides it really doesn't matter since I just wanted something to compare later.

I wish I had thought about doing this before I put the fuel injection and dual exhaust on the truck. From a seat of the pants perspective I know the truck runs much better than it did with the stock induction and exhaust, so it must have been really anemic before. When I bought the truck the drivetrain appeared to be all original so I assume all the internals are stock.

It was with much anticipation that I decided to do my after comparison today. I can tell by driving the truck that it runs much better, but I didn't expect it to be this dramatic of a change.

I did the 0 to 60 mph runs first and couldn't believe the results! As a matter of fact I did about 6 runs to make sure.

0 to 60 avg = 11.83 seconds That's 10 seconds faster.
1/4 mile avg =19.29 @ 74.8 MPH

Using the online calculators the trap speed HP was 134.15 and the elapsed time HP was 114.25 for an average of 124.20. That makes the calculated flywheel HP 152.

Like I said I couldn't believe the 0 to 60 times so I found an online 0 to 60 calculator and used 124.20 rear wheel HP and it estimated 11.64 seconds which is certainly within the margin of error.

I say that's not bad for a 2 ton brick. It certainly exceeds my goals for this project. EE says there may be a few more HP in the tune, if so great if not I am very satisfied.

Thanks for all the positive comments and I will be posting progress reports good or bad.

[OutlawDrifter]

inquiring minds need to know...why do you have dice in your sediment bowl?

100hp through aged internals may not be that bad. i can't imagine efficiency was real high from the factory in the manner of drivetrain power loss in that era.

[diceman50]

Originally Posted by OutlawDrifter

inquiring minds need to know...why do you have dice in your sediment bowl?


100hp through aged internals may not be that bad. i can't imagine efficiency was real high from the factory in the manner of drivetrain power loss in that era.

It is little known speed secret so please keep it to yourself, besides I am the "DICEMAN".

You are right about the HP, plus I didn't factor in that I live in a high desert with a bad density altitude. I know when I have taken cars to Dallas to drag race they are usually about a half second faster.

[Advanced Design]

Diceman, Your truck is so cool in so many ways and I enjoyed your description / analysis of the trucks power. Especially the zero to sixty and quarter mile times are about the same.

I have to ask, what is the experiment with the white tape? Speed secret?

[diceman50]

Originally Posted by Advanced Design

Diceman, Your truck is so cool in so many ways and I enjoyed your description / analysis of the trucks power. Especially the zero to sixty and quarter mile times are about the same.

I have to ask, what is the experiment with the white tape? Speed secret?

Thanks for your kind words A/D

I am testing a product called "Rescue Tape" that you might have seen advertised on TV. (http://www.rescuetape.com/) I do a tech talk (aka Diceman's crap) at our monthly car club meeting and I am planning to do one on emergency repair items to carry in your vintage car or truck. Or your new car as far as that goes.

Rescue Tape claims, among other things that you can repair a damaged radiator hose with it. Since I am going to swap the engine soon and will be replacing all the hoses I decided to sacrifice that one for the test. I drilled a 1/4" hole in it and then taped it up. So far I have put about 15-20 miles on it and it is holding fine.

[diceman50]

So it begins.



I started the swap on my truck yesterday and as I was stripping the top of the engine I realized that I have never installed a 6 cylinder engine in anything before. I have removed several, but never installed one. This got me to thinking about how to put a chain or sling on the engine to safely remove the old engine and install the new one. In the past I wasn't too concerned about the old engine since I wasn't planning to reuse it and the replacement was going to be a V8. V8's have plenty of places to fasten a chain or sling to.

The drivers side of a 235/261 is no problem but the passenger side has no large bolt holes near the front or rear of the engine. My solution was to build a fixture to bolt on where the intake and exhaust manifolds go. Like most of my projects it is probably overkill, but I enjoy doing them.

[youngrodder]

Very cool project and I like the detail of your new engine.

Marc

[diceman50]

Originally Posted by youngrodder

Very cool project and I like the detail of your new engine.

Marc

Thanks to you too Youngrodder.

[Advanced Design]

Thanks for the tape explanation and it will be interesting to see how that comes out. Dice, I was showing my wife your truck and she read about your explanation on engine installation. She said, "wow, he is really creative." She asked me if I would have come up with that. Nope, probably not.

Elegant solution.

[diceman50]

Thanks again A/D

I have been reading about your 1948 Burb build. You too have some talent my friend! I can machine or fab about anything you need, but my paint and body skills are lacking. I am really envious of you guys that have that ability.

[OutlawDrifter]

Very cool, building new tools and fixtures is very rewarding!

[ChuckDriver]

It's going to look awesome installed!

[diceman50]

Originally Posted by OutlawDrifter

Very cool, building new tools and fixtures is very rewarding!

Thanks, it is rewarding. I love it.

Here is another one I built a couple of years ago.

[RockinKees]

Always handy, making your own tools!

Love to see the engine in its final place, I think it will look pretty cool!!

[Advanced Design]

Diceman, thanks for your generous comment about my skill. I appreciate that and I still have so much to learn.

Now that is a handy transmission installation tool!

[diceman50]

I wish these old trucks could talk. This is the bolt from the drivers side rear motor mount. I would love to know what caused that.

[II_Slow]

Dice,
Very cool bracketry made with some pretty basic tools - drill press, bandsaw, and welder. No hydraulic shear or brake, no laser or plasma cutter, etc. It's amazing what can be done, once you decide to do it. I have gotten so many ideas and inspiration from builds on this site. Thanks for the details and pictures.

[diceman50]

I am happy to report that the engine lifting fixture worked as designed. The tilt mechanism is especially handy. I will have this engine available if anyone is interested. I live in West Texas and would make someone a good deal on it. The truck's odometer was showing 56K when I got it and was not working. I have put about 30K on it since I got it and 27K of that was with the EFI. It runs great and does not smoke at all. The sparkplugs I just took out have 2-3000 miles on them and look perfect. It does however leak like a sieve.

[FarmerSid]

Awesome fab work! That supercharger is so cool. Nice e wheel too.

[Advanced Design]

Ok, off topic, I see a flat head too. Another project?

What is the engine hanging from? Probably something really cool or handy.

Apologies for snooping.

[diceman50]

Thanks guys,

The English Wheel as you can tell is a Harbor Freight special that I modified. Actually sometimes it is an E wheel and sometimes it's a louver press. Right now it is the latter. I bought a "Metal Machine" starter kit from Williams Lowbuck Tools (http://www.lowbucktools.com/MM1.html) and converted the frame to fit his master face plate. He has 6 or 8 different tools that bolt onto the faceplate including the louver press. He also has a deep throat sheet metal punch and a deep throat shrinker/stretcher attachment that I want to get.



As for the Flathead. About a year and a half ago I bought a 1950 Ford from the Volo Museum that was used in the Indiana Jones movie "Kingdom of the Crystal Skull". When I got it was overheating badly and as you know they are notorious for having cracked blocks. A friend of mine had this engine that came out of a good running car so I bought it "just in case". As it turns out the engine in the car is fine. A new radiator, water pumps, and a fan shroud and it runs great. So, to make a long story longer it is now a spare. It also came with an air cooled automatic transmission. You can probably tell I am Old School (at least right now) and I keep dreaming of a Speedway Nostalgia Bucket "T" with that engine and transmission in it.