Norman Supercharger

[pearo]

Gary,

Anymore updates

Rob

[Gary C]

Rob,I just got it going today,idle only.
It is pushing out heaps of black smoke and really running rough, I think it is over fueling.
I havent worked out what lube or how much to use for the blower or upper cylinder yet.
I also need to install the water/meth injection and throttle connection.

Like I said I have only had it idling and it seems very noisy but fires first kick.
Now to resist the temptation of a little rev into the positive boost until everything is in order.

Did you get my email with pics of the manifolds Rob?

Gary.

[pearo]

Gary,
Yes got the photos thanks for that just what I was after. It sounds like too much fuel but that carby is a monster. With regard to lube for the vanes, oil at ratio of 1 pint of oil to every 5 gallons of fuel is what is recommended. Caster oil is what they used back in the day but I have read that this may gum up the vanes after time. Judson superchargers as used on VWs are a similar sliding vane type charger, used a device called a Marvel Mystery Oiler which mounted on the firewall, it is basically a glass bottle 1 pint with an adjustable valve to meter the flow of oil which was drawn into the inlet manifold of the supercharger. There are a couple of similar devices around from Redex and Ampco. With regard to water injection there are some kits around that use a 12V pump, solenoid and controller which only inject water when the boost reaches a predetermined pressure. Anyway enough ranting keep it up and keep us in the loop. 

Rob

[FCRB26]

dont know if it helps but in my model planes we use to run castor but gumming is a problem so now we run full synthetic with no problems or gumming at all.


pete

[pearo]

I have heard using trans fluid but I can't confirm this. I don't think it's rocket science really all you are trying to do is provide lubrication to the vanes and after that make sure it will burn during combustion. I think any light cheap lube will do the trick

Rob

[waynos]

i sometimes work on masport vacuum pumps for grease trap trucks and they run same sorta vane style,they just use vacuum oil.........
not sure if this helps at all

[FC427]

They make special oil for supercharges you can buy it from Toyota for the SC12 SC14 Supercharges or from Holden for the Eaton Supercharger when I worked at Shell I asked the Chemist in the lab he said that rotary screw air compressor oil is very similar  ......FC427.......

[OldGMHolden]

Caster oil is what they used back in the day but I have read that this may gum up the vanes after time.

Oh yeah, but doesn't it smell cooool !!??

Back in the olden days we used to put castor oil in the petrol in our standard greys just to get "That Racing Car Smell" .
(And stop laughing)
Gaz

[Gary C]

Finding it pretty hard to find a happy medium between too rich and too lean, what seems to be ok for idle becomes too lean at revs and what seems rich enough for revs is too rich for idle.
Im thinking it may be my manifold design.

My young bloke put a video of it running on youtube but I dont know how to put the link on here.
It is called Norman Grey. It isnt very clear but the boost/vac gauge goes from 15 vac to about 5lbs positive at about 3000rpm

Thanks, Gary.

[KFH]

Here it is.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x9rSqMfkKk

[pearo]

Just great Gary sounds fantastic. 5 pound! How good does it drive?
Well done

Rob

[weddo]

What carbie is it ,that you are running Garry?

regards

Weddo

[Gary C]

Thanks Rob, I havent driven it yet, the throttle set up needs a bit of a tidy up it is still original and when it pulls the butterfly over centre it
tends to stay that way.
So would be a bit scary stuck on full noise and speaking of noise geez that thing makes a racket.

Weddo that carby is a norman 3 inch twin jet and getting the needles and jets right is proving difficult. Just too much fuel or not enough.
I think its a matter of finding the leanest needles I can find and and start again.
At the moment I have 1 needle as lean as I can get it and the other set to idle.

Thanks, Gary.

[weddo]

What needle combination are you running at the moment Gary?

regards

Weddo

[Gary C]

Im not sure what the needles are Weddo a few came with the carby.
There were two that are really quite large with very slight taper, I used these the others are half the width and I think they were for methanol. There arent any markings on them at all.I think they maybe 2 inch su needles and jets but not sure.
Everyone around here think it is a part of skylab.
I will be pulling it apart again soon so will try to post some pics.

Gary.

[weddo]

Gary, I am not familiar with the three inch SU carbs, but most SU carbs work on the same simple principle and there is not much to adjust.
If your carb has not been coupled to a supercharger and running before, my guess is needle sizes need changing.
All metering neeles will have a number on them (you might need a magnifying glass) and are stepped in 1/16th increments/stations (up to 16 in total)
Here are a few links to SU sites and needle selection charts that may help to select needles that fatten up fuel delivery at the top end.

http://www.sw-em.com/SU%20Carb%20Service.htm
http://www.mintylamb.co.uk/suneedle/
http://www.teglerizer.com/suneedledb/index.html
http://www.teglerizer.com/suneedledb/090needlesortjava2.htm

regards

Weddo

[Gary C]

Thanks for the info Weddo I will start playing with the leanest needles I can get first.

Thanks again , Gary.

[ekdave]

great stuff  what crank pulley did u end up running

sounds pretty good 

[Gary C]

Dave I did what you said and used the new style harmonic balancer with the three bolt holes and went to the wreckers and got two single pulleys off some starfire engines and welded them together with a spacer.
Although when finances allow I will get a larger race type made with the extra pulleys included (quoted $800)

Gary

[57effie]

Like your work Gary.

Many years ago I had my hands on a Norman Supercharger like that. The bloke who owned it wanted $5 for it. As at the time I didnt have a holden I chose to spend my $5 on an imaculate midget farrelly mal with a waringah shire council registration sticker on it. One may conclude now that I was young and impestious. I think I was a bloody idiot. The board rode like crap so it sat lent up against the fence in the back yard for a few years until I gave it to a mate's little brother who trashed it properly on the rocks at Greenmount.
There used to be an old bloke at Coorparoo in brisbane who used to fiddle with carby's. If you let him have your car he would turn needle and seat sets and make jets and even restrictors. He'd just keep fiddling until he came up with something that seemed to work.  I dont suppose you would have a guy like that over there ?

Mark