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Grasshopper block






I have the head off the engine in Special no. 2 at present, which has a Grasshopper block. I thought I'd post a photo for those interested. You can see the ports are slightly lower than usual to accommodate the water passages around the valves.

Probably a common sight soon, if replicas become available!

Regards, Stuart

Re: Grasshopper block

Interesting to see. What are the bosses and fixings on the side of the crankcase?

Re: Re: Grasshopper block

That identifies it as a proper blown crankcase - they are to mount the Cozette blower (which clearly isn't there).
Some of us have to make do with adatped magneto crankcases for blown cars.

Charles

Re: Grasshopper block

Great stuff Stuart!

Blimey those valves are close together! I have modified Mini Cooper inlets in my Ulster and they almost touch the "standard" exhaust valves, needed to grind a bit out of the head to prevent the vlave hitting the side, what other "goodies" can you photograph? All very interesting, thanks.

Cheers

Ruairidh

Re: Grasshopper block

Quite right of course, Charles. This car has a Centric mounted in front of the engine. I shall attempt to add another picture here, but my brain hurt a lot after the last effort! I often wondered why LMW favoured this supercharger layout; I used to think it was so that one could reach the tappets without disturbing the blower. However, your comments elsewhere have made me realise that it gives scope for a greater choice of carburettor.






Couldn't agree more about the valves, Ruairidh; they were like that when my Dad acquired the block. I fear its life is shortened in consequence, also it's now at rebore limit.

Regards, Stuart

Re: Re: Grasshopper block

I do like the "engine turned" finish on the aluminium!
I havn't the patience .

Steve.

Re: Re: Grasshopper block

How about the insides of a blown Ulster timing case (less genuine than Stuart's)




Re: Re: Re: Grasshopper block

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Charles,

What about some pics of your home brewed blower? Then we can really have a drool

Mike

Re: Re: Re: Re: Grasshopper block

Mike

Not a home made superchager - although that is planned. This one is a Richard Hutchings one that I'm told has been rebuilt. It's odd in that it has a 6 vane rotor inside.

Here are a couple of other photos.
First off the front 3/4 view:







and second is the blower drive. It's a duplex chain and two independent sprockets - thus allowing for some misalignment.






One of the problems with a blown Austin is that it's so tightly packed that it is difficult to photograph the engine in-situ.


Charles

Re: Grasshopper block

Charles, I had noticed that the blower end plates appear to be bronze (?) as per the original Cozette. Certainly looks much more authentic. Interested to learn of all those vanes. I wonder what alloy the rotor is made of?

Regards, Stuart

Re: Re: Grasshopper block

Yes, they are bronze.
Unsure about the rotor alloy. I'll have a bood look when it's next in bits.

Charles

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Grasshopper block

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Charles,

And there was I thinking that you had spent all the winter over a hot steaming lathe!

Thank you for your pictures which are very good and very informative. Maybe the forum could build up an archive of similar useful images.

Perhaps MANagement might care to comment on this, as to a possible way forward. There would probably need to be some form of simple indexing. As the man said "A picture is worth a thousand words".

Mike

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Grasshopper block

Mike

I've got a Yahoo photo album of blown engines (mine and others) and the construction. It's on open access if anyone wants a look.
Some are photos that I've taken and others are simply downloaded from various sites. I put it togther for my own use so that everything was in one place.

http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/wells_hall/album?.dir=c650re2&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//uk.photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

Charles

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Grasshopper block

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Charles,

Hours of good lurking there then! What a super collection. That is very much what I had in mind but with a whole variety of Austin Seven related (technical) topics accessed from an index somewhere; possibly the Forum.

Meanwhile back to have another look at your blowers

Mike

Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Grasshopper block

Mike
Sounds like you need the old site that Bruce White ran with his index of articles.
Luckliy, through the wonders of the internet archive at
http://www.archive.org/web/web.php you can get most of the content.

Have a look at
http://web.archive.org/web/20040405014930/http://www.austinseven.org.au/

Charles

Charles