The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The HiPo Shop BillyBob Update: Here . . . We . . . Go

This is the first BillyBob episode in four years. Aptly titled Here . . . We . . . Go, it is the beginning of BillyBob's transformation from stock farm truck to early sixties speed shop / push truck mild custom tribute.

Here . . . We . . . Go

Again, for those BillyBob Shop readers who find my sporadic posting schedule a pain in the butt or would like the BillyBob Shop postings in smaller doses, I am posting the goings on, one or two paragraphs at a time as I write them, on my Facebook page. The link below will take you there. This site will continue to get the same sporadic updates it has in the past for those who do not want to join Facebook.

Larry Kephart Facebook page

Very impressive, Larry

Thanx Tim. At the speed I do things, I hope we all live long enough to see BillyBob run again.

Larry,

We will see BillyBob running before my pickup runs - but maybe my COE will be running/finished within a few months.

I hope to get a ride in BillyBob-reBorn

Hope to be travelin' again someday Tim.

I understand the topic relocation by the moderators and will post updates of BillyBob's rebuild in this location. Thanx.

Looks good Larry, I'll be following with interest, a similar blower setup has been floating around my brain for years, should be a fun setup.
Steve

I can't believe this subject isn't generating more excitement. This is the easiest way to boost horsepower in a stock engine. Larry, do you happen to know the guestimate horsepower gain with this improvement with/without headers?

Cosmo,
I know what project we are doing at the next homecoming now!

No idea at this point, Mark. I haven't done any calcs. I'm only looking for a little more pep at the stoplight for this go round. Keeping the stock driveline for the time being so there will be no rompin' stompin'

Do you have a babbit separator in the bottom of the oil pan?
Could get chunky down there,

No, but I'm thinking of welding an old socket under the gas pedal as a rev limiter.

I'm interested to see the results as well. There has been a lot of talk about turbo/super charging on here for a while. I know Jerry (Hotrod Lincoln) is very vocal about the design limitations that prevent any significant horsepower increases. Basically the the design of the head prevents the engine from breathing well enough to really boost output. A blower will increase the inhale significantly but the Engine still won't be able to exhale adequately. Again, I'm a complete rookie when it comes to engine building. Just summarizing what Jerry has been saying for years.

All that being said, make sure your deliberately capture and report the results. We need dyno numbers on HP and torque gains as well as an unbiased evaluation of drivability. If you listen to Jerry, who is a brilliant guy by the way, you're on a fools errand. It will be exciting to see if you can prove him wrong. Keep up the good work and keep us posted.

I'm doing this primarily to get oohs and aahs and doubletakes at the cruise-ins and car shows. This isn't a serious quest for the high performance grail.

My Dad was an engine builder and machinist from the late forties thru the early sixties but, I'm afraid, darn little of it rubbed off on me and I'm lost at sea most of the time in my efforts. There will be lots for you guys to laugh at along the way as I work my way thru this.

I have one local guy to help me along when I get to the point of getting the thing running. Retired engine builder. Mike Cunningham, builder of top rail engines for more than one national team. He's also been on some land speed record crews.

Laroke, an old friend once offered this old chestnut..."Love many, trust few, always paddle your own canoe." I will be cheering you along the way (oohs and aahs and doubletakes) to whatever goal you set for your project.

Larry:

I understand your motivation. I'm sure it will look really cool. I still stand by my request. You gotta find someone with a dyno to put your engine on before you put it back in your truck. We have know!! :-)

You know, Larry, that when you have your engine dyno'd, they make you sign a release in case they blow up your engine.

Ok, didn't know that. I would hope that you'd have enough faith in your handy work to put it on the dyno. It would kill me not to know the results. If you don't do the dyno I'd still like to see an honest opinion on the performance increases and if there are any resulting driveability issues. You are breaking important ground here. Good luck!!

Larry;

How is your build going? Do you have it running yet? Have you put new black top on the road in front of the house? :-)

Sorry I didn't see this when you posted, Larry. Slow down boy. Even for a geezer, I move at a glacial pace. I'm still in mockup stages with engine and newly rebuilt Muncie M22 rockcrusher four-speed transmission. In another month or so, I'll post a progress log entry.

In the mean time, here's a couple of progress pic links for that log entry -

Engine Mock UP

Transmission Mock UP

After I get the transmission cross member and shifter linkage worked out, then the engine can come out for machine work.

That is a lot of motor under the hood. Will it fit?

I got a feeling Larry will make it fit.....all I can say is keep on trucking brother and be sure to come take me for a ride. I like it!

Like the old preacher always said, "We need people like Larry. He makes the rest of us loonies seem sane."

1" clearance above the air cleaner and 1-1/2" at the edge next to the blower pulley. Radiator has to move forward about four inches and since all the front end sheet metal hangs off the radiator support, I have some fabrication headscratchin' ahead of me.

Thanx Carl. I like compliments, even left-handed ones.

You are welcome buddy! Glad you are a good sport.
Carl

Okay, fellow stovebolters, got a new log entry posted in BillyBob's continuing transformation into a hot rod truck titled Where the Hekawi?, Continued engine mock up issues are covered as well as transmission and chassis upgrades.

Where the Hekawi?

...and the beat goes on. Keep hammering on the drum. The song will be finished before you can say supercalifragilisticespalladosha.....keep on trucking brother. Looking good.

neat, how is my 37 doing

The Deerslayer has seen better times, Fred, but he is on the comeback trail.

Deerslayer engine apart photo

Hooah. Thanks for the update. Keep us posted.

LAROKE, You mention the frustration of having to drop the pan to get the front timing cover off.
If you're not already aware of this simple modification have a look at the tech tip
http://www.stovebolt.com/techtips/timing%20cover%20mod/

Likely you've thought of it but is the little crankshaft snout stout enough for the blower pulley so far out past the end of it? At first glance it concerns me but perhaps there is not much belt tension as result of driving the blower?

Thanks for the updates, I'm enjoying following along,

Grigg

Thanx, Grigg. I am going to make that modification for the timing cover.

As far as the crankshaft snout, we will see. The crankshaft that James Larrowe sent me is double-keyed and I think that the belt tension is to be set at 3/4" deflection (1.5" total) on the long side so, it is fairly loose. Keep your fingers crossed, I am.

Sounds good,

Belt tension while running could be quite tight on the pull side of the belt, depends on pulley diameter and how much load that blower can impose. Tension on the slack side is not a problem.

Might not be an issue at all but If you do have trouble it'll probably be the crank breaking off just past the timing gear.
Kind of late in the game now but was there any way to get that blower drive pulley real close to the engine?

It's only in mock up right now, Grigg and the damper is pressed only part way on. I haven't un-boxed the double-keyed crankshaft yet and I don't know if the snout is threaded to help getting the damper on. At any rate, the damper/pulley assembly will be 1/2"-3/4" closer to the timing gear cover in the final configuration.

We're movin' now. We may only be in first gear but it's continuous movement on the project, not spurts n jerks.

This episode is titled Slammin' the nose. The engine mock up undergoes fine-tuning as does the dropped front axle mock up. New, larger, rear wheels and tires are purchased, Interior refinements are begun and the first components of the exhaust system are obtained.

Slammin' the nose

Nice, Larry

Have you found a tach to fit into the clock housing? Whatever works for you will also be a gift to my friend who paints my trucks (and does anything that needs doing).

If BillyBob could talk, it would be fun to hear him yelp "what's happening to me"!

Tim, the hole measures about 2-3/4" and the closest tach I can find is 2-5/8". I got one at SpeedHut.com where you can "design your own gauges" by specifying face color, text style, needle style etc. It's not here yet. Been two weeks in the "art dept". I visited my acd see it has moved to "production".

In keeping with the sixties push truck theme, this is what I came up with -

SpeedHut Tach face

the main thing about your blower drive belt is not to get it to tight. as when the motor gets hot it grows taller. my belt runs about a good 1 1/2 in.. of deflection as you guys call it, and after the engine is warmed up its about `1/2- 3/4 in. when you look out the window at the belt it should be flopping a little with the engine hot. I run the long snout crank with a Fisher damper and a flat grooved belt. to run my water pump, power steering pump and alternator then my blower pulley. the engine runs great and has quite a few miles on it. Fisher ( no longer in business ) set the damper up for me to fit the GMC and drive the blower, it fit perfect.
Jay D.

Many thanx for the info, Jay.