American Graffiti Dragster

[my80malibu]

Hello all 

There is a circulating Picture of the AMG dragster that has a very good view of the Blower. it looks very large, possibly larger than a 6-71. I will try to post the picture of it later. I would be interested in finding one of these for My AMG dragster. If their are others familiar with the picture, and could you let me know how to ID the Blower?  That would be Good.

Edited January 31, 2019 by my80malibu
picture found

[Dave Van]

It may look large on top of that small block Chevy.......I am not a blower expert.......but looks like a 6-71.....

[Dave Van]

[Ace-Garageguy]

Housing ribs in the rear are closer together, and the housing itself is longer, than the garden-variety 6-71. 

It looks to me like a non-polished, Dow 7 finished 8-71.

The Dow 7 finish would indicate it's a magnesium part, which would further indicate it's a lightweight aftermarket housing and not a GMC OEM housing.

Edited February 1, 2019 by Ace-Garageguy

[garagepunk66]

It appears to be a Mert Littlefield magnesium 6-71 case. He started making those in the late 60's and would have been common swap meet fodder by the time MAMG was made

Edited February 8, 2019 by garagepunk66

[Ace-Garageguy]

On 2/8/2019 at 12:18 AM, garagepunk66 said:

It appears to be a Mert Littlefield magnesium 6-71 case. He started making those in the late 60's and would have been common swap meet fodder by the time MAMG was made

I'd bet my lunch the blower on the car is a magnesium Bowers unit.

One of the ways we identify a blower's manufacturer is by the position and spacing of the ribs. 

If you look closely at the photo of the blower on the car accelerating, you'll notice the rib spacing, from the rear, is two narrow bays between ribs, a slightly wider one, and a still wider one in the center. This spacing repeats in reverse as you go towards the front.

Now, if you look at the polished 8-71 case I posted a photo of above, you'll notice identical spacing.

This spacing is typical of housings manufactured by Bowers Blowers (purchased by the Blower Shop in 1984). This (below) is a polished vintage Bowers magnesium 6-71, with the same rib-spacing as the polished 8-71 above, as well as the large blower on the car-in-action photo.

Littlefield housings, on the other hand, often exhibit close-together-in-the-center rib spacing, or the old OEM GMC design.

      

Mooneyham 8-71 case, also with two center ribs, below...

 

BDS blowers, below, frequently have 3-in-the-center ribs.

 

...or the OEM GMC style:   

 

 

Edited February 9, 2019 by Ace-Garageguy

[Ace-Garageguy]

ALSO NOTE: This is a Littlefield 14-71, still with the characteristic rib spacing as shown above. But the point is that it's not always easy to tell just by looking at a photo of a blower on a car what number it is, though I'd bet tomorrow's lunch that the one on the car in the profile shot is an 8-71.

Edited February 9, 2019 by Ace-Garageguy

[garagepunk66]

Sharp eye and reliable info once again Bill. Forgot all about the Bowers cases, I saw the uneven spacing in the ribs and my mind went to Littlefield. 

[my80malibu]

Well now I have a better understanding of  what to look for.

Thanks for Your Guidance.