Frank, I grew up in Kelowna B.C. and they ran the unlimiteds on Okanagan Lake for about 3 years in the early '60s. Our farm was 10 miles from the lake and we could hear them. Most were running Rolls Royce and Allison engines except for Miss Chrysler Crew which had twin Hemis.

Mark

1956 Mercury M100
1955 Ford Fairlane Club Sedan
Delta, British Columbia

FWIW I have a 91 Mustang GT that I bougfht new and still own. It has a ProCharger P1/SC, the SC stands for self contained oil. I am running 11 lbs of boost. I opted for the 3 core intercooler, a 2 core was standard with the kit. The kit came with a FMU, Fuel Management Unit. I found the FMU setting to be critical and I worried about the engine running too lean. I have an MSD6-BTM, but I still was worried and the performance was also down when not set right. After all that, I went to a AFMS PMS, Anderson Motorsports Programmable Management System, and went to a bigger 250 lph intake fuel pump, I already had upgraded to a 190 lph and also have a rear mounted electric fuel pump that came with the kit. Then I had the car dyno tuned and picked up about 95 HP, about 460 RWHP now. When the blower was first installed, the car ran 12.19 at 119 MPH. Now the car has several suspension and traction upgrades and is really running great...but it's been a few years and I haven't been back to the track. It seems my 57 has taken my time and interest. The boost retard on the MSD has been removed since the programmable management system takes care of that.

Regarding the Merline engines, I read an article in Hemmings Classic Cars about the Merlin engines. It said that the Merlin engines made in the USA outperformed the UK engines and were more reliable. Not sure, but they may have been made by Packard.

Paul J. - '57 E Code

Paul, I get a bit confused by all the great engines built during the WWII period. But I think you're correct that Packard built the Rolls Merlins for both the P51 (B's) and the PT boats in Detroit. I could be mistaken but I believe the Allisons were Detroit Diesel manufactured. The Allisons had a Diesel version that was used in the american submarines. The Allison was the most common version in unlimited Hydros and most American aircraft. The Merlins made more HP according to what I've read. There also was an Allison powered 32 sedan in early NHRA racing as well as the "Green Monsters" of the Arfon Bros. from Akron, Ohio. I saw that one run, smoked the tires for the entire quarter mile! The sound of the hydros is something you never forget, imagine 4 or 5 together on the Detroit river a 1/4 mile away at 150 mph. Pretty impressive stuff for a pre teen kid.(me)

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

Frank,if you want to hear those Allisons again,go to one of the big tractor pulls this summer.There are several pullers running them.There are several running two of them and at least one guy running three on his tractor.Wild sound.

 

Paul,

Boonville,MO

I saw an Allison powered pulling tractor win a big meet at an International Farm Exposition. I did a little more checking on the Rolls Royce Merlin engines and the US made Packard Merlin engines were greatly improved. The biggest improvement was in the supercharger pre cooling and after cooling with a glycol to air cooling system. You will find several articles on Merlin engines if you go to Hemmings web site. www.hemmings.com and go to advanced search and select the down arrow and go to back issues and search Packard Merlin. You can fins all kinds of neat articles this way. I apologize for straying away from the original topic, but didn't think I should start a new thread.

Paul J. - '57 E Code

Paul, Works for me,
i'll have to try that.

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

With Packard's successful early history & as posted here, their work sorting out the WWII Rolls Merlins, it makes one wonder how the company went so far off the rails after the war?

Paul

Probably boils down to people and money, or the lack of money. Ford/GM/and Chrysler had more. Packard was still building inline, Flathead, straight eights five years after Cadillac and Chrysler went to OHV V8's. Styling was big (Still is) and the Packards didn't compete well with the big three I'd guess.

Frank/Rebop

Bristol, In ( by Elkhart) 

Frank:
Here is a link to some info on the Merlin engines.
http://www.aviation-history.com/engines/merlin.htm
http://www.aviation-history.com/avro/683.html

marv

We didn't have any of the big boat races around where I grew up but I got my Allison/Merlin fix from these guys.



Some of you really old guys may remember the Arfons brothers Green Monsters! Chuck

Y's guys rule!
Looking for McCullouch VS57 brackets and parts. Also looking for 28 Chrysler series 72 parts. And early Hemi parts.

MoonShadow, 292 w/McCulloch, 28 Chrysler Roadster, 354 Hemi)
Manchester, New Hampshire