Time for a rebuild. Which way to go NA or Supercharged?
 

Motor is currently a 540 Merlin block with a 2.3 Whipple. Supposedly made 775 hp on the dyno, but I don't believe it.

Motor has been great for 140 hrs but had an incident where the threaded rod holding the flame arrester on came loose and fell into the blower locking everything up @ 4500 rpm. After replacing the blower, the motor is now using alot of oil, 3 qts per 100 gal fuel. Compression test showed numbers from 105 to 150. Leak down points to rings and valves. Pistons are covered in soot.

Now I am rethinking my set up. I love the "feel" of my current set up. Very responsive, strong pull and exceleration. At 4000 rpm I am at 60 mph, 4500 rpm I am at 70 with 0 boost. I am talking to a builder who prefers NA motors. I like my current cruise #s and wondering if a NA motor will give me the same.

Looking for reliability and a few hundred hrs before rebuild.

Any input is appreciated.

Not an expert by any stretch but my research says SUPERCHARGE .

I am also not an expert but I would talk with some other builders. I LOVE my Prochargers. Zero problems. Yes N/A engines are cool and I think with the right builder you will have a sweet setup. But I also think you will have just as good or better setup with a EFI, chilled, blower setup!

Good luck!

stay with the supercharger and rebuild the engine,you already have the hardware.if your builder does not like it,maybe its time to look at another builder.:party-smiley-004:

Mike, i have never used this builder. I know him and trust him to do what he says he will do. Too many dishonest bull****ters out there. I need to figure out the best way to go.

performance marine did a very nice job on my friends 540 whippled pantera 28. they are in lake george not that far from you. food for thought

Kendall, my boss was always a hardcore supercharger guy until he built 10.600 632ci carbed na's. Said he would never go back to s/c again. Zero problems for quite a few years and was beyond his expectations in terms of performance and fuel milage.

stay with the supercharger, if you pull it off it will feel like your draggin a achor,

fixx
 

have eddie younge refresh it if you want it to last...also lower boost with a bigger blower will make it last longer betwen rebuilds..

The cheapest way would be to rebuild what you have. You would also know what to expect.
Going n/a and maintaining current hp levels would take a lot of change, and$$$$.
Just my .02