vintagewrench
Active member
- Joined
- May 9, 2016
- Location
- Paradise
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68431219@N02/26714743390/in/dateposted/" title="Judson"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7168/26714743390_7b6ac24a4c_b.jpg" width="1024" height="768" alt="Judson"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Wanting to use only vintage speed equipment on my 122s project I bought a Judson Supercharger as can be seen above on an early P1800 in the photo. The Judson is a positive displacement axial unit that uses vanes to generate the boost pressure.
I had one years ago and thought it would be nice to get another and rebuild it. I found one that came out of a garage that used to work on racing cars that were run at the Lime Rock Park track in CT in the 1960s as these blowers were used in competition. It is all apart and the slots in rotor are not worn and the housing bore is excellent and it will be a quick and easy rebuild. The first priory is to do all the maintenance the car needs and install the supercharger and enjoy it a bit later in the summer or fall.
In the 1950's and 60's the Judson Research and Manufacturing Company of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania made these vane type superchargers for Volkswagen, MG, Triumph, Volvo and other cars including the Mercedes 190SL. The blower added a significant amount of horsepower to these cars by adding up to 7psi. of boost.
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68431219@N02/26384206164/in/dateposted/" title="jud"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7054/26384206164_2aabc5c301_b.jpg" width="809" height="221" alt="jud"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
How the blower works can be seen above. The intake side of the blower housing is on the left - the exhaust ports in the center - the rotor and sliding vanes on the right.
Jeff Koch at Hemming Motor News wrote about these blowers: "The Judson supercharger made all of its boost in the engine's normal rev range. Printed reports suggest power gains between 25 and 50 percent, depending on the car and equipment; Judson once ran an ad promising 32 percent more power or your money back.
Judson's supercharger had quite a bit going for it: It operated silently, it had no cams or gears to wear or cause a loss of efficiency and it didn't operate at idle or during steady cruising. It utilized four sliding vanes that are mounted at an angle to an eccentric hub. The vanes themselves were made from a laminated plastic, and are not only half as light as aluminum, but are less subject to heat expansion and properly lubed they last a very long time.
As the hub spins, centrifugal force throws the vanes out to seal against the inside of the supercharger body, pressurizing the mixture and sending it to the intake manifold. Friction issues are handled by a Marvel Mystery oiler that adds one drop of 10W motor oil every six seconds into where the fuel and air enters of the supercharger via a metering valve, which lubricates the rotor, vanes and housing. It also acts as an intake valve guide and upper cylinder lubricant, thus increasing engine life.
See a video of one running on a 122s here.
Wanting to use only vintage speed equipment on my 122s project I bought a Judson Supercharger as can be seen above on an early P1800 in the photo. The Judson is a positive displacement axial unit that uses vanes to generate the boost pressure.
I had one years ago and thought it would be nice to get another and rebuild it. I found one that came out of a garage that used to work on racing cars that were run at the Lime Rock Park track in CT in the 1960s as these blowers were used in competition. It is all apart and the slots in rotor are not worn and the housing bore is excellent and it will be a quick and easy rebuild. The first priory is to do all the maintenance the car needs and install the supercharger and enjoy it a bit later in the summer or fall.
In the 1950's and 60's the Judson Research and Manufacturing Company of Conshohocken, Pennsylvania made these vane type superchargers for Volkswagen, MG, Triumph, Volvo and other cars including the Mercedes 190SL. The blower added a significant amount of horsepower to these cars by adding up to 7psi. of boost.
<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/68431219@N02/26384206164/in/dateposted/" title="jud"><img src="https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7054/26384206164_2aabc5c301_b.jpg" width="809" height="221" alt="jud"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
How the blower works can be seen above. The intake side of the blower housing is on the left - the exhaust ports in the center - the rotor and sliding vanes on the right.
Jeff Koch at Hemming Motor News wrote about these blowers: "The Judson supercharger made all of its boost in the engine's normal rev range. Printed reports suggest power gains between 25 and 50 percent, depending on the car and equipment; Judson once ran an ad promising 32 percent more power or your money back.
Judson's supercharger had quite a bit going for it: It operated silently, it had no cams or gears to wear or cause a loss of efficiency and it didn't operate at idle or during steady cruising. It utilized four sliding vanes that are mounted at an angle to an eccentric hub. The vanes themselves were made from a laminated plastic, and are not only half as light as aluminum, but are less subject to heat expansion and properly lubed they last a very long time.
As the hub spins, centrifugal force throws the vanes out to seal against the inside of the supercharger body, pressurizing the mixture and sending it to the intake manifold. Friction issues are handled by a Marvel Mystery oiler that adds one drop of 10W motor oil every six seconds into where the fuel and air enters of the supercharger via a metering valve, which lubricates the rotor, vanes and housing. It also acts as an intake valve guide and upper cylinder lubricant, thus increasing engine life.
See a video of one running on a 122s here.
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