Hey lads, couple of good points that you have brought up there a14force. Several things about the inlet manifold. I had an aluminium welder whip it up out of several different size tubings and it basically looks like a plenum chamber.
It must be understood that it is not so much a plenum chamber as a pressure chamber- once that the s/c begins to make boost (just off idle) it pressurises that chamber and then when the valves open- that 5-10psi of charged mixture is forced into each cylinder.
The difference between cylinders 1 and 4 as opposed to 2 and 3 is negligible as the pressure is reasonably uniform throughout the chamber. i actually took pressure readings from the end of the chamber and from the middle and the gauge that I had read the same for each.
As far as pulleys and stuff go it was all trial and error and I can't give you the litres/hour rates or the ratios. I was more concerned with poundage of boost and haven't really done the sizings.
Just one other thing of interest, when the motor was idling, I was seeing temps of around 50 degreesC on the inlet side (25 degrees above ambient). This stressed me out and I immediately started looking at intercoolers etc. BUT once that the car was on the road and the s/c started to really suck and the airflow started pumping through the inlet manifold it fell down to about 40 degreesC...no more stress.
I still put a water injection system on which only comes on when I have full throttle. This just cools the charge a little bit more and is a natural knock resistor (not that it has every knocked or detonated). Works a treat and if I feel like I am going to have a bit of a play, I throw half a bottle of methylated spirits in with the water and this really keeps it cool...

hey there Lobster and a14force, I will (hopefully) have photos of my ute posted by the end of this week.
Still haven't got a camera, but I will get one from one of the guys at work. Like I said, it ain't pretty, but everything that is in there is in the interest of reliable hp- not good looks

ok guys, I may conceed that i did have several issues that contributed to an overall problem and it is all the little bits that add up to big problems. I am just of the opinion that placing a shim is a quick fix for something that should be done properly. Every article i have read and every big RELIABLE hp figure that you see is produced with proper preparation (ie stroker kits, pistons, big bores etc), not placing a shim or spacer in to lower compression.
Each to his own I guess...
A14force, all i can say is give it a go- if it works, power to you.... if not give me a call and we can start again...
Just one other thing worth mentioning, supercharging an engine is about maximum flow. I spent about 16 hours match porting everything (exhaust manifold and inlet manifold) with the trusty old die grinder. Spend that little bit of extra time and you will reap the rewards

i actually graphed the needle of the SU on the dyno (about 4 hours). it was quite amazing actually, when i first fired it up and put it on the dyno, it just bogged down over 3000 rpm. after modifying the needle, i ambled out of the workshop onto the main road and cruised down the street. gently went for second and it all felt fairly crisp and fresh. went for third and increased speed to about 40kph, i then put my foot flat to the floor. YEEEEEHHHAAAA- instant smoke (from the rears) for about 25 meters, then it hooked up and I was snatching fourth at about 130kph. very fast - very scary -at 6500rpm it is pumping out 10psi of boost and wants to rev it's head off.
since then i have had to learn to be gentle on the throttle, especially in the wet, but great fun none the less.
from memory i think it is putting out about 125hp at the rear wheels- feels like 350!
Carby jets are standard -straight off the jag..

no back fire protection at all. if these little buggers are tuned correctly it will never happen. I have done about 5000 kms since the re-build without any backfires at all. If it does backfire and #### itself, I will just have to replace the blower ($300-$500) as I have designed it all to come apart in about 20 minutes. Bolt off...bolt on...

Hey, how u going? Yes, I had big problems with shims and spacers. Main experience was with compression levels fluctuating. The smallest amount of difference in shim width makes a big difference to amount of compression when s/charging. Even extra gasket sealant on the shim can increase/decrease the compression of a cylinder. I had all of my pistons and bores measured for exact compression ratios- the difference between 7.0:1 and 7.5:1 at 6500 rpm and 10psi of boost is the difference between a reliable engine and a big, smoky mess...

Hey guys, sorry for the delay in getting back into this thread- holidays with the missus.
Anyhow, to answer a few questions that I have noted since my return. I put HEAPS of research into the S/Charging of my a14... too much to be honest, but 1 thing that i learnt was that you cannot take short cuts. Placing shims and spacers on the head to lower compression will not last long and cause more pain with air/compression leaks. Either forged or specially made pistons to lower the comp. is the only way to go.
The other thing is the size of the carby is almost immaterial, once that the s/charger begins to suck, baby, the fuel will be there to meet it. I am using a 2-inch SU off a 1985 Jaguar (from a twin set-up originally- 4.2 ltire) and it flows more fuel than is necessary. I originally tried a 1.5 inch SU and the flow rates were almost the same. I only opted for the 2-inch because it was in better condition.
Tuning was done very methodically according to the SU manual and I now have a needle profile that I can replace at any time if need be...
More later gotta go - photos soon!

Hey Cameron,
Just a few quickies before you drive yourself nuts with the Dellorto Dilemma. Without telling you to suck eggs, make sure that the ignition system isn't breaking down at the higher revs- you may have a voltage drop that indicates the motor leaning out (not enough fuel), but it is in fact, not burning the mix thoroughly. Do all the normal checks for coil, spark plug(s) and leads and ensure that there is no drop through them as well. Check for air leaks around the inlet side of things too...
Through experience I can say that providing more and more fuel to a problem that doesn't require it, ends in tears...

hey, sorry for the delay-
i used a s/c off a 4agze. totally fabricated all mounts- mostly weightbearing from the engine mounts. also fabricated a front mount out of aluminium which bolts onto front of motor and holds s/c belt idler (has variable slide to adjust tension). looks ugly but does the job. engine has all forged internals (pistons, crank, valves the lot)and massive porting. currently running about 7 psi and builds to 10 psi at 7000 rpm. love it and will post pics once camera is operational (has shat itself)...

anyone had any experience with s/charged a14's? i have just strapped a little roots on the side of my a14 with a 2-inch SU. plenty of porting, a touch of water injection. slotted it back into the 1200 ute - big nads needed to drive it...