My Whipple Blower broke...
01-17-2009, 05:19 PM
#23
1st Gear Member
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Florida
Posts: 80
You'd think I'd be used to breaking **** by this time but this just takes the cake and chaps my ***...
I got off work and decided to go to Irwindale last night and wassn't looking to break any records, so left my front street tires on and just put my slicks on the back and aired them up to 24 psi.
Heavy traffic al the way so I never went over 35-40 mph and was never in boost at all. Everything perfect. Get to the track, pay my $20, and head over to the tech line - turn off the car and fill out the tech car. Get teched and then start the car and it sounds like a grinder in my engine...
Tech guys say it sounds like my starter is sticking. Adam from ST Motorsports happened to be in the line next to me and he walks over and says, oh no - your blower just went to to crap. It's the blower. - Sure enough, he helps me push it to the side and pull the belt off and grab the blower pulley and twist it and .... G R I N D ....
Was at Greg's shop at RET all morning, and we pull the blower and sure enough the bearing took a crap and the rotors are scraping up against the back end of the blower housing. I took some pics but there isn't any carnage, just a bunch of scrapes where the rotors are scraping against the back of the blower.
What gets me is I was never in boost and my temps were cool (never over 185º on the way to the track) Hell - even my trans temp never saw over 160º.
I just don't get how rotors could just take a crap out of the blue. The 3.4 is 'supposed' to be rated for 30 psi - and there is no way I have ever over-spun this thing when the smallest pulley I have ever used is a 3 1/4"
Needless to say, I am PISSED. I promised my wife if anything unreasonable happened to this car again, I would stop dicking around with it as a 'street car' and just make it a race car.
Well, that day has come. I don't want to talk about what I'm doing right now but everything is set, ordered, and in the works and being fabricated.
All I'm going to say is I GARUNTEE I am going to have the fastest stock computer 3V on the west coast pretty soon and perhaps the fastest in the world...
I have already talked to whipple and have a case number, so hopefully they step up and take care of this head unit. They said they have not seen this happen on any of their blowers. I am at a loss how the rotors could take a dump without any stress on them at all.
BTW: It would have been a crappy night anyway. they sold out of tech cards after 275 and the place was a ZOO. Lucky to get 2 runs last night if you stayed all night...
The need to put the friggin' lights in and open up fontana on friday nights...
I got off work and decided to go to Irwindale last night and wassn't looking to break any records, so left my front street tires on and just put my slicks on the back and aired them up to 24 psi.
Heavy traffic al the way so I never went over 35-40 mph and was never in boost at all. Everything perfect. Get to the track, pay my $20, and head over to the tech line - turn off the car and fill out the tech car. Get teched and then start the car and it sounds like a grinder in my engine...
Tech guys say it sounds like my starter is sticking. Adam from ST Motorsports happened to be in the line next to me and he walks over and says, oh no - your blower just went to to crap. It's the blower. - Sure enough, he helps me push it to the side and pull the belt off and grab the blower pulley and twist it and .... G R I N D ....
Was at Greg's shop at RET all morning, and we pull the blower and sure enough the bearing took a crap and the rotors are scraping up against the back end of the blower housing. I took some pics but there isn't any carnage, just a bunch of scrapes where the rotors are scraping against the back of the blower.
What gets me is I was never in boost and my temps were cool (never over 185º on the way to the track) Hell - even my trans temp never saw over 160º.
I just don't get how rotors could just take a crap out of the blue. The 3.4 is 'supposed' to be rated for 30 psi - and there is no way I have ever over-spun this thing when the smallest pulley I have ever used is a 3 1/4"
Needless to say, I am PISSED. I promised my wife if anything unreasonable happened to this car again, I would stop dicking around with it as a 'street car' and just make it a race car.
Well, that day has come. I don't want to talk about what I'm doing right now but everything is set, ordered, and in the works and being fabricated.
All I'm going to say is I GARUNTEE I am going to have the fastest stock computer 3V on the west coast pretty soon and perhaps the fastest in the world...
I have already talked to whipple and have a case number, so hopefully they step up and take care of this head unit. They said they have not seen this happen on any of their blowers. I am at a loss how the rotors could take a dump without any stress on them at all.
BTW: It would have been a crappy night anyway. they sold out of tech cards after 275 and the place was a ZOO. Lucky to get 2 runs last night if you stayed all night...
The need to put the friggin' lights in and open up fontana on friday nights...
01-17-2009, 08:50 PM
#24
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: WV
Posts: 4,460
Your not the first...........rumor has it the reason WHIPPLE had to increase their prices was due to their suppliers increase in front and rear bearings. The bearings were failing to the point that Ford even had an issue. The new bearings are now made from brass. I know three Whipples that have the same problems as yours. Whipple didn't cover any rework costs and told the folks they were racing thier Mustangs to hard. One has filed a lawsuit..........
Good thing me and mine are kb believers...
I surely hope Whipple will come through for you and help you out in some manner.....I'm certain you've given them a lot of exposure at the track and on these forums. It's the least they can do!! Good luck!!!
Last edited by SaddleUp; 01-17-2009 at 09:18 PM.
01-18-2009, 12:30 PM
#26
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Orlando, FL
Posts: 2,031
Your not the first...........rumor has it the reason WHIPPLE had to increase their prices was due to their suppliers increase in front and rear bearings. The bearings were failing to the point that Ford even had an issue. The new bearings are now made from brass. I know three Whipples that have the same problems as yours. Whipple didn't cover any rework costs and told the folks they were racing thier Mustangs to hard. One has filed a lawsuit..........
01-19-2009, 08:45 AM
#27
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Jun 2007
Location: Orlando, FL
Posts: 2,276
If my whipple goes out I will be royally PO'd.
I would pull it off and go hellion turbo.
Sorry to hear about the bad luck CK. If whipple is smart they will just replace it free of charge and keep the BS to themselves. You are very well known and if they screw with you it will really hurt their reputation.
Looking forward to reading about your new combo.
I would pull it off and go hellion turbo.
Sorry to hear about the bad luck CK. If whipple is smart they will just replace it free of charge and keep the BS to themselves. You are very well known and if they screw with you it will really hurt their reputation.
Looking forward to reading about your new combo.
01-19-2009, 08:24 PM
#28
4th Gear Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location:
Posts: 1,699
Well anybody doubting whipple's response (including me...lol) can rest easy...
Art called me and talked to me for a half hour. He was dealing with some bigger issues and wasn't able to get back to me till now. He was extremely helpful in not only helping diagnose the problem, but is going to work with me for my particular set-up to get the most out of it.
I am EXTREMELY PLEASED with Whipple and their response to this issue and they are on it 100%...
Not quite sure yet exactly went wrong but they'll know when they get a first hand look at the blower.
Art called me and talked to me for a half hour. He was dealing with some bigger issues and wasn't able to get back to me till now. He was extremely helpful in not only helping diagnose the problem, but is going to work with me for my particular set-up to get the most out of it.
I am EXTREMELY PLEASED with Whipple and their response to this issue and they are on it 100%...
Not quite sure yet exactly went wrong but they'll know when they get a first hand look at the blower.
01-19-2009, 08:52 PM
#30
5th Gear Member
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Deep in the <3 of Tx
Posts: 3,925
Dude seriously, Whipple 4.0L. We NEED to see a build with that.
Dustin from Whipple said 1000rwhp is possible with this thing on another forum (given enough cubes which I think you have without a doubt).
To me, there's just something about muscle cars and superchargers that go together well. I'm just not a fan of turbos even though I know they can make a lot of power. Meh.
Dustin from Whipple said 1000rwhp is possible with this thing on another forum (given enough cubes which I think you have without a doubt).
To me, there's just something about muscle cars and superchargers that go together well. I'm just not a fan of turbos even though I know they can make a lot of power. Meh.