Fuel System: Fun supercharger fact

[Steven Ayres]

Thought this might come in handy for some. I was taking apart a pinball machine for shipping and stumbled on it.

The drive balls in the McCulloch VS-57 supercharger are exactly the size and weight of a standard pinball. Specialty suppliers offer pinballs at around two bucks each.

I know: what about the metallurgy? Does anyone know?

[Gunslinger]

I wouldn't think the metallurgy for the balls used in pinball machines would require near the same specifications and quality control as those needed for superchargers...regardless of size. For all I know, the supplier for each could be the same company, but those that couldn't pass quality control for sales to McCulloch were sold to game companies. That's better than trashing them.

[Mike Van Veghten]

Yep, I know for fact that in many bearing companies, there are three or four quality of bearings, and yes, normally the last one or two are sold off for other uses than that of the quality of the bearing assemblies normally sold out of "that" particular company.

Mike