Is it necessary to replace the supercharger in R53 minis after 150,000 miles?

 

NO, don't worry about it unless you have an actual issue or failure. Save your money as they normally make a bunch of noise before failing.

 

also typically its the PTO gears driving the waterpump that will fail, and that makes a lot of noise

 

Apologies in advance for the thread jack, but the timing of this post is most apropos. I’m just at 110k and think my SC is on its way out. Car still runs smooth, but the noise from the front sounds like a rock tumbler loaded with bearings, kind of like the sound a very old supermarket chicken rotisserie machine makes, but obviously louder ... and it’s getting progressively louder. I know it will vary, but how much time before it goes ka-blamo? I’m starting my search, but are there any quick resources you can direct me to regarding options and how too’s for repair/rebuild/replacement/upgrade (05-06?)?

Thanks in advance.

John

 

Diagnose first. There are other pulleys that can make a racket at the front of the engine. Maybe you got lucky and it's your idler pulley or tensioner pulley. Use a long-handled prybar as a stethoscope and you can diagnose where the sound is coming from. Search around on how to do that safely if you've never done it before.

 

Okay, now those are two words (prybar/stethoscope) I never expected to see juxtaposed in a sentence. Just hoping my primary physician doesn't frequent this forum.

Other than noise, are there other symptoms which would suggest a failing sc?

 

Lulz!

 

a loss of power. You may want to take it to a mechanic. Does it sound like a desil kind of. Becuase than its not the SC.

 

I haven't noticed any real power drop off yet, or at least not enough that I couldn't chalk it up to my imagination. Would the power loss be substantial? As for the noise ... my best description is the sound a LARGE rock tumbler might make if it were loaded with rocks and bearings. I suppose it might not be a far stretch for someone to mistake it for a Ford 7.3L diesel.

 

kind of sounds like pullys. Do you still have the stock pullys or aftermarket? Id check that than other things. Im no mechainic just my 2cents.

 

I would look into the Timing chain tensioner and the guides if it's coming from the the front end top. If not bottom pulleys.

 

This......

 

The pulleys and timing chain stuff are all on the same side of the engine. The water pump gear that fails on the supercharger is on the right side of the engine pretty much by itself. Other than a prybar or extension you can buy a cheap car stethoscope from your local parts store. Put it on the right side of the sc and you should be able to tell if it's shot.

I drove mine for a few months with it sounding terrible. When I pulled it apart it was completely dry, not a drop of oil. Somehow still spun the waterpump though

 

Well it’s a little too late.

Driving home from work tonight the noise subsided and then she started to overheat. Pulled over, lifted the bonnet and noticed she threw the belt. That belt was new, only 4-5 months old too! So now she sits in some parking lot about 40 minutes away ... she’ll have to wait until this weekend when I can trailer her home.

So the water pump gear that fails on the sc is on the driver-side of the engine? That’s where the noise pretty much sounded and felt like it was coming from.

 

Since it threw the belt it seems like it might have been a pulley that was bad and making all the noise. Certainly possible both are bad too.

Yeah, water pump in the middle to driver's side of the engine

 

Hmm... seeems like a common failure.

 

Well, if you have a supercharger that's spinning upwards of 14,000 rpms for 10+ years, and you have a leaky seal that runs it out of oil......and you run it dry, then yes....it's a common problem

I have 140,000 miles on my R53, and so far no issues with the SC. They don't last forever....so when it goes, I'll just replace it and keep on motoring

 

Yeah it's just a guess how common it is.

This forum is just a small portion of the mini community and then it's usually only the people with a problem or potential owners asking about the car.

I've been on this website for about a year and a half and the issue comes up every few months. Guys that work on them daily, like Way motor works would know. Simply searching r53 supercharger brings up many sc failures but there are tens of thousands of r53s on the road with good sc's. Guess it depends on how you define common. It's a potential problem for sure. Mine went around 90k miles.

Like they said, don't worry about it until you hear that horrible noise.

 

One tip...
MANY r53 cars have a NOISY THROW_OUT bearing in the clutch....
So have someone PUSH IN THE CLUTCH to see if the noisy goes away....if it does, it is not the SC.

 

pretty rare...
I had a Spare SC sitting on the shelf for 6 years...sold it shorty after i sold my car when my was 10 years old...
a SC is a WEAR item....but so is EVERYTHING ELSE on a car...
Many well meaning owners do a LUBE as a DIY...and get in FAR OVER THEIR HEADS, and the car NEVER RUNS RIGHT...bad gaskets, vacuum leaks, intake leaks....seems simple, but not as easy as it looks,,,

IMO just wait till you have an issue, then fix it.
Rebuilt SC is 600-1000$, plus 5-6 hours labor to swap it out.

 

^I couldn't agree more with this post^

 

Because I was in a suit last night and everything was hot, I didn't stick my hand in and check. Tonight I’m going back and look more closely at the idler pulley and check the SC pulley. So, when a sc fails does the sc pulley usually frozen or should I be able to spin it?

The noise I heard was kind of, but not exactly, like this:

Hey Zippy, wish you still had that spare still sitting on the shelf....

Are there any rebuild places that stand out? Core swap?

I'd rather address the problem sooner rather than later ... especially since I’m now using my hauling vehicle, a v10 Ford Excursion, to commute the 80mi/day for work.

 

ck belt tensioner, my mini was making a rattling noise when i stepped on it and took it in...i was just looking at the engine with the mechanic and noticed the belt was worn on one side. he changed the tensioner and the belt. if he hadnt of course my belt wouldve broke too. gl