Daughter's car. Broken belt. None of the pulleys are seized and I was hoping it was just an old belt but I've been trying to get the supercharger to rotate by hand and I can't get it to turn... I'm guessing the supercharger is seized.
Am I correct in thinking I should be able to turn the supercharger pulley by hand while there's no belt on it?

Thanks.
-Mag

 

Yup - it’s done. It drives the water pump off the back.

 

Lovely.

 

How long should it take a shade-tree mechanic to replace a supercharger?
I've swapped engines and do 99% of my repairs, but I'm not a mechanic. I do have a lift in my garage but I doubt that will be much help here.

 

Maybe 6 hours

 

I have done it - driveway job. I am DIY only. Not a pro mechanic. It’s like a 5 or 6 out of 10. Take your time.

front end needs to go into Service mode - remove bumper, under tray, aluminum bar, move radiator / ac out of the way, and remove frame horns, and rad support.

remove intercooler, and all other stuff on top of supercharger. Get new supercharger ready - fill front and rear oil reservoirs. I suggest a new water pump and the hose to the head.

the crank sensor leaks oil - in the front side of the block, you will see it.

likely you should replace the tensioner and serpentine belt too.

there will be more small stuff as you get in.

search on service mode.

others will also chime in on their experiences.

a lift will help - get it 2 or 3 feet off the ground. You won’t have to bend over as much.

 

We discussed it in another thread recently but reiterating it here that I would not recommend a Detroit Tuned supercharger rebuild. Either get a low mileage used supercharger and change the oil/water pump before installing, or call Stiegemeier Porting and try one of their rebuilds.

 

I’ve had good luck with allmagauto in Tampa for used parts.

Also Willmek on eBay. - I got a PS pump from him.

funny story. I see a Dinan supercharger pulley on eBay. Stupid money, like $100. It arrived with the supercharger still on it. That spun nice, and I put the whole unit in in 2021 - 35K miles ago.

 

Good outline

https://www.minitorque.com/threads/r...install.50753/

I estimate 8 - 10 hours to do it if you are familiar with the r53. I am familiar ( new in 2005, and when I did that in 2021, almost no one else touched that car.)

 

Thanks... I was actually going to ask about this rebuild vs a used one of the bay. At $1500 it makes some sense... but I'll check out that thread to learn why not.

 

What should I be looking for on a used supercharger?
The lowest mileage possible I assume, but should I be looking for one that doesn't show any signs of seeping oil on it? Make sure the seller says it spins freely?
Anything here to look out for?

 

Allmagauto has some in the $500 range. Call them. As long as it spins quietly, and does not have play, you should be good.

 

Are the supercharger vanes supposed to be black or clean? I see them both ways on the bay and I'm not sure which is correct or if it even matters.

 

Black are the teflon coated ones. All superchargers interchange.

 

The color of the vanes doesn't matter. I believe the black coated lobes are (supposedly) from JCW cars. I've had a number of superchargers on my car (my story is in the Detroit Tuned supercharger thread) with both coated and uncoated lobes. There was no noticeable difference in whether or not the lobes were coated.

If you are lucky and inclined, you might get a supercharger in a pick and pull yard. I was able to pull a spare supercharger for myself for about $100.

 

:
the earlier version may be prone to flaking . . .

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...hunks-2-a.html

. . . safer bet to go for the latest version which is the black abradable teflon or whatever it is

 

Most of the superchargers I see have a stamp near the lobes that say GC3 or GC4... I'm just assuming the 4 is newer.
But I also found only one that has "LST 5" instead of the GC3/4... what's up with that one? China?

 

Dunno what is on mine - link below is good. Those red clips for vacuum lines are tricky - learn how to release them ( you need to push the red part down ).

https://www.pelicanparts.com/techart...wxPEL3XW8Ne8hg

 

Not sure if its worth a read - but here is My first time/firsthand experience when I scored a like new Supercharger from a salvage yard for $90.
​​​​​​"Viable SC or Scrap?..."
In the linked scenario - I would have to say that I got really lucky.

If your budget allows; purchasing a new rebuilt for $1,500 from a reliable shop with warranty would be preferable in my opinion.
On the otherhand if purchased a good used from a reputable source like AllMag - would hope that the part would've been thoroughly inspected....

 

my recent experience here: https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...her-items.html

 

I'm running a used unit from Allmag in my car currently, after my Detroit Tuned fiasco. Fortunately Allmag is local to me, and I picked the supercharger from their inventory with the least amount of scoring on the teflon rotors, then changed the oil, etc. My understanding is that as the oil gets used and the bearings wear, it allows more play in the rotors, leading to scoring and eventually failure. So find one that spins freely and has the cleanest rotors possible.

 

Thanks for all the help guys.
I checked out allmag but they only have one (non-JCW) with around 175k miles and that's higher than I'm comfortable with.

 

I'd give them a call and see if they have any others. The one I bought wasn't listed on their website yet.

 

They have been honest with me. And ask about how they feel its overall condition is. At 175k, it might be the second supercharger.

also - considering how hard it is to get this done, use oe parts or good quality OEM.

Take your time, read and re-read how to docs. Come back and ask us. Breaking stuff costs more.

 

Thanks again for all the help ya'll. I decided to get a rebuilt one from Stiegemeier.