franke -

I've seen a few ebay listings with the oil, syringe and coupler. How do you remove it? Does it just slide out?

 

Would tilting the car help? Depending on the internal geometry of the chamber, a small tilt angle could make a significant difference in how much oil could be added to the rear chamber without having to remove the S/C...

 

What I've garnered from re-reading this thread is that the rear will only take about 1-1/2 oz if the s/c is left in the car; 4 oz is an "out-of-the-car/drain-and-refill-with-entire-bottle".

Looking at the pic.s, the rear wouldn't take that much to allow the s/c-side gear to wash through the oil - I'm guessing that using too much oil might just seep through the seal into the s/c at rest - but I'm also thinking of it like a crankshaft: it just "dips" into the oil instead of being submerged in it - and, bashing aside, I feel that Eaton put that plug in that exact location for a reason...

 

....but it was also "supposed" to be a lifetime oil. So maybe the plug was only intended to be used at initial/rebuild assembly.

 

As has been said earlier - you really only need enough oil for the bottom of the lower gear to dip in there so it can pick some up and sling it around. The fill hole seems to be high enough for that.

 

Careful on the semantics: The lifetime thing is as 'stated' by BMW/MINI; I haven't seen/read that from Eaton - not saying it's not possible, just sticking to what's actually been said.

fwiw: EVERY other "fill plug" I've ever dealt w/ in ~30 years of cars and trucks is the same - transmissions, differentials, et al: fill until it comes out to achieve proper level.

 

This is another thing I'm trying to figure out - does the S/C's air outlet sit perfectly in the horizontal plane while bolted to the engine? From these pix (K-huevo's), even though the front-end is jacked up, it appears the motor and S/C are tilted towards the back of the engine bay (which is normal to counter-balance the clockwise rotation of the crankshaft). But tilting towards the back is tilting towards the drain/fill hole for the rear chamber.

EDIT: Just took a close look at the S/C on my car. It does tilt (like the motor) towards the back of the engine bay.

 

You're correct about the placement of fill plugs on transmissions/differentials but I'm not so sure about the Mini's S/C.

According K-huevo's post...

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...02-post71.html

...he gathered from someone who modifies Eaton M45s that the rear takes about 2 oz. Dustin at AutoXcooper says he puts 4 oz when he services S/C. Looking at my measuring cup, 2 oz is too little considering the RPM of the gears and the lateral G-force the car exerts in fast turns and twisties.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7knVRLVrIo

SC rattle..

 

might want to lube that nose bearing *just a little*.

 

This is being converted into a baby rattler now..

 

One thing to remember if I may point it out....the M-45 supercharger, was modified for placement on the MINI, while its other closely relayed cousins are mounted on motors,in very different orientations then on the MINI. On the MINI, the placement of the SC was dictated by the tight spaces because of the design, rather than convenience, maintainability, or access. Because of this, I would rather doubt that the fill hole is the optimum oil level point. I think the hole is just where it ended up.
That beaing said, I'm sure 1 1/2 oz. of oil is better than zero, and possible adquate, and would be likely more than enough to keep it lubed to prevent damage, allowing the unit to get to its full life when it would have self destructed.
My only question....and maybe it is more of a philosophical question is....do you want to service a supercharger, that MAY be perfectly fine, letting out the full oil level, just to see if the compartment is full?
This very act may ensure that you need frequent checks in the future. And if the supercharger is low, when you do go to check it....it might be wise to remove it, just to check the gears, because if there is any damage, the resulting debris will act like sandpaper, and destroy the gears, so adding oil did you nothing. So what do you hope to gain? If it is making noise, and you replenish the oil, it is too late......If it is fine, then it may be full or may be low....you simply do not know. Perhaps I've made it into a "is the glass half full or half empty" question, but you may spend unneeded money to do an un-needed service, that MAY shorten the SC life. Quite a conundrum.
This leads me to believe that you have 2 choices with a good running SC. IF labor is free/cheap, remove it, do an oil service, and re-install it. If labor is pricey, run it till it makes noise, remove, and replace with a overhauled unit. Since labor is $$$ at MINI dealers, this is their current recommendation.

 

I'd rather check and know that the oil is full than to go on blind faith and wait until my supercharger kicks the bucket.

If it is extremely low - yes, I will probably end up tearing it apart. But - with any luck, mine will just need to be topped off.

 

I agree that this M45 is used in other vehicles in dfferent orientations - I absolutely do not think it was a "dart toss" as to the location of the F/R plugs. I'm seeking definitive answers while growing weary of guesses
Sorry, but as Joe Friday said: "Just the facts, sir"...

And, yes, I'm in contact with Eaton...

 

I understand what you are saying. Now the rest of the story.
I just recieved my "spare" SC and water pump today, so it is ready to go. I only got a couple of minutes to quickly inspect it, but judging by how low the oil fill hole is on the waterpump drive plate, I don't think it would be capable of holding 1.5 ounces from the bottom of the hole to the bottom of the cavity. I'm leaving on a trip for work for a week, and when I get home, I'll try to look at it much more closely.
My local mini guy says that he DOES remove the sc/waterpump from the car to tilt it, and he actually opens them up, wipes it clean, the reseals the cavity before resealing to ensure the seal water pump drive seal itself has not been compermised, and is freash.

 

Capacity is a "three dimensional", so please take into account the depth of the cavity...

An ounce and a half is only "two fingers" (on the rocks) of one of my favorite adult beverages...

Still haven't gotten anything back from Eaton Or MINI, time to bump those...

 

Have you thought about modifying the spare SC somehow to make it easier to check/replace/replenish the oil?

 

Naw....if the oil is seeping out....you are just putting off the inevitable. I'd be afraid that the mod would exacerbate the problem...and cause the core of the water-pump to become worthless due to the mod. It is one thing to add oil once during it expected life....to try to do it more...it should just be fixed so it is not low. I'll just listen for the telltale sound change...and do it asap.
The more I thought about the work involved, it just makes more sense to swap it out...especially since great SC are available pretty cheap if you look. I got a 05' coated SC, waterpump, and SC outlet horn for $600, off a car with 7000 miles that was totaled. The SC, etc are in perfect condition, and rotors are perfect....if it wasn't for a tiny bit of dirt on the casing, I'd say it was never used. If you look, they are out there......and much cheaper than OEM...1600 for a rebuild, 2200 for new. If you have wait, and need it quick...the dealer will gouge you. I bought now...cheap, and will have minimal downtime. Simplify put, it is cheaper to buy a new one, then to do the service, unless you DIY, and then it looks like a PAIN. And if it is low....it needs to be taken off, and rebuilt.

 

I've come to the conclusion that the proper way to do this is to remove the S/C from the car and open up both chambers for cleaning and refill. With the S/C on the car, it is tilted towards the firewall, positioning the fill hole at the lowest point of the oil chamber. Also 1.5-2 oz of fluid seems too little; 3-4 oz sounds right.

Many have reported that the oil can seep through the anaerobic gasket. Has anyone thought of making a traditional gasket and apply sealant on both sides? Of course the gasket has to be thin so it would decrease the contact area of the gears in the least possible amount. This should make a better seal. In the old days, I cut gaskets (valve covers, water-pumps, thermostat flanges) from a roll of gasket paper sold in autoparts stores. Haven't done that in years.

Here's my spare (2005)... hope I won't need to use it for while.

 

I thought about that, and also used to cut my own (available at hardware stores, too) - the thought of the extra thickness lead me to wonder if I could hit up my machinist friend to have the outer half "shaved" a touch...

 

My local MINI guy suggested using a tiny amount of gray RTV rather that aerobic sealant to better fill in the machining and hatch marks, rather than aerobic sealant. Any thoughts?

 

Don't know the difference, really. On my '01 VW, I've used RTV for portions of the valve cover gasket. The oil pan uses the same but mine hasn't leaked yet. I would imagine they have more heat stress than the PTO.

 

Does any one know who sells reputable reman superchargers?

 

Read the previous posts. There is several listed.

 

Depending on how fast you need one, there are a few options. If you need one ASAP, the safest thing, and the most expensive thing to do is go to the dealer, pay $1600 (ouch!!), and pick one up as they usually stock them.
If price is a bit of a concern, then several vendors, like WayMotorWorks will ship you an overhauled unit, which you can install, then put your old unit back in the box, and they rebuild it for the next custmer. Prices varry widely...but since it is a full day (sometimes longer) job to pull, and install a supercharger, quality IMO is paromount.
One place does very cheap overhauls at about 500$, then offers a very goog warrenty, but they apparently have some QC issues, and if the unit fails...can you guess who is out the labor and downtime on the car a second time? There are 2 authrozized rebuilders according to the orgional manfacture of the SC...but many companys seem to do very competant rebuilds, sometimes improving upon the orgional, with better seals, bearings, and even porting to get a few extra hp.
One very real option...with some risk...buy a SC on e-bay or right here on the market place. Some come off of wrecked low mile cars...some people still have SC on their shelfs from when they upgrade to JCW's, etc.
I bought a 7000 miles sc, waterpump, and sc outlet horn off a wreck for $600 knowing that I might have to spend $900 to overhaul it...knowing it was still cheaper than a dealer sc. It turns out it was nearly perfect...and I will have nearly 0 down time.
There are many options in the prior pages listed...pick what is best for you!!
One guy said he shipped his sc to a place that was out of pre-rebuilt units...took 4 weeks to get it back...was promised in 2-3. Just something to consider.