Supercharger DIY or send it in?

[DooGuy]

I’m at that dreaded time to rebuild superchargers. Debating on if I want to do myself or suck it up and send them in.

Wondering if anyone on here has done themselves and what the experience has been. Obviously sending in would be easy but it’s also a lot more $$ which I could direct to other boat projects keeping me somewhat in budget.

 

[hfgreg]

Hi there! We do them at a very affordable price. Its $465 and that includes return shipping. We use 100% OEM parts.

If you opt to do it yourself you really won;t save a whole lot of money after you buy the kits and tools required for rebuild. It's also imperative that the rebuild is done properly as failure is high with units that haven't been rebuilt correctly.

Here is the link to our service: Sea-Doo Supercharger Rebuild Service SCRS

 

[MacSeaDoo]

Hi there! We do them at a very affordable price. Its $465 and that includes return shipping. We use 100% OEM parts.

If you opt to do it yourself you really won;t save a whole lot of money after you buy the kits and tools required for rebuild. It's also imperative that the rebuild is done properly as failure is high with units that haven't been rebuilt correctly.

Here is the link to our service: Sea-Doo Supercharger Rebuild Service SCRS

I would get PWMuscle to do it. You would need the tool set and unless you are doing them all the time, send it in as they do them all day long.

 

[rldavis]

I agree with MacSeaDoo, send them in to PWC (they did mine). The piece of mind having a professional do it was enough to spend the extra cash as he said you have to get the tools. I suggest getting a flat rate box from USPS to send them in and that will save you a lot of $$ on shipping them there.

 

[Copious]

Used PWC Mussel in the fall - get job and communication. You won’t save much trying to do it yourself and will forever be second guessing if something happens in your boat - plausible denial is comfort

 

[JPass]

Send them in. So much easier and their turn around time is great.

PWC Muscle did ours and they were easy to deal with.

 

[sidarousmg]

@hfgreg website says there is shortage of rebuild kits. does that mean you do not have any on hand to rebuilt SC now, or just that you are low on inventory and once you run out, there will be a long wait. i am ready to send my SC for rebuild soon, but don't want to take it out now until you have the parts in stock. thank you.

 

[DooGuy]

Thanks everyone!

@hfgreg, I’ll be sending in when I pull boat out of storage. After reading sidarousmg’s note though I’m wondering If I need to travel to the barn and pull them soon so don’t have delays getting on water. Let me know.

 

[hfgreg]

@hfgreg website says there is shortage of rebuild kits. does that mean you do not have any on hand to rebuilt SC now, or just that you are low on inventory and once you run out, there will be a long wait. i am ready to send my SC for rebuild soon, but don't want to take it out now until you have the parts in stock. thank you.

We have about 40 kits on hand right now. We don't have a date of when the next kits will arrive so we left that message up. The hope is stock is replenished before we run out!

 

[LionOnABeach]

We have about 40 kits on hand right now. We don't have a date of when the next kits will arrive so we left that message up. The hope is stock is replenished before we run out!

Just ordered the rebuild service. I’ll pull the SC today and try to ship if I can get to the UPS store. I added a note/request to have you send back the washers you’re replacing. I believe I’ve got the ceramics and I’d like to take a look at them. I also have some equipment at a lab at my work I can use for shits and giggles (microscope, testing frames, etc). Thanks!

 

[paynewc13]

Are there any videos on how to pull the SC on a 180 challenger?

 

[LionOnABeach]

That top bolt is a pain, but it was a standard 5/16 head (with a torx t-25 recess in the head). Pretty easy to pull it and much more room in a boat than the PWC in the YouTube video. To my untrained eye, it looks to be in great shape; which it should be because the stamping on the housing is from 2015! It’s a 2007 model year boat. I’m guessing the SC was replaced by the owner before the guy I bought it from (who said he didn’t do anything to the bot besides oil change in the two years or so he had it). And the non-original housing bolts that didn’t require the special torx wrench makes more sense now.
And so now I’m thinking I didn’t really need the rebuild and wasn’t sitting on a time bomb like I thought, since they stopped using the ceramics in the late 2000’s.
but I guess I’ll go ahead with it since that’s still about six years old and it will freshen things up and give me a solid “when serviced last” date and hours.
now I’m thinking what necessitated the SC replacement in this boats past and if there’s anything else hidden? Motor ran great so I don’t think the factory SC let washers go into the engine and causes damage...unless the entire motor was replaced? The last two digits of EIN are the year, correct? Going to check that out.

 

[LionOnABeach]

Nope, engine was built in February of 2007

 

[hfgreg]

Just ordered the rebuild service. I’ll pull the SC today and try to ship if I can get to the UPS store. I added a note/request to have you send back the washers you’re replacing. I believe I’ve got the ceramics and I’d like to take a look at them. I also have some equipment at a lab at my work I can use for shits and giggles (microscope, testing frames, etc). Thanks!

Great! Please hand write that you want the old parts back on your receipt you send in as well! The guys often times don't pull up the order on the website. They just go off of the receipt.

 

[sidarousmg]

That top bolt is a pain, but it was a standard 5/16 head (with a torx t-25 recess in the head). Pretty easy to pull it and much more room in a boat than the PWC in the YouTube video. To my untrained eye, it looks to be in great shape; which it should be because the stamping on the housing is from 2015! It’s a 2007 model year boat. I’m guessing the SC was replaced by the owner before the guy I bought it from (who said he didn’t do anything to the bot besides oil change in the two years or so he had it). And the non-original housing bolts that didn’t require the special torx wrench makes more sense now.
And so now I’m thinking I didn’t really need the rebuild and wasn’t sitting on a time bomb like I thought, since they stopped using the ceramics in the late 2000’s.
but I guess I’ll go ahead with it since that’s still about six years old and it will freshen things up and give me a solid “when serviced last” date and hours.
now I’m thinking what necessitated the SC replacement in this boats past and if there’s anything else hidden? Motor ran great so I don’t think the factory SC let washers go into the engine and causes damage...unless the entire motor was replaced? The last two digits of EIN are the year, correct? Going to check that out.

great job. how difficult was the process and how long did it take to remove the S/C? one man job, or do I need to bribe a buddy with a case of beer for help?

 

[DooGuy]

great job. how difficult was the process and how long did it take to remove the S/C? one man job, or do I need to bribe a buddy with a case of beer for help?

They’re not too bad, I say this having a bad back. One man job, get yourself a magnet pickup tool for the short little bolts. Get them loose then use the tool to remove. Have dropped them before and then it’s a real pain. Top bolt is the pain, bottom aren’t too bad, just a reach. I’d plan half hour to an hour per depending on your skill level.

 

[LionOnABeach]

great job. how difficult was the process and how long did it take to remove the S/C? one man job, or do I need to bribe a buddy with a case of beer for help?

Pretty simple. Just make sure you have the correct wrenches. I ordered the special torx box wrench but my bolts had standard 5/16ths heads with a t-25 recessed in the head. Top bolt took about 5 mins since you can only turn it about a quarter. Everything else was easy. I did lay a throw PFD over the engine compartment latch so I could lay over the engine. Watch the YouTube on PWC muscle. That’s all I did and it was easy. If you want to unite a buddy, go for it but he’s just going to drink your beer!

 

[LionOnABeach]

Great! Please hand write that you want the old parts back on your receipt you send in as well! The guys often times don't pull up the order on the website. They just go off of the receipt.

Did that, thank you. Also bought some new mounting bolts today since I’m at the
Start of rounding one when I took it off.

lake is clear and no ice on big lake; time to get out?

 

[sidarousmg]

took longer than expected, but got the supercharger removed. went ahead and purchased new mounting bolts as I dropped one in the "abyss". mine were 8mm standard bolts, I wonder if the new bolts from PWCmuscle will also be metric or torx?

 

[LionOnABeach]

took longer than expected, but got the supercharger removed. went ahead and purchased new mounting bolts as I dropped one in the "abyss". mine were 8mm standard bolts, I wonder if the new bolts from PWCmuscle will also be metric or torx?

Nice! I was afraid of losing a bolt or a box wrench.
I notice your impeller isn’t chamfered like mine is. Odd.
re: bolts - I’ll let you know since I just ordered some and it looks like they’ve shipped!

 

[sidarousmg]

same, i think the bolts will be torx. how easy were your bolts to remove? because mine came out without any trouble and they look clean, so i doubt any kind of loctite was used. i thought the video called for red loctitle, but that doesn't make much sense to me since red is permanent, and supercharger "should" be removed every couple of years. i'm thinking of maybe using blue loctite, which isn't permanent when installing it back in.

 

[LionOnABeach]

same, i think the bolts will be torx. how easy were your bolts to remove? because mine came out without any trouble and they look clean, so i doubt any kind of loctite was used. i thought the video called for red loctitle, but that doesn't make much sense to me since red is permanent, and supercharger "should" be removed every couple of years. i'm thinking of maybe using blue loctite, which isn't permanent when installing it back in.

The top one was a bit tight and I started to round it before breaking it loose, which is why I wanted new bolts all around. The other two were easy with the t-25, short extension and ratchet. I didn’t notice anything on the threads either. I have a maintenance manual and will check the torque specs and see if there’s any mention of loctite.
also, why not make bolts from stainless? Never understood why critical bolts wouldn’t be made of a better material, even if more costly.

 

[LionOnABeach]

They are the special torx heads and looks like they’re stainless.

 

[sidarousmg]

@LionOnABeach have you received your S/C back yet? i sent mine last Monday and still haven't heard back and just shows the order is "processing" when i log in online. wondering how long i should wait before i try to call.
thanks.

 

[LionOnABeach]

I got a shipping notice/e-mail on Monday. Should be here by Thursday. I’ll post a follow up when received.