Supercharger rebuild... can't get SC housing to split open! Help!

[Michael211_2000]

Need a little help here, since my SC was starting to leak oil and nearly at 100 hours of run time I got a rebuild kit and am in the middle of rebuilding the infernal thing.

Problem is, I can't get the 2 halves to split open! Arghhh! Looks like they are silicone'd together from the factory. I've tried a large flat tipped screwdriver, gently tapping each side (from the seam), and even a sharp wood chisel to no avail!

All the bolts are out of course, and I've remove the shaft. But i'm stuck now until I can get that housing to open up for me.

Any thoughts what to try next? I don't want to beat it to death (ok, maybe I do... but no not really a good idea that).

Thanks!

- Michael

 

[red2blue]

Maybe take a wooden paint stir stick...place into exit...pry apart?

 

[Michael211_2000]

Nope, the air exit is 1 piece all on the outside half of the SC shell. I checked already. LOL!

I don't think it's supposed to be this hard to split open, this one is just REALLY well sealed together! Arghhh!

- Michael

 

[red2blue]

the stick won't reach past the joint?

 

[Michael211_2000]

I got it I got it I got it! Sharp wood chisel, tip right on the top of the seam (SC is in a mount plate clamped vertically on a bench vice), tapped chisel head with hammer harder for a little longer and it finally popped open for me! (whew!)

Now I can finally get on with this business and replace the bearing and seal inside the housing and start putting this thing back together again.

I decided to carefully rebuild it myself, since I have lots of experience with tools and such anyhows and I want to know how to do it.

With 96 hours of operation, my original 2006 215 SC looks pretty good inside though it was starting to leak oil. The needle bearings look just as good as they did when I took the gear end apart to replace the original ceramic washers with steel washers almost 50 hours ago (I re-used the original needle bearings, being VERY careful to keep up with all of them and get them back in right when I re-assembled!). For a 9 year old supercharger with 96 hours of operation on it the innards all look to be in good condition though I'm replacing them with new innards anyhows. Just saying that other than the leaky seal, not much wear I'm finding.

Oh 1 of the 2 steel upgrade washers does have a bit of wear on it, like it wasn't getting quite enough oil lubricating it. The other steel washer looks like it's brand new though. Not sure why 1 was taking wear while the other still looks pristine.

And the new steel washers in the kit I got aren't quite as thick as the upgraded steel washers I put in it back in 2009 when I bought this RXT with 56 hours on it.... I'm hoping these latest washers are just made of a stronger alloy or something. They are a more gold color than the upgraded steel washers I put in it in 2009 (which were and are still silver).

Finally the new kit bearings are a different design I see, the original bearings were an open design while the new ones I have seem to be sealed if I'm not mistaken. I'm going to google the new bearing's part number and see what their specs are like before I put them in I think!

This is my 1st time to rebuild a SC, but my 2nd time to have the gear end of this one apart. So this is just a little more involved than changing out the original ceramic washers with upgraded steel washers. I am being VERY meticulous here, and by the book with the torque specs and all! I would have gone the additional 4 hours of operation before rebuilding but it was starting to leak oil and blowing some oil up into the throttle body so I figured it was time.

Here's hoping my rebuild works well for another 100 hours of operation!

Thanks!

- Michael

 

[Michael211_2000]

The new bearings supplied with this kit are the 6200Z NSK bearing made in Japan. It is a sealed bearing as opposed to the original open caged bearings. Double-shielded, radial ball bearings... used in a lot of things apparently. Not particularly expensive though at just under $3 each on Ebay.

Why do these kits cost so darned much? Does the shaft cost THAT much to machine?

Wondering if these bearings are better or worse than the original open-caged bearings for this application? Hmmm... :-\

- Michael

 

[Michael211_2000]

Sealed may be the wrong word... double-shielded is what they are. Apparently that just means they have a shield on both sides of the bearing so you cannot see the balls inside. I'm unclear if that is better or worse than having 1 side of the bearing open so I don't know why the original bearings were only shielded on 1 side.

I presume oil can still pass thru these double-shielded bearings to lubricate them. Still doing some research before I proceed any further however...

- Michael

 

[ski-d00]

For splitting the cases, all you do is put the square end of a ratchet without a socket in the designated pry area and turn. Works every time.

There is major science behind bearings, like steel type, ball hardness, shape, clearance, race hardness, etc. You will have to have all the specs before you decide which is better.

 

[Michael211_2000]

Ahhh! So that was the preferred trick to split the casing open. Well now I'll know better! Thanks!

Yeah I don't think I'm going to go with these shielded bearings... I don't think they'll get sufficient lubrication due to the shields.

The original bearings are stamped FAG 6200-C3 and I think I'm just going to order a pair of them from Amazon. The rpm load and heat specs are identical (apparently all 6200 series bearings conform to the same basic specs), but the non-shielded design would allow engine oil to flow thru them which has to be better!

Thanks again for the trick to splitting the SC case halves more easily!

- Michael

 

[walshfamily19]

Funny I just rebuilt my supercharger last year. Ran great all summer. Then ran great all this year til this past weekend. I think I had the shielded bearings in my rebuild kit. Needless to say my charger is putting off a higher note when running. I think I've lost a bearing. Wonder if they have gone back to open bearings for better oil flow yet

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[Michael211_2000]

Better pull it and check things out! Bet a bearing has burned up though. :-(

I decided to go with the original OEM un-shielded bearings. They're A LOT more expensive than the shielded ones that came in this kit, too! Eeek! But I'd rather not have to do this again anytime soon so.... better safe than sorry!

The specs on the shielded and OEM un-shielded bearings were basically the same (rpm's heat levels etc.) but the un-shielded OEM bearings had something about a thermal expansion tolerance that the shielded ones did not. Plus like you said, I don't see how the shielded ones could get oil flow thru them.

- Michael

 

[walshfamily19]

Better pull it and check things out! Bet a bearing has burned up though. :-(

I decided to go with the original OEM un-shielded bearings. They're A LOT more expensive than the shielded ones that came in this kit, too! Eeek! But I'd rather not have to do this again anytime soon so.... better safe than sorry!

The specs on the shielded and OEM un-shielded bearings were basically the same (rpm's heat levels etc.) but the un-shielded OEM bearings had something about a thermal expansion tolerance that the shielded ones did not. Plus like you said, I don't see how the shielded ones could get oil flow thru them.

- Michael

Thanks for the input. Yes I'm upset to only get 35 hours out of a rebuild. Everything was great. It had to be lack of oil. We ride it hard also. I'll know soon as I get the charger off again

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[Michael211_2000]

fyi: From all my research the other day, these bearings (either the shielded or the unshielded OEM design) are rated for ~35K rpm's... however, our superchargers I've read can be spun up into the 4K to 4.5K rpm range at WOT! So if you're spending a lot of time at WOT, that will likely lead to the bearings failing prematurely whichever ones you have in the SC.

Myself I rarely go up to WOT, actually I don't think I have ever held the throttle at WOT only been near to WOT a time or two in the ~45 hours or so I've had this 2006 RXT. My supercharger innards at 96 hrs are actually in very good condition (though I'm replacing the innards clearly!).

Let me know what you find out about yours when you get it out and apart though.... I'm interested to know. Thanks!

- Michael

 

[walshfamily19]

fyi: From all my research the other day, these bearings (either the shielded or the unshielded OEM design) are rated for ~35K rpm's... however, our superchargers I've read can be spun up into the 4K to 4.5K rpm range at WOT! So if you're spending a lot of time at WOT, that will likely lead to the bearings failing prematurely whichever ones you have in the SC.

Myself I rarely go up to WOT, actually I don't think I have ever held the throttle at WOT only been near to WOT a time or two in the ~45 hours or so I've had this 2006 RXT. My supercharger innards at 96 hrs are actually in very good condition (though I'm replacing the innards clearly!).

Let me know what you find out about yours when you get it out and apart though.... I'm interested to know. Thanks!

- Michael

My ski gets rode hard. Wave jumping, skid slides and wot. Not only by me but my son and daughter. I think I know why I have had failure after researching all day. This will be the first year I didn't change the oil at the beginning of the summer. Long story short I screwed myself. I always change it the first of the season. Either way I'll let you know once I get it apart. Thanks again.

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[Sea Dood]

The square extension trick for separating housings doesn't work on the later SC housings, they removed the bosses in the castings.