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Old 08-01-2004, 10:16 PM   #1
reddevil
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Default Installed my supercharger with pictures!

I finally had some time to start my supercharger install. I have a 1990 legacy 2.2 NA wagon.

So far, everthing has been a peice of cake, lucky I have a metal bandsaw and extra brass and aluminum lying around though.

I installed a Mercedes supercharger that is built by Eaton for the 2.3 liter Kompressor series cars and/or the SLK's. (I may be wrong about this but I should be close to the facts!). I purchased the supercharger and the intake and exhaust brackets (super important to pick these up!) off of ebay for about $442, including shipping.

I took a piece of 1/4" aluminium plate and cut it out to attach flat (like a plate) to two bolt holes on the passenger side head. I had to cut out to accomadate the spark plugs, injectors and a few little other things. I only had to do it twice. Then I bolted it in and set the supercharger on top of the plate and eyeballed the pulley in line with the existing pulleys and marked the holes to be drilled into the plate to attach the supercharger. Then dettached the plate, drilled the holes and reattached the plate and bolted the supercharger to the plate. I had to shim the front of the supercharger up to be in the proper vertical plane for the pulleys to be in allignment. Still needs a little work to be perfect.

Since the power steering pump is basically in line with the alternator pulley and the supercharger pulley, I fabricated a rigid extension to hold an idler pulled to push the belt down across the powersteering pulley and then back up over the supercharger pulley. This seemed to work very well.

This took about 4 hours to do and was all I could do today.

The next steps are to get along enough belt (56.5 inches), cut off the supercharger intake and weld the MAF sensor to it and install a panel air cleaner that pulls air through the hood (and cut a hole for hood scoop, cut and reweld the exhaust bracket off the supercharger so the air goes in the right direction, and finally and most importantly, head over to my exhaust shop so they can bend and creat my actual new air intake tubing.

Yes, I will post pictures sometime after borrowing a camera that takes those new fangled "digital" potatoes.


i suspect boost will only be about 3-4 lbs, because I have an underdrive pulley currently installed.

Update 7/2/04

I installed the belt just now and it works! I just stood there going "cool!" While the supercharger is just hooked up to the belt to see if it worked, it was still awesome to see it work and blow that air! It even sounds cool although my damn exhaust drowns out the supercharger sound. Rev the engine and put your hand over the exhaust pipe and just grin!

Next step is to fabricate the ductwork/piping and air filter set up. So close!

Pictures!

Basic Bay View



Another Bay view



Just a sweet picture of the charger



And some explanation



#1 is the Mercedes supercharger
#2 is the plate the supercharger is attached too
#3 is the idler pulley (timing belt pulley off stock engine)
#4 underdriven pulley.




#1 is the plate
#2 is the supercharger
#3 is the idler pulley assembly
#4 is the idler pulley
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Last edited by reddevil; 08-10-2004 at 12:08 AM.
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Old 08-02-2004, 08:55 AM   #2
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Wow, nice work! It'll be great to see some pictures. What are you planning on doing for fuel management?

-Chav
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Old 08-02-2004, 11:47 AM   #3
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pics pics pics pics PICS!!!!
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Old 08-02-2004, 12:06 PM   #4
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ditto
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Old 08-02-2004, 12:07 PM   #5
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*subscribe*
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Old 08-02-2004, 12:22 PM   #6
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careful cutting off that supercharger intake as I believe it also has the bypass in it which you want to use so you aren't constantly robbing your hp as you running around town.
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Old 08-02-2004, 10:53 PM   #7
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Update 7/2/04

I installed the belt just now and it works! I just stood there going "cool!" While the supercharger is just hooked up to the belt to see if it worked, it was still awesome to see it work and blow that air! It even sounds cool although my damn exhaust drowns out the supercharger sound. Rev the engine and put your hand over the exhaust pipe and just grin!

Next step is to fabricate the ductwork/piping and air filter set up. So close!
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Old 08-03-2004, 03:50 PM   #8
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Thumbs up Congrats!

I think you are now the world record holder for "improvised supercharger installation".

I have a supercharger from a Mazda Millenia S sitting in the garage that I was going to try and put on, but my enthusiasm was dampened by all the "My engine blew " threads in this forum... Go forth with caution... (and some sort of fuel/timing/engine management).

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Old 08-03-2004, 04:17 PM   #9
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Just don't boost spike...it seems as if unwanted boost spikes are what kill most of these motors.
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Old 08-03-2004, 10:13 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AcquaCow
Just don't boost spike...it seems as if unwanted boost spikes are what kill most of these motors.
Since the blowers create boost relative to the engine RPM, boost spikes are not likely to happen. However, over boosting due to a too high rpm/boost most definately is a possibility. Of course, a BOV will easily handle that situation.

Good luck with the install. Very interested in your success.

Cheers,
MB
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Old 08-04-2004, 12:46 AM   #11
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Congrats
Gods speed
and I almsot thought about bidding on that SC ...
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Old 08-04-2004, 01:32 AM   #12
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Bump, now with pictures in original post!
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Old 08-04-2004, 09:18 AM   #13
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That is beautiful!

You going to attach a boost guage to make sure it's only 3-4lbs?

What can that charger normally supply?

-- Dave
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Old 08-04-2004, 10:16 AM   #14
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I think your SC doesn't have a by-pass valve, which you will need. You can get a universal one from either www.magnusonproducts.com or www.whipplesuperchargers.com.

If you haven't read Corky Bell's book "Supercharged" it's got some good info.

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Old 08-04-2004, 10:57 AM   #15
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AcquaCow
Just don't boost spike...it seems as if unwanted boost spikes are what kill most of these motors.
I hear that missed shifts and bouncing off the rev limiter = fuel cut = detonation kills a few too.

Also,
Is that enough belt wrap on the power steering pulley?
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Old 08-04-2004, 11:21 AM   #16
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Well, I spent alot of time running around today. I did manage to get my intake and throttle body piping fabricated for about $175 total. This included having the modified aluminium intake welded ($30), the adaptor plate made out of steel ($60) and the exhaust shop made my intake piping for $75. Plus some parts from home depot $21. Then I had to go home and get my kids and take the babysitter home. I thought I was done until Saturday. Butttt...

Ok, I couldnt wait. I had to hook it up and "test" it and just see if it even came close to working correctly. IT DOES! Its unbelieveable. Even with it not having everything bolted tightly, and electrical tape as the hose connector between the intake and throttle body, it ran and idled (I did not drive it).

It did not idle well at all. But I suspect/know this was because of all the loose fittings and a single major vacumn leak. And the car will not idle period if the supercharger is turned off. It needs a supercharger bypass valve for when at idle or just off. It also NEEDS!!!!! a blow off valve because there is so much boost it is going to cause serious problems when you let off the gas. I do have a bosch blow off valve which is plastic and has some sort of electrical connection as well as a vacumn connection. I will need to figure out how it works!

However when you gave it some gas it just took off! I didn't ever even hit half throttle there was so much boost involved. I was hoping the boost guage I have hooked up to the throttle vacumn line would show boost but it did not so I have no idea how much boost is involved yet.

AND IT SOUNDS AWESOME! I was dissapointed when I was testing it in the last few days because you really couldnt hear it over the exhaust. However with all the parts hooked up, the exhaust and secondary noises quiet down and the supercharger sound increases.

Man , I can not wait! I give myself a 90% chance of having it up and running on Saturday.
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Last edited by reddevil; 08-05-2004 at 12:59 AM.
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Old 08-05-2004, 01:00 AM   #17
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The power steering pump barely gets enough belt on it, but it does work.
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Old 08-05-2004, 01:01 AM   #18
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Awesome! I'm reading this one very closely. I can't believe you've progressed as fast as you have. Incredible!

BTW: You do know that there is a LOT of $$$$$ to be made if your project works and you decide to sell it as a kit right? People have been waiting for a supercharger kit for quite some time.
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Old 08-05-2004, 06:43 PM   #19
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I would sell all of my turbo hardware in a heartbeat (It makes a little over 20+lbs daily) if someone could make a system like this work with a whipple blower.
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Old 08-06-2004, 04:59 AM   #20
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The Bad news and the Good news.

Bad News.
Never Ever Ever stick a rag into the supercharger to protect it from crap, engage the electric clutch, then drive at high speed to Home Depot until the rag get blown out and sucked back in. Very depressing. Sad even, maybe a tear or two. No matter how hard you try, you cannot seem to budge the ****ing charger backwards.


The good news.
If anyone ever wants to know how to disassemble a supercharger of the eaton variety, let me know. I tore it apart, pulled out the rotors, cleaned the rag **** off, reassembled it and as soon as I hit "submit" I will be putting it back in the car.


What a ****ing idiot!
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Old 08-06-2004, 05:00 AM   #21
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And then a few hours later......

IT LIVES!!!!!

I drove it! It runs! It drives! It stops! It has no more power than before!


OK, heres the deal. After the rag eating fiasco, I reinstall the supercharger back in its proper place. Now I could either go home or finish the damn job! Guess what I did.

Obviously I finished the job. I couldn't help myself.

So.... Final installation was pretty straight forward. I had spent a few hours earlier in the day drilling, tapping and installing all my various vacumn spots, crankcase breather spots, nitrous hole and BOV pipe. I had gone and picked up all neccesary hoses and connections when I accidentally fed the supercharger the rag.

Other than some tight spots, everthing went in like a charm. The only problem, and I mean only problem was the location I had chosen to put the BOV in the pipes. I had set them up WAY too close to each other so the bend was too tight. And I was short hose.

Since I couldn't hook up the BOV right now, I simply decided to hook the two sections together so this way I was not going to cause problems with too high a pressure.

I finally started and idled the car, with the supercharger clutch off. It ran about 80% compared to normal, because the normal airflow was constrictdd, but still ran fine. Revving the engine was completely normal.

I flicked the switch to turn the supercharger on and the idle picked up about 300 rpm and ran about 90% normal. Hit the gas and it takes right off! Sound great. When you lift off the gas, it sounds just like a BOV.

So I shut up the shop and head for home. Test drive a ways with the charger off. Runs great (or at least about 90%)

Flick the supercharger clutch switch and expect great things.

Nothing.

***?!?!?!?!?

It accellerates just like a NA, but when I let off the has, the boost guage just jumps to high heaven!

So what is the problem? No ****ing BOV. Since I am venting back into the intake without a BOV, when I actually get on it, the boost is dumping back into its own airstream. The only time boost actaually registers is when the throttle plate closes and it spikes.


But....It still works!

The only reason I did not install the questionable BOV that I own (the bosch one) is that I was short proper hose. I think that I will just bite the bullet and get another Bosch BOV new and test tommorow.

Still fun.

Goodnight, I am about to pass out from exhaustion.
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Old 08-06-2004, 12:11 PM   #22
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Keep that motivation going man.You rock.


-Tod
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Old 08-07-2004, 10:16 PM   #23
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Without larger/smaller pulleys, the Mercedes supercharger puts out crap. You need to get the compressor to run about 14,000 rpm off the crank. However the pulley on the supercharger is 3.5" and since it is an electric clutch, you cant mill it down. So youi either need to run a 8 or 9" crank pulley, or do a double up pulley set up to get the compressor to rev up the the right rpm.

I did reinstall the stock crank pulley and purchased a new belt and now have the compressor up to about a maximun of 9000 rpm and it now does have more power, just not alot.
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Old 08-08-2004, 03:43 AM   #24
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The supercharger is clutch driven so you cant change it. this is because the magnetic part is inside the pulley, so the pulley diameter is dictated by the magnetic part of the pulley. I did see a smaller pulley made for the mercedes superchargers but A- they were like $500 and B- may not have been for this particular supercharger.


My fears for making a bigger crank pulley would be A- an exploding crank pulley. B- Overdriving the alternator and power steering. Solutions for this would be to just get smaller alternator and powersteering pulley. Those I can personally make. It is the larger crank pulley that my lathe is too small for.

I dont have ac, so dont have to worry about that. I have considered getting rid of the powersteering too. We shall see.

Ok , now a rough performance review.

It definately works. If you floor it it first and then flick the switch at 4000k, the car jerks forward like you hit nitrous. This was just a test though, obviously you want it on from 0 to 6500 rpm.

If you go to this site,
http://automotive.eaton.com/product/...argers/M45.asp

you can see the compressor map. While not the same as my supercharger, I suspect it is very close. So basically, as the rpms rise, so does the power, with no spike, it just goes faster and faster.

I suspect that right now I have a bout a 10 to 20 hp increase. Not much but something and it is noticable. With the larger pulley, it will be worth all the time.


Now the noise. LOUD. Since I dont have an integrated throttle bypass valve (not the BOV) all air must come through the compressor. At this point I also have a suck ass BOV, this leaks I think even at boost, and when I let off the throttle, it sounds like a very large angry farting BOV.

The compressor noise itself is also very loud but cool sounding.

The compressor at this stage is activated by an on/off switch located on the dash. This is so that I can activate the supercharger as long as the rpm is below 3500 rpm. My fear of having the supercharger come on only at WOT, is that I have heard of belts snapping when jerked into action too hard. I still need to do some fine tuning obviously.
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Old 08-08-2004, 04:10 AM   #25
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Hey look what I found. I previously said that my supercharger did not have a throttle bypass vavle for when not on boost. It turns out that the clutch works as this. ie, when the clutch is not engaged, the air is just coming though. I was doing this, just didnt know this was the answer.

Here is the quote.

"One disadvantage of this internal compression ratio is higher parasitic losses during off-boost operation. A Roots blower can be bypassed with a simple butterfly valve at part throttle and the only drag will be the mecahnical movement of its gears and lobes (which accounts for only about 0.3 hp according to Eaton). A Lysholm compressor, on the other hand, will continue to compress air as long as it is being turned, even if a bypass valve allows that air to be recirculated. The only way to eliminate a Lysholm compressor's parasitic drag at cruise is to let it stop turning via a clutch. (Ironically, the Eaton Roots blower used by Mercedes-Benz uses a clutch instead of a bypass valve, despite this being the more complicated solution. Mercedes does things its own way.)"
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