Quick question, found a SuperCharger for a pretty good deal, used. 15K miles on it with a 19% pulley off of a 2006 MCS. I have a 2003 MCS with a 15% pulley and 110K, trying to replace the supercharger before it goes out on me. If I get this used one,

Is there anything I could do to it to give me HP advances? (Polish or something?)

What will I need to make the swap? (Oil, Gaskets, Belts, etc)

Anything else I should replace while I am in that general area?

Could I do it myself with a left? (Pretty mechanical)

Thanks!!

 

Why did it come off the car??
The first thing I would do is put a different pulley on it....the 19% is kinda small....it makes me wonder about extra wear from having been run at beyond it's max recommended speed...easy if you get close to red-line with a 19%.
Is the black coating intact? All 2005+ SC have the black coating that was only on the JCW's before it....if it does have the coating, it should nor have flakes missing. If it lacks the coating...it is not off a 2005+ car...this alone is good for a few HP...possibly 5 more than the earlier ones...the coating helps the SC seal better, and prevents the transfer of heat from the SC body to the air to a degree.
Steigemister (sorry about the spelling) will port a SC, and do a few "mods" to improve its power production for about $300 I think....) they fill/block the noise/vent ports on the bottom I think, and polish....But this does have down sides (some have said a bit more heat)...IMO the $$ is better spent on rebuilding it, to make sure it is 100%.
If you don't rebuild it, get some SC lube from GM, and check the levels, and if all are ok, then drain and refill...if any are low, just get it rebuilt...a seal might be leaking, and it will get low again, and fail....
When you do swap out the SC, replace the water-pump at the same time.
As to if you can DIY it....I have a spare SC I picked up a few months ago (about 7,000 miles...was about $600....Some iffy rebuilds are avalable for $500+core...good rebuilds are a couple hundred more) and I have been debating the same question....The conclusion I came to was yes, BUT if you are going to dig that deep into a motor, having a good mechanic there to poke around and "freshen" a few things up might save some $$ in the long run....it might be $$ well spent to prevent future problems...along the same idea of doing the water-pump while you are in so deep...and they are connected....

 

I am awaiting response from the seller but the ad says it has the black coating propeller. I have a 15% on my car so I would probably just use mine on it and get a fresh belt. I had a shop look at my supercharger and they said the fluid was good and it looked fine. I already read about the water pump so I was planning on that one! About how much do those run? The guy is selling the supercharger for 300 bones!!! here are some pictures of it, wish they were better quality though









Like I said, still waiting a response from the seller about why it was taken off the car so I will update as soon as he gets back to me! I hope it's a good deal because for that price I figured it couldn't hurt to have! Thanks!

 

Worst case....it is only $100 more than what a straight core costs....(about $200). The water pump is $200-250, plus a $3 O-ring....
Make sure the seller says it spins easily/smoothly when turned by hand....
http://www.stiegemeier.com/minicooper.html is the place I was talking about if I got the spelling to mangled.

 

Awesome! Thanks you for that, for only $300 bucks for a "retune" isn't bad at all! Do the water pumps tent to fail around this millage? for $250 I would just do it so I don't have to take it all back apart lol! What do you mean by a "straight core?" And I will ask him about how it spins. I will definitely look at it before I buy it because it's local in Houston. What should I be looking for when I go look at it?

 

"straight core" is something I said referring to if you buy a rebuilt SC from a re-builder without a rebuildable core to give them back...the $200 is the up-charge that I have seen a few times.....some higher, some lower..Turns out porting is now up to 395$....here is the list...this company does charge a $$ for its services though....but is is a good, well respected starting point.....they are VERY well respected in the car world.
Mini-Cooper Supercharger Porting and Options:
Price Blower Porting Only $395
Front-Drive Rebuild Only $295
Blower Porting Plus Front-Drive Rebuild $595
Front-Drive Rebuild Plus Water Pump Drive Rebuild $795
Blower Porting, Front-Drive Rebuild, and Water Pump Drive Rebuild $895

Expensive at first....but figure if you find a rebuildable SC for $300....the spend 895$...and it is much better than factory new/factory rebuilt for less $$.
A few vendors offer similar services or has contracts with shops to do similar work for less $$....a few don't advertise, you just need to ask. I think WMW does work on SC's I think....

 

I just got my supercharger back from Stiegemeier where they rebuilt the front end and ported it. I've almost got it back together but I can already tell that it turns better as mine was feeling a little "notchy" when I took it off.

As for what to replace, as long as you're into it that deep go ahead and change out the water pump. Grassroots Garage has brand new Gates pumps for about $160. Dan was extremely helpful in some installation tips.

I also ended up going the extra mile and spending $60-$70 for all the gaskets and o-rings on the parts that I took off. I figured that the last thing I wanted was to have a leak and wishing I had spent a few extra $$$ on a gasket. No matter what make sure you change the crank sensor o-ring. When those go bad, oil starts running down the front of your engine and across the bottom of your oil pan. Take a look at your radiator hoses as well. I found Classic Mini to be the best for parts but you need to mention that you want the NAM discount to realize the savings.

 

Wow! Thanks for all the information everyone! That's a good deal for a water pump so I will check that out!! Like I said, if I am going to be doing the swap I would like to just spend the money and do everything right. I think the gaskets, seals, and o-rings are a must when changing any motor part at all so I am definitely going to do that!! And I have a little oil leak coming from somewhere in that area. May be a little expensive but worth it to have the SC built by Stiegemeier, If I get it I will be sending it to them ASAP! What exactly would I have to have them do? Probably just a front drive and blower port rebuild right? Could anyone (if possible) give me somewhat of a list for the gaskets and orings or is there a kit somewhere? Wanna change the inlet gasket for sure!! Also, what's the best silicone radiator hoses? I'd like to get some red ones!! I will check Classic Mini. Lately I have been ordering from Moss and OutMotoring and they are great with their service. Once again, thanks for all the help!

 

If you know your SC fluids are fresh and full, don't replace the supercharger just for the sake of being proactive. If you feel like experimenting with SC port work, do it for that reason. Only rebuild the nose and water pump drives if they are worn. When you get the SC, drian the oil, if clear to amber in color and no debris like the fluid shown here https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...02-post71.html, and the gears are still square when peering through the fill holes, it's good to go without a rebuild.

The parts list:
SC output duct gasket 17511520044
water pump O-ring X 2, 11517509186
supercharger intake gasket 11610020836
hose clamp 2 - 2.25 inch ID

If the intercooler bellows have not been replaced this is a good time to do so.

 

Well I am looking for HP gains and can't afford to have my car apart for a long period since it's kind of a daily driver. That's the only reason I would buy this one and have it sent out for the port work. Otherwise I would just take mine out and have it rebuilt! Thanks for the list! I just thought since I have 110K, and have been seeing a lot of "My SuperCharger Died" threads, I would get to it before it gets to me! I could have mine rebuilt and ported and all that or just buy this one (apparently barely used) and have it ported without the rebuild and it would be about the same amount of time with not too much downtime for the car. Still waiting for a response from yesterday, he said he has it but then I asked him a couple questions and have been waiting to hear back! If and when I go see it, I will check the fluid for that color! Thanks for the tip!

 

You won't get hp gains with a Stiegemeier port if yours is healthy to begin with, this is not an M62 model supercharger; you will get gains from the 19% over the 15%.