Jim -

You can get this done for less than $2k, definitely even lower if you're handy with a wrench. When I bought my Mini and then learned about the S/C & coolant pump weakness, I got hold of a spare SC ($300) from ebay, sold by a local guy.

Good job with the repair and pix there, copi.

 

I'm looking for a gates water pump too.. The seller on ebay has told me this is made of plastic. Is this genuine?? Does gates make plastic water pumps???

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/GATES...item27bd8faef1

 

so question where the supercharger connect with the water pump The teeth on the supercharger broke is possible it can still run fine with one tooth on the super charger

 

I'm getting a chirping sound at startup that runs at engine speed and stops as soon as the engine temp hits 100 degrees. Is this the noise everyone is talking about that indicates a supercharger that's toast?

 

Is a rebuilt SC as reliable as a new one? I'm being told two different things on that front. That a rebuilt one will eventually crap out like the previous OR that a rebuild is better to associate with other older parts on the vehicle. That a rebuilt one wont put stress on the cam shaft, pistons, and head gasket.

 

What did you end up doing? My shop is saying the same thing.. $4k to replace the SC, for parts and labor. But I'm being told that a rebuilt one is better for the car and that labor shouldnt be that expensive and is easier than they say... At this point I dont know what to believe, I just want to fix it. I'm told if you drive it with a bad SC it will blow the entire motor, so I'm scared to even drive it now. I just bought it two weeks ago..

TIA,
-M

 

When my kid's R53 water pump failed it caused the seal between the supercharger and water pump to push coolant into the chamber where the PTO gears live. Granted the supercharger and likely water pump had 234K miles on it so anything could have failed at that mileage. I believe the supercharger is still good and it was just the water pump that went bad. (The water pump so bad, the bearings seized and caused the motor to stall) Given this car is not worth a whole lot, I didn't want to invest in a new supercharger so I went with a used one sourced from a junk yard I found through car-part.com.

I ended up spending $300 or so for a 2006 supercharger that was in excellent shape. Also installed a new water pump, flange, flange o-rings, coolant, new crank sensor o-ring (since it's right there), and a bunch of other parts since the front end was apart. If you're having a shop replace the supercharger and water pump, I'd imagine this is going to be a hefty labor charge.

That was back in 2018 so prices may have changed since then, but the car lives on at 246K miles and is still quite the hoot to flog around every now and then.