2003 GTX 4 tec supercharger confusion

[Lionel762]

On my 2003 GTX supercharged I am reading conflicting information
One place I read, says if it spins freely the supercharger is bad.
Another place I read, says it should only spend under a certain amount of torque
Does it matter if you spin it out of the engine or in the engine?

And what exactly goes bad to allow it to spin freely?
Do I have to spend 400 bucks to rebuild it? Can’t I just purchase the necessary part only?
Thanks!

 

[skiasylum]

On my 2003 GTX supercharged I am reading conflicting information
One place I read, says if it spins freely the supercharger is bad.
Another place I read, says it should only spend under a certain amount of torque
Does it matter if you spin it out of the engine or in the engine?

And what exactly goes bad to allow it to spin freely?
Do I have to spend 400 bucks to rebuild it? Can’t I just purchase the necessary part only?
Thanks!

Both statements are correct and it doesn't matter where you spin it. The supercharger itself uses a wet clutch (washer friction) to control boost under acceleration. Friction causes wear and the washers eventually wear out of spec or they can actually break apart allowing the supercharger to spin freely. At the very least it needs to be inspected. If the washers are gone(breakage) the engine also needs to be inspected for damage. 99% of OPs replace both washers and bearings which are included in a specific kit for your ski.

 

[Lionel762]

That makes sense. Thank you so much.

 

[ski-d00]

When people say check for free spin, they mean to check it while attached to the engine. If it free spins, it's bad. If it spins with resistance, most likely it's good.

There is a big difference on the 2003 supercharger. It does not have ceramic washers, it has metal washers. The metal washers will wear out but they typically don't break apart like the ceramic ones.