Supercharger rebuilt

[Carapeba]

I Have been looking around any saw some more experienced members suggesting 100 hours for Supercharger rebuilt. Today I was talking to a mechanic that told me the 70 Hours it need to be done. I have 70.9 hours on my Ski which is a 2004 GTX 4-Tech Supercharged.

Can I please get more opinions one what be the recommended time for that? Also is that a recommendation by Bombardier? last but not least can you give me an idea what would be the cost for such job?

Thanks!!

 

[red2blue]

Your mechanic wants some business. The '04's had metal washers...that doesn't mean they shouldn't be replaced...by now...almost 9y/o. But they aren't gonna fail like ceramics.

Pull the sc yourself and send it in for a full rebuild.

The rebuild kit, labor, shipping...around $450....if memory serves.

 

[Carapeba]

Your mechanic wants some business. The '04's had metal washers...that doesn't mean they shouldn't be replaced...by now...almost 9y/o. But they aren't gonna fail like ceramics.

Pull the sc yourself and send it in for a full rebuild.

The rebuild kit, labor, shipping...around $450....if memory serves.

Thanks a lot. I got the felling that this guy always wants to reach out into my wallet...

 

[chucked]

Wait this doesnt make sense. You say the mechanic wants some business, then you tell them to remove it and send it out to spend $450? Sounds like you're just directing business, how do you know the other mechanic isnt just as reputable and may charge a similar amount? Are you the original owner? If I was to buy something used with 70 hours and not knowing the history, I would rebuild it.

 

[Carapeba]

I am not the original owner. And you maybe right Chuked, I should have rebuilt right away. But I just don`t want to do it just because the first mechanic I talked to told 70 hours needs to be rebuilt. I will most likely not send it way, rather I will try to find some local to do it, maybe even the first mechanic I talked to. But I want make sure that I am not being rushed to do something that can wait and also that I am paying a fair price.

 

[Michael211_2000]

You can replace the slip/clutch washers yourself if needed, the kits run about $99-$129 including the needed SC tools and instructions... it's not that hard. You need a bench vice and a torque wrench and about 3 hours of time to kill. Getting the supercharger out and putting it back in the engine took more time than changing out the washers on my '06 RXT.

But, my '06 had ceramic washers which is the whole reason I replaced them at 68 hrs (essentially when I bought the RXT used that's what it had on the hour meter and everybody with half-a-brain says replace those cermics IMMEDIATELY... so I did). I'll still have the SC fully rebuilt when it hits the 100 hr mark though, new slip washers and all!

If yours has only 70 hrs on it and the supercharger is working ok and it doesn't have those blasted ceramic washers that break and fall apart... then I wouldn't worry about the thing enjoy it for the next 30 hours then pull the SC out and send it to Jerry for a full rebuild. The rebuild interval for these superchargers IS 100 hrs of operation, there are tiny bearings in the SC that wear and after 100 hrs you're playing Russian Roulette with the things the bearings will start to come out sometime after 100 hrs (may be 105 hrs, probably more like 150 or more hours but who knows?). Just do it every 100 hrs and enjoy the watercraft Carapeba.

- Michael

 

[red2blue]

Alright, chucked....ask any dealer....any....dealer...what they charge to remove, rebuild and reinstall an sc.

Then please....get back to me....or better yet...post it up for all to see.

Don't like the advise I posted up?....show me a better more reputable place to send my next sc in need of rebuild.

 

[red2blue]

You can replace the slip/clutch washers yourself if needed, the kits run about $99-$129 including the needed SC tools and instructions... it's not that hard. You need a bench vice and a torque wrench and about 3 hours of time to kill. Getting the supercharger out and putting it back in the engine took more time than changing out the washers on my '06 RXT.

If yours has only 70 hrs on it and the supercharger is working ok and it doesn't have those blasted ceramic washers that break and fall apart... then I wouldn't worry about the thing enjoy it for the next 30 hours then pull the SC out and send it to Jerry for a full rebuild. The rebuild interval for these superchargers IS 100 hrs of operation, there are tiny bearings in the SC that wear and after 100 hrs you're playing Russian Roulette with the things the bearings will start to come out sometime after 100 hrs (may be 105 hrs, probably more like 150 or more hours but who knows?). Just do it every 100 hrs and enjoy the watercraft Carapeba.

- Michael

How much did your torque wrench cost? What did you set the slip to? Here's the thing about just swapping out washers....

The bearings will look fine...maybe...maybe not...but if they do look good....no reason to do a full rebuild...right? Then run down the lake at 60mph or so...just cruisin....and have your ski cut off and stop dead in the water in 50'....sounds like fun, huh? Then tear out your sc...hoping against all odds that all your bearings are in place....all of them...all 40 needle bearings all 14 ball bearings and the entire cages that were supposed to be holding those bearings. After finding your wheel ground to dust and blown all through your tb and ic...the self loathing and teeth nashing over doing something so cheap as trying to save a coupla bucks...till a lil later.

Then...how much has that excersize really saved you?.....still gotta rebuild another wheel if you have one...the cost of a new wheel itself....or maybe just the cost of an entire new wheel assembly....not even counting the potential extra cost of hunting down any missing parts of the sc that let go...because you were trying to save a coupla bucks.

Wanna ask me how I know all this...so well?

 

[chucked]

You suggested that the mechanic is just out to get his money, then you said to remove it and send it out. Two completely different things. If you wanted your statement to be correct your follow up would have been something like "you will be ok waiting till 100 hours"

 

[chucked]

And there's more then one person in the world that can rebuild them for a decent price, I would never send my supercharger to some guy on the internet, alot of false information on it.

 

[red2blue]

You suggested that the mechanic is just out to get his money, then you said to remove it and send it out. Two completely different things. If you wanted your statement to be correct your follow up would have been something like "you will be ok waiting till 100 hours"

But my advise is not to wait. Not because the the esteemed dealer mechanic says it needs a rebuild at the coincidentally 70hr mark...but because the thing is almost 9y/o.

My opinion of stealerships is well documented. If a man is gonna try to goose up business in an unethical fashion...what else would he do with regards to your personal property and the contents of your wallet? I make nothing but friends, after pointing people towards my favorite sc builder.

So...in regards to my initial statement......I stand on it's....correctness.

 

[Michael211_2000]

How much did your torque wrench cost? What did you set the slip to? Here's the thing about just swapping out washers....

The bearings will look fine...maybe...maybe not...but if they do look good....no reason to do a full rebuild...right? Then run down the lake at 60mph or so...just cruisin....and have your ski cut off and stop dead in the water in 50'....sounds like fun, huh? Then tear out your sc...hoping against all odds that all your bearings are in place....all of them...all 40 needle bearings all 14 ball bearings and the entire cages that were supposed to be holding those bearings. After finding your wheel ground to dust and blown all through your tb and ic...the self loathing and teeth nashing over doing something so cheap as trying to save a coupla bucks...till a lil later.

Then...how much has that excersize really saved you?.....still gotta rebuild another wheel if you have one...the cost of a new wheel itself....or maybe just the cost of an entire new wheel assembly....not even counting the potential extra cost of hunting down any missing parts of the sc that let go...because you were trying to save a coupla bucks.

Wanna ask me how I know all this...so well?

Well mine is doing fine Red, 10 hrs + since changing the washers myself as per the instructions. Another 21 hrs and I'll pull it and send it off for a full rebuild, till then I'm having fun!

Did I wrong you somewhere somehow Red? I thought it was already established that you're not a casual rider... I don't run mine WOT all day long, probably most people on this forum don't either (I'm sure some do though). If you're running down the lake at 60mph, that's not cruising!

If somebody is really paranoid enough I guess they could have their SC fully rebuilt every 5 hrs of operation... it's still not a 0.0% probability that the thing couldn't fail though. There are many many things that can go wrong, they're called "infernal machines" for a reason! LOL!

I'll stick to 100 hrs of operation between rebuilds, myself. It could blow apart the next time I start it up, there're no guarantee's... I won't cry about it if it does though.

- Michael

 

[Michael211_2000]

And there's more then one person in the world that can rebuild them for a decent price, I would never send my supercharger to some guy on the internet, alot of false information on it.

He's not just "some guy". He has a damned good reputation. There's lots of people that will rebuild them for you that DON'T have any kind of reputation.

Man, ya'll are really taking this issue far too personnally! Can't we just all get along?

Regards.

- Michael

 

[red2blue]

Maybe chucked will look him up himself....prolly not.

 

[red2blue]

Oh hell no, we're cool. The topic hit close to home because of what I figured was obvious reasons...heh.

 

[Michael211_2000]

Well, if it were mine I would use it with the supercharger as-is till it hits the 100 hr mark (unless of course there's any indication the SC is slipping or something along those lines). There are A LOT of things the previous owner could have done to cause the engine to fail prematurely, not the least of which: was it properly winterized every season was the oil and filter changed regularly and what oil was put in it how was it used/ridden was it rode hard and put up wet and left that way or what? I could go on and on the things people do that cause these machines to die before their time. For all we know the machine could have been sunk at some point previously even... the list goes on and on.

If it was poorly used and poorly maintained I'd expect it to show it's condition and the OP wouldn't have bought the thing. Ergo, I'd leave the SC alone till it hits 100 hrs and then have it fully rebuilt by someone with a good reputation who's been around awhile (or put a new SC on it). Jerry at Greenhulk is that kind of person, there may be more like him IDK.

If on the other hand the previous owner was in any way blood related to Red, I'd pull the entire motor and jetpump and replace them immediately!!! LOL! ROF! ;-)

Just kidding... well, maybe.

Red I regret hearing about your SC washer upgrade fiasco... something must have gone very wrong indeed. I found the procedure pretty straightforward, used engine assembly grease liberrally on all the needle bearings and on the gear, cleaned the threads with acetone really good applied red loctite and torqued it to specs. It's run like a champ (with the exception of the spark plugs crapping out on me at 67mph on my 1 and only high-speed near WOT run). 10+ hrs and counting. Possibly by winter after next I'll be at that 100 hr mark and get the SC rebuilt or replace it.

Here's hoping for many trouble free operating hours ya'll! That's all I want for our watercraft!

- Michael

 

[KK40384]

And there's more then one person in the world that can rebuild them for a decent price, I would never send my supercharger to some guy on the internet, alot of false information on it.

Check your facts about the person this statement refers to. Just because you think he's just "some guy on the Internet", because you never bothered to look him up or hear about the great work and reputation he has in this community, doesn't mean it's false information.

 

[Michael211_2000]

KK! Doing well I hope? You getting to enjoy that monster some now finally? I was out for 2 hours this weekend with mine (it was HOT out, not a bit of clouds the sun liked to kill me here!). Had a blast though riding around doing donuts and popping out of the donuts at high speed! Whoopie! :-D

- Michael

 

[KK40384]

Yea I'm enjoying it. Everything is still all good and staying together. It's amazing how things stop breaking when I don't let anyone else ride it.

 

[Michael211_2000]

LOL! Good to hear it.

- Michael