Roe blower seized; time for Turbos???

[GTSnake]

Yeah, I read that in the install manual that you should have received a dipstick with the kit. I don't remember getting a dipstick but I'll have to ask Sean to send me one.

I started the tear down tonight. Only got as far as the fuel injectors. The fuel rail is really tight to remove

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

I have 15,000 miles on mine and have never added oil. I checked it once last summer and again this spring. My vent area is always a little bit oily. Much more so in the beginning. I was told the same thing---that the blower was venting off some oil to find it's proper level. My instructions do say to check at every oil change. Seeing as I change oil every 6,000 or so, I guess I'm not far off. Until this thread, I was never aware of these units consuming oil and still question whether they do or not. Mine does not. That being said, I will probably check it a little more often...can't hurt. I did get a dipstick in the package for both cars.

"I started the tear down tonight. Only got as far as the fuel injectors. The fuel rail is really tight to remove"

Be careful not to shear off the 1/4" studs holding the fuel rail down. Maybe the whole stud will turn right out of the manifold base if the nut won't come loose. That shouldn't be a problem. Good luck! Keep us all posted.

Steve

 

[GTSnake]

Be careful not to shear off the 1/4" studs holding the fuel rail down. Maybe the whole stud will turn right out of the manifold base if the nut won't come loose.

That's why I decided to take a break. I didn't want to tear or break anything until I was sure it comes off without any fasteners that I can't see.

Steve, can you take a picture of this dipstick? I don't think I've ever even seen one. Maybe I can cobble one up from a long screw or something.

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

Be careful not to shear off the 1/4" studs holding the fuel rail down. Maybe the whole stud will turn right out of the manifold base if the nut won't come loose.

That's why I decided to take a break. I didn't want to tear or break anything until I was sure it comes off without any fasteners that I can't see.

Steve, can you take a picture of this dipstick? I don't think I've ever even seen one. Maybe I can cobble one up from a long screw or something.

Here is a picture of the dipstick. You'll have to excuse the writing, but you get the 'picture' so to speak . You should easily be able to make a substitute from these dimensions to check the level.

.....I just checked my level again: It is still above the add mark a little bit after 15,000 miles. The oil is still so clean that I had to stick the black hex wrench down there to be able to see the contrast on the black wrench.....which I then matched up to the dipstick to determine where I was.

Hope this helps.

Steve

 

[EllowViper]

Here's what I just got from Dave at Roe Racing...
"The oil we use to fill the compressors is Castrol Syntec 5W-50. It is just as important not to overfill it than it is to underfill it. Bone dry they only need 120 ml or just under a 1/2 of a cup of oil." unquote...

 

[Purdue_Boiler_Viper]

I know what you mean about reading the dipstick. I used a magnifier, and still could not see where the oil was on the stick. You can see the oil in the marks, so the trick is to see the oil in the low mark, but not in the high mark.

 

[Purdue_Boiler_Viper]

From the installation instructions:

The supercharger has been pre-filled with 140 cc’s of synthetic motor oil (Castrol Syntec 5W-50). The level should be checked after the Supercharger has been run for the first time.

 

[GTSnake]

Is that a 4 1/16" total length

And BTW, I've never seen one nor was one ever given to me after the install.

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

The 4&1/16 is from the bottom end to where it would butt up on the SC case. More important is the distance from the top side(washer butted on SC case) to the hash marks ...which are 2&31/32"s to 3&7/32"s.(center to center of hash marks)

The reason I mention is because I have 2 dipsticks for 2 cars and the total lengths are different between them. This mixed me up for a minute today when I compared them together (never had before)....but holding them even up from the top side down, the hash marks are in the same place. The overall length is not important as long as it can be inserted all the way in without bottoming out.

Steve

 

[GTSnake]

According to Sean he says the level should be 3" from the top. So the hash marks are min and max levels. 3" would be in between the hashes.

 

[KenH]

Lay the dipstick on something like a brown paperbag to see where the oil level is. It soaks into the bag and makes it easy to see.

The only other failed unit I have heard of was a seal failure which caused the oil to drain.

Regarding the Kenne Bell SC differences, Kenne Bell does not actually manufacture the SC compressor units, they buy them from the same source that Roe buys them from - Autorotor. Life time and oil consumption should be about the same in the same application.

My particular unit seems to use a small amount of oil over time. Probably have 7-8K miles on mine and added less than 1/4 cup.

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

3" would be right at the bottom of the top hash mark.

......sure am glad that younger than I have a hard time reading the level

Steve

 

[GTSnake]

Well, I got the fuel rails off. No one told me they were connected to the air tubes

Now I'm having a hard time getting the blower off. It was sealed with RTV to the manifold and I can't break the seal. What's the trick? Do I just need a paint scraper and a BFH?

 

[Purdue_Boiler_Viper]

Make sure you have all the nuts off. There are ones in the front and rear that are hard find. Do you have the install instructions? They will tell you how many you should have taken off.

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

I have the install instructions in a Word doc from Sean. Send me your e-mail and I'll send them along if you like .

There is a real tough nut to get at below the cowl and under the blower box

Steve

 

[Casey]

Old Red needs some Turbos!!

Roe vs TTs, that's not even a comparison.
With your current mods, and switching over to TTs, you'd have some serious power! 1000+, are you ready for that!

 

[GTSnake]

I have the install instructions in a Word doc from Sean. Send me your e-mail and I'll send them along if you like .

There is a real tough nut to get at below the cowl and under the blower box

Steve

Yeah, I got all my nuts off.... That one under the cowl was a beeatch. I don't know how it's going to go back on.

I'm still stuck on breaking the seal though. Should I take a box cutter and try to wedge it in between?

 

[GTSnake]

Old Red needs some Turbos!!

Roe vs TTs, that's not even a comparison.
With your current mods, and switching over to TTs, you'd have some serious power! 1000+, are you ready for that!

I'm seriously thinking about it. I've spoken to SVS and CPE. My only limitation to going over 900 are the main bearing caps.

First thing is to get it back on the road and have something to drive over the rest of the summer. I'm not going to start any big project in the middle of driving season in Michigan.

 

[Purdue_Boiler_Viper]

I'm not sure where the best pry point would be. You might try calling Sean Roe and asking. Otherwise, I would use a rubber mallet and tap carefully to break it loose. I would not use anything sharp, or try prying on any mating surface. If you damage the blower or manifold surface, you are probably in for another replacement.

 

[jay01m]

Let me know if you decide on SVS. I'm looking at TTs and as of right now, I'm trying to decide between SVS and UGR. I haven't confirmed yet, but heard UGR has a TT kit for the Viper too. If you go SVS, I'd be interested in knowing how that goes.

Jason
Suffolk, VA
97 GTS
91 ZR1

 

[BADMOFO]

There are two bolt holes loacted on each side of the top plate that you use to screw bolts into to break the seal.

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

Lay the dipstick on something like a brown paperbag to see where the oil level is. It soaks into the bag and makes it easy to see.

Building a little on this method this morning........here's a easy, slick way to see the oil level. Works for eyes of all ages......zero Viper tax to boot!

Take 2 white twisties that come with garbage bags. Twist them together to make a longer one. Stick the twisty into the hole until it bottoms out (wouldn't have to bottom out as 3" from the top is what you're shooting for). Pinch the twisty with your fingers flush with the top of the case and pull it out. Now, either measure for your 3", or like I just did.....line up the dipstick where your fingers are holding the twisty. The oil soaks into the twisty exactly at it's level--discoloring it. With the dipstick lined up with the twisty, you can see exactly where your level falls between the hash nmarks. This method shows me at the midpoint of the hash points....hardly worth adding any oil.

Steve

 

[GTSnake]

when the oil soaks into the paper doesn't it climb up a little?

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

Good point.........I will have to conduct a controlled scientific experiment with a clear juice glass and some oil. ....With any luck..completed before my wife sees the glass with motor oil in it

Steve

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

The test was successful. The test tool cleaned and properly stowed away. The osmosis is barely discernible to the naked eye...if any wicking at all. For the purpose of checking the oil level this method will work just fine. You've got a 1/4" to play with between the hash marks so there is room for a little error.

Steve

 

[GTSnake]

Thanks for the scientific research Bill Nye the science guy. Viperland thanks you

 

[GTSnake]

I got the blower off. It was a piece of cake once Sean told me to use the jack holes in the front of the mounting plate. There are two threaded holes that go down to the manifold. You just turn two bolts down until it bottoms out and pushes the blower up. They separated the blower with barely any effort.

On inspection I could see the rotors are locked together but can't see the bearings. The manifold however looks very dark.

It looks like there has been an oil leak in here for quite some time. Maybe a seal deteriorated? There was also some oil puddles around the air tubes. Probably leaked out of the blower housing.

 

[Purdue_Boiler_Viper]

If you are not using a catch can, you will get oil from the intake. When I did my install, I was amazed at how much oil there was in the old intake. A catch can fixed that up.

 

[GTSnake]

I don't have any plumbing going back in the intake. My valve covers vent to the outside.

I spoke to a Viper tech and he said it's pretty normal to have some brown in the intake. Due to it running rich it will show some discoloration.

 

[Disturbed]

I would go with CPE over SVS anyday of the week. SVS has hurt a lot of people. IMHO. It is your, car and your money, please don't feel like I'm telling you what to do.