Hi all,

I've just installed my Comptech SC + AC on my 04 and took it out for its maiden voyage. There was a small leak on the fitting on top of the charger. Tightened that up and everything else seems fine. Except that the charger/blower makes "ball bearing"-like sound. Is this normal?

The superchager whine is there and I believe this is normal (almost like a light belt squeal, but not intermittent). I checked the tension of the pulley belt and it seems fine. I can twist it 90 degrees fairly easily. With a bit more effort I can go past 90 degrees. Is it too loose?

What sort of sounds should be normal and which shouldn't?

Please help, I'm freaking out! Thanks!

 

"Sound" is very hard to convey in print. If it were me, a "ball bearing" noise from a supercharger would not be a good thing, but what you hear may just be normal. Rather than freaking out, you should get someone near you who has some experience in this area to have a listen.
Usually, such a noise (if we had the same view of what this noise is) would be attributed to a belt that was too tight and would eventually wear the bearing out.

 

every 2nd thread is about SC's these days....the band wagon's gettin' full!!

 

Call Shad at comptech, I believe the noise is normal - I have read several times that it makes a noise at start-up and goes away after the unit warms up! I have heard it reffered to as a gear lash sound if that makes any sense!

 

Thanks nzaizar,

The instructions do talk about this: "(There will be a slight rattle from supercharger unit at idle from impeller gear lash)".

If this is the noise, then its not "slight"! But then again, noise, as xviper so ably puts it, is subjective. Of course when I rev the car, you can't hear it. I called Shad @ Comptech yesterday but they haven't gotten back to me yet. I'll give them a try again today. Matter of fact, I left them a message before regarding another aspect of the install, and they never got back to me.

 

He is good about answering a call if he is in the shop but has yet to call back from a message - The squeaky wheel gets the grease call him again!!!

 

Sounds like someone shaking a glass jar full of nuts and bolts every few seconds? Completely normal!

The Paxton Novi 1000 has straight cut gears and they rattle at low revs. The sound goes away under load (not that you'd hear it).

One of the features of the Vortech SC is that it is an SQ (for Super Quiet) as it has angle cut gears and doesn't rattle like the Comptech.

 

Thanks AusS2000!

Yeah, I was able to get a hold of Comptech and they confirmed exactly what you wrote. Its a horrible sound! It sounds exactly like that: "someone shaking a glass jar full of nuts and bolts every few seconds"

Still too soon to tell, but I ordered the Comptech kit some time ago because the Vortech still wasn't out for the 04. I didn't know the Vortech had the SQ SC. That peeves me a little. The Vortech kit looks a bit better put together and now that you told me about the SQ SC, dunno. Besides the fact that the Comptech airbox is seemingly unnecessarily large. It takes up so much space, while the Vortech's airbox is nice and tucked away. Like I said, still too soon to tell, but I'll just enjoy it for now.

Thanks again!

 

i know the sound you are talking about. it is loudest if you put your ear to the intake box. this noise happened to me twice when my car sat for a while from a slipping clutch and when there was a long snow storm. it does go away after you keep driving it. when this noise was going on the first time with me clutch, i talked to somebody at comptech and they had me send it to them to check out. they said nothing was wrong and everything was fine. i put it on and that same nosie (high pitch bearing noise) was there. after just driving it it went away and hasn't came since the end of winter. not sure what it was but it does go away and when i posted about this nobody else knew what it was either. i think the noise will go away

MAtt

 

thanks Matt!