# help me revive a relic! z-engineering collaboration of information



## zcxerxes (Nov 13, 2005)

alright so i know there are a few people who have rebuilt these on here and most had sent them away or traded them in for vf or vortech kits so the zr1 and zr2 superchargers have gone the way of the dodo. i wanna rebuild my zr1 that i got in a deal i just couldn't pass up. (under 75$ in parts trade) and before anybody chimes in with "get this supercharger instead" i understand you have to maintain these and that 6psi is about max output. that's all i want... and maybe the information collected can help out some other auto antique enthusiast. that being said...

so i received my kit from a buddy who has had it sitting on the shelf for quite sometime.








even when pressed against a a piece of rubber chucked up in a lathe the thing howled like crazy at even 1000rpm let alone 30k+

so i set about taking apart the unit. lets just say this is interesting to try and do for the first time. 

i've got this whole thing apart and this is where i am.









and this is where i am confused
from the scattered pieces of information i've found on the net there are supposed to be 3 bearings inside this thing.
on the impeller end of mine there was a complete *** bearing (inner/outer races, cage, and balls)
and just the outer race of a fafnir bearing. looked up the part number online and it showed a full bearing. 
the pulley end had a *** bearing that matched the number from the other one.

so from end to end this is what i have so far.

spun bolt
impeller
spacer
lock ring
spring washer
* housing *
metal seal
jam nut
*** b7003c.t.p4s.ul - 35od 17id 10w 25degree thick in
fafnir 3mmvc9103hxcrul - 35od no guts thick in
*opposing end continued through housing*
*** b7003c.t.p4s.ul - 35od 17id 10w 25degree thick in
jam nut
plug
seal
bolt

i know some guys have stated in various places that they have rebuilt them so i know the information is out there we just need a place for it so if anyone has some please share it

-Hadyn-


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## zcxerxes (Nov 13, 2005)

i just noticed my numbering is off in my picture.... sorry:beer:


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## cabzilla (Jan 3, 2000)

I killed seven trying to stay above 5psi. best of luck.


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## zcxerxes (Nov 13, 2005)

what failed on them?


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## cabzilla (Jan 3, 2000)

the bearing and the belt tensioner


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## zero. (Aug 14, 2001)

Any update or other info on this? I got an extra one sitting here that seems to have a little play in the shaft. Was thinking about taking it apart and rebuilding.


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## Daskoupe (Oct 9, 2006)

cabzilla said:


> the bearing and the belt tensioner


built one for a customer Charger failed in like 4k.Tensioner broke off the charger bracket,That was a cluster **** set up


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## cabzilla (Jan 3, 2000)

Daskoupe said:


> built one for a customer Charger failed in like 4k.Tensioner broke off the charger bracket,That was a cluster **** set up





it lasting 4k miles is pretty damn good, actually


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## zero. (Aug 14, 2001)

Are you talking about the tensioner spindle failing? Seems like that is only common if the bearings in the drive pulley fail, which from what I've read is more common due to them overheating from too much tension to prevent belt slippage. That's why they changed to a cogged setup.

I've got two kits. One had a damaged tensioner spindle from failed drive pulley bearings. The spacer in the center of the drive pulley was completely disintegrated/welded and spindle bent. Both kits seemed to have failed bearings at some point as both housings had the mounting tab ripped off and re-welded. This is a comparison of the bent one:









Here is a comparison of both chargers/brackets and you can see the one has a beefed up mounting tab, and the other is just the original re-welded. Would have been nice if the guy who decided to weld the beefed up one welded it so the housing could still be separated for rebuild. Has to be cut to work on it cause he welded to both sides of housing. :screwy:









I don't think these just magically explode. Maybe prone to bearing failure in drive pulley, but if you do routine maintenance every 4 weeks or 1,200 miles and check up on bearings and replace them before they completely fail, I don't see why they wouldn't run for as long as you own the car. Maybe fail less on an ABA too. 

The bearings for the pulleys are only like $3 unless you get high heat or ceramic ones which may be less prone to failure. I'm currently running cheap ones. I developed some bearing noise after running a couple of weeks, but I took the serp belt off and pretty sure it's just a failed serp tensioner pulley off the tensioner arm. It's the original with close to 200k miles, so I'm hoping that's all it is, otherwise I'll join the club and throw these chargers on a shelf. 

The RSC charger seems to be almost identical to upgraded cogged setup except it has a beefier mounting tab and oil check/fill accessible from top without removing from brackets. Nobody seems to be running these in the states, but I also read somewhere that their cogged setups can't be sold in the states because of some patent. I was thinking about selling both of my kits for the RSC.


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## zero. (Aug 14, 2001)

May be throwing back on the shelf soon enough. Replaced serp tensioner pulley and still had noise at random times. Took charger off today to change oil and saw the outer bearing on the drive pulley was no longer pressed in. :screwy: Pulley is ruined. I can just pop a new bearing in/out with my hands. Probably happened from previous owner and heat just popped it out. They had new bearings in it already so I didn't check it. 

Luckily I got a spare drive pulley and bearings sitting here. Replacement pulley was a little different than other one and had more ribs for belt alignment I guess. Once it breaks again I'm done unless I get a new pulley and spindle made. Other charger I got has a little play in it so it probably needs a rebuild too.


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## a2lowvw (Dec 17, 2000)

if you wanna sell any of your spare parts i'm an avid collector


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## carsluTT (Dec 31, 2004)

nice try keeping these chargers alive.


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## zero. (Aug 14, 2001)

a2lowvw said:


> if you wanna sell any of your spare parts i'm an avid collector


 Anything in particular you are looking for? I have 2 mostly complete kits. Bearings in charger seized another month or so after changing drive pulley. I had plans to rebuild both, but they've just been sitting. I have one mostly broken down but there is one last nut with really tight clearance that I couldn't get a socket to fit to remove. That was with impeller still on though. I eventually removed impeller, which was fun to say the least, but haven't touched it since. On the seized one (painted gray), I started cutting the welds off the housing to open it. I was able to crack it open some, but there are still welds that need to be carefully cut/grinded or chiseled.


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## a2lowvw (Dec 17, 2000)

well like you I have 2 chargers both zr1, I have vr6 and aba brackets. one charger is in need of a rebuild the other i got was a new unit. The drive belt pulley on the charger came loose and i am looking for that pulley as well as the original bolt. between the 2 chargers I only ever had 1 pulley and now its garbage


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## zero. (Aug 14, 2001)

I only have one decent pulley. The other is damaged and won't hold a bearing on one side. The grooves on both have some damage that was filed by previous owners. I was trying to find someone to reproduce the good pulley I have for a decent price and then I'd be willing to sell it. I think both pulleys were the standard size. If I got a new one made, I might get it smaller for more boost, but don't know size. I got quotes awhile back and pulleyboys.com wanted like $1k for a pulley.:screwy: 

I could get you the size of the bolts cause mine are kind of beat. If you look at the picture I have of the spindles, do you need the bolt on top or bottom? I'm not sure if mine are original cause the top ones are different between the two. One's flanged and the spacers/washers are different too. I think any 10.9 grade bolt the right size would work fine.


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## a2lowvw (Dec 17, 2000)

sorry this is the pulley i am looking for, the stepped pulley's i have are okay. this one has come loose and no longer fits tight on the charger.


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## zero. (Aug 14, 2001)

That one in the picture there is the one I have taken apart and would probably be willing to sell. That pulley is kind of beat up though. It fits tight on spindle and had to be pressed off. The bolt had thread lock on it too probably from previous rebuild. I think whoever rebuilt it last used channel locks or vice grips on it cause it was marred and filed on both sides. Really not sure cause most of my pulleys and even brackets on both kits are marred up. Doesn't feel like any sharp spots and don't think it would eat up belts, but I never ran that charger.


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## a2lowvw (Dec 17, 2000)

zero. your pm mailbox is full


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## zcxerxes (Nov 13, 2005)

mine got turned into a clock in my garage. i have no further information


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## zero. (Aug 14, 2001)

zcxerxes said:


> mine got turned into a clock in my garage. i have no further information


lol...nice. Better than the two of mine sitting in a box on a shelf. I talked to several supercharger rebuilders in the past and they all seemed confident that they could rebuild these. Not much to them really, but if the housing, shaft, or any other major parts are damaged, it's pretty much custom one-off fabrication.


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