Engine Drivetrain 1st Gen Cooper S Most liked posts in thread: Machined a low cost bolt on kit to refill the supercharger oil w/o removal or mods

well shucks, I've had this idea in my pocket since i seen pictures of the first broken superchargers 2008-9?ish... always a day late
Wouldn't it be a good idea to add the kit when installing a rebuilt supercharger to easily top it off to extend the PTO Life?

I just think maintaining the proper oil level in my supercharger is a good thing. I wont argue too hard about the validity of the kit. if you don't think you need it then you don't need it.

 

I don't know, but I doubt there is a similar fitting in the R56 mini's as the Eaton supercharger has a standard inch thread, and the R56 is definitely a fully European metric car

 

I've received some good questions, and thought it would be good to share to better explain the kit:

1) How do I remove the old oil? How is the correct oil level attained and not over filled?

A) The old oil doesn't need to be removed. It is supposed to be a sealed lifetime oil, thus no reason to remove any of the old oil remaining in the sump. The supercharger PTO is only two gears splashing around in a 1 inch deep pool of oil. The only thing that matters is that there is oil PRESENT. The oil level is self regulating when you fill it.

B) With the kit you inject the appropriate amount (or more if you want, it's doesn't really matter) of oil into the upper fill line with the drain line capped. Once injected you remove the drain cap and let the excess drain away. The gear box now has the correct amount of oil in it. There is no possible way to over fill, as long as the drain line cap is removed and the line is drained.

2) What about the tubing, do I need to remove them each time refill?

A) The tubing is very robust it's temperature range is -100° - +500° F. The same tubing has been installed on my R53 MINI S for 3 years with no issues. It's just as pliable and soft as new.

B) The tubing stays in place to allow you to top off the supercharger whenever you would like. The fluid in the supercharger cant physically drain below the fill plug, so there will never be a fluid loss below the appropriate full point.

3) Is there a video of the process?

A) A video could be done, but it's simply injecting the oil into the supercharger, essentially over filling it (very boring to watch!). Then removing the cap on the drain tube. The oil drains to the correct max fill point with no fuss. Fin

4) How did the original oil disappear or the oil level go down?

A) The shaft of the input gear that turns the PTO gear box is part of the lobes of the supercharger. On the shaft is a seal to seal the High vacuum environment of the supercharger compressor from the PTO gear box. As that seal wears the vacuum is able to slowly over time draw oil past that seal, and it's burned in the engine. Eventually resulting in an empty or low oil level in the PTO gear box or nose of the super charger. This results in excess wear on the gears and bearings of the supercharger, eventually leading to a failure and stoppage of the water pump which is driven by the PTO gear box.