Elected to change the supercharger oil and am glad I went in. Not only was there some oil leakage due to the sealing screw being a bit loose, and the oil level was low, the top cooling hose from the block to the thermostat looked about to explode. I do not know when, but am sure it would. Seems that most of the cooling hoses on these get soft and expand?

 

Wow, a disaster just waiting to happen! Good catch.

 

Does the supercharger have it's own oil system then?

Is there a separate reservoir?

Mine is a 2005 XJR

 

the supercharger casing has a small amount of special lubricant fluid inside it. This is notionally "sealed for life" so does not have a drain plug or filling cap, but it can be sucked out through a small hole with a syringe and refilled. It is not engine oil. It is not exactly a reservoir. From what I can make out the fluid is an aero engine turbine lube, but the same make of supercharger is fitted to various other vehicles and not everyone buys the lube from a Jag dealer. It is usually sold in bottles containing about 150ml (unless you go to an aero supplier, when you can buy 250 litres if you want).

The fluid does age and darken over time.

 

On 'these' or anything else that uses close-angle curvy hoses, given time and opportunity.

Typical failure is a split in the inner liner, fluid getting between the layers/into the reinforcing braid, pressure and degradation gradually peeling the outer jacket away from the braid - hence the 'bubble' effect. Worst-case isn't always the bubble or its eventual splitting. It is when a damaged inner liner peels back to form a movable flap that can block coolant flow - variable to flow rate - hence in a way that is much harder to detect. There may be NO visible sign from the outside on some of those.

Straighter the hose and lower the flex, less likely either scenario is to happen - though it still can do.

Where there is length enough to allow it, I have made-up the angles on engine-conversions with copper DWV elbows, straight(er) hose to each side. Never had one of those even offer to fail.

 

And hence the name hacker

... in the best sense of the word of course.

 

Certainly wuddna been my first-choice of surnames had I know how much time I was to spend in or 'next door to' IS/IT late 1950's onward...



Despite which, always figured I was better-off than two of the higher-up commanders I briefly served with .. a LTC Felch and a BG Clapsaddle...

We just have to pay the (relatively modest) fee for a legal name-change, ELSE play the hand we are dealt, optionally refrain from inventing flush--toilets and such...