Even though Jaguar do not specify any maintenance on the supercharger, I contacted Eaton, the manufacturer of the supercharger, and they recommended changing the supercharger oil every 100,000 miles. This is their recommended procedure:
( DO NOT use engine oil!!!):

Parts:
You will need two bottles of GM supercharger oil, GM p/n: 12345982 , this can be purchased at any GM dealership

Tools:
Turkey baster or other device to suck the old fluid out
Short hose- needs to fit over end of turkey baster, and in s/c plug, about
6" long.
3/16 Allen wrench or hex bit

NOTE: Make sure that your engine is cool before starting this!

1-Unscrew the super charger oil inspection plug (a black plug at the front of the
super charger snout using a 3/16 hex head).

2-Insert the tube (that's attached to the turkey baster in to the hole and suck out as much oil as you can. This may have to be done many times to remove as much of the oil that you can. Dispose
of your old/used oil with your old motor oil in an environmentally SAFE manner.

3- Add the oil until it fills the snout to the bottom of the threads. It will take almost two bottles. Be careful to NOT overfill!

4- Screw the plug back in and do not over torque. 8-12 ft/lbs is more than enough!

5- After driving around for a day or so, check the oil level while the car is on a level surface. It's also a good idea to check the level of your supercharger snout at every oil change.

 

Can you give a little better explination on how to get the oil out. I tried to get it out yesterday but the 1/8" i.d. vacuum line (only thing with a small enough diameter to fit in there). Put it in but it hits something almost immedately so it won't go down to the bottom. Only could suck maybe 2 oz out with the mity vac and even that was a chore as it was sucking more air then fluid.

 

Did you ever resolve this?

Is the plug at about 4 o'clock on the base of the snout?

 

Nope, only way me and about 5 mechanics can see how to do it would be to pull it out or park on a steep hill. Yea, its probably the one that is a 4:00

 

I use a piece of flexible nasal oxygen tubing and a 60cc syringe (any nurse or doc you know can get them for you - they throw them away all the time after a single use....) - works a champ! If you can only get a little out, maybe there wasn't much in there to start with; anyway, if you fill it to the plug you will have at least some fresh fluid in there :-)

 

O2 tubing is thicker than what I've tried. Mine seems to not take anything. as the "wall" right behind won't let anything get in. Problem with your if you only get a little out though process is that I could only get a little in.

 

Thanks for the clarification.

As for the tubing, perhaps you could cut the end at an angle. That might let you get that first little bend in the hose so that the rest can follow.

Markus has a point though. No matter how much you get out, at least being able to fill it means that you will at least know it is not running dry or low.

 

If my memory is correct the oil level in the SC is important - and I don't believe it sits perfectly flat in he car - so checking the fluid is not straight forward - does anyone have the service book on this. I could be mixing this up with the 6 - But I remember looking at one back in the 90's when it was being serviced

Anyway -- I can't remember hearing of one failing. I have no intention of playing with mine - somethings are best left alone IMO.

 

I'm not trying to cause problems, but service the 'charger off the car.

First check the lash, drop the belt off the snout, and rock the pulley back and forth, if it has free play more than 1/8th turn, it needs work. By that I mean turning the pulley and has free play before it engages the rotors. Usually a coupler swap, if pulling down, new bearings too.
If you rev the engine, and on the overrun you get a mild chatter, this will be the first job.
The design is as old as the hills - not much to go wrong. I'd even say if just changing the fluid, take it off and get it level first. Level of fluid is critical. If the car has over 100k it would benefit a fluid change.
What I have found is the special coating on the rotors does start to come away from them - I just strip away the rest of the paint. This doesn't effect the performance of the charger, and no chance of paint chips going into the engine. I asked this question to a Kenney Bell tech by the way.

 

Someone could always put a carpenter's level on the top and jack up the rear of the car as necessary to get level if that is a concern. Shouldn't take more than a few degrees.

 

The level needs to be from the bottom -- I do not believe the top and bottom are parallel.

From my memory the way it sits on the car you can not fill it correctly.

So if it tilts to the drain plug - the fill will be low. If it tilts away it will be high.

 

As I originally posted, the method I describe was cut-and-paste from Eaton, who manufactured the supercharger. One hopes they know their product!
It has been very simple to do, and it baffles me all this discussion on a very straightforward matter....

 

*If* the Jaguar version is not parallel, it would be the oddball amongst almost every other Eaton supercharger produced.

The leveling by jacking workaround still applies. If you absolutely insist that the bottom surface is not parallel, then shim the level according to a measurement from the bottom. Then jack it up. The bottom is now parallel.

All of that is for theorists and bench racers.


A realist will say "good enough" to ensure that the level is close. After all, the level will vary according to the rate of loss through the seal.

The level will also vary when driving downhill, uphill, accelerating, decelerating, and cornering. The effective level will even vary according to the disturbance of the surface of the lubricant at various operating speeds. And that will also depend on the temperature of the lubricant. As well as the age.

So, unless someone is going to fill the supercharger exactly to the level of the fill plug, and then leave it on their coffee table in a temperature controlled room in a house in an earthquake free zone to admire how perfectly it is filled, ... close is good enough. It is certainly better than running dry.

edit: an experiment for theorists - fill a pan with liquid, tilt 5 degrees - measure how much is lost as a percentage - that is your rate of error - ensure that you adjust for evaporation - notice that most of the water is still in the container.

 

Plumsauce -- I'm not fighting with you ?

Its just that measuring something as level from the top is not the same as the bottom.

And many oiled items have a sump that holds oil based on its expected operating angle -- but needs to be checked level.

I'm sure this is all listed in the maintenance manual - So that should be the guide.


Obviously this would be an advisable thing to check as the cars age -- or any oil stain is noted. It would be nice to see how Jaguar recommends that it be done.

 

JTIS say to remove the S/C to check oil level

 

Obviously there was a change in the design as I even had an idiot at a GM *********** who insisted like you that I could just shove a small hose in there and suck it out with a suitable vac system. He to ate his words. Feel free to drive on over and prove me an idiot. I'm quite convinced that won't happen.

 

Fine. But, it is better to do the best one can rather than not at all because one fears not being able to achieve perfection.

There are other makes that use Eaton superchargers, and other makes that use the same M112 model. Some of them have a larger user base because more units were sold. Many of them seem to agree that refilling/checking is a must. They are also told that their superchargers are "lubricated for life". The differences can be left or right mount of the snout, filler location, and rotation.

If you truly want to be level, then the second leveling method I described will work. And, what is the angle anyways?

The question then becomes should someone run with close to specified levels of lubricant by maintaining the level, or should they run with whatever is left in the unit due to chance. Logic dicatates that the unit will never have more, but can have less during its lifetime due to losses of various sorts. The factory also knows this and is likely to have allowed for it unless they are prepared to eat every single unit as a warranty return from the OEM. That would make the shareholders extremely unhappy.

BTW, the stock setup runs at up to 14,000 RPM. With aftermarket pulleys, up to 20,000 RPM. High rpm and ineffective lubrication don't mix well.

 

All that has been shown is that some random number of people could not get a hose in. Not that they used a sufficiently small hose, or that they had the patience to wiggle it in.

At least one person has done it in this thread. It has also been done on other makes by other people on the same model of supercharger.

Just because some random number of people could not get the job done is not proof that it cannot be done. It is certainly inconsistent in the face of reports to the contrary.

 

plumsauce, don't mean to be rude, but get off your horse. Being pedantic about a simple post of supercharger fluid changes on this particular car, the 308 XJR is a one way right, all others wrong deal. The cars are old.
By that I mean to be absolutely sure the charger is serviced correctly is to take it off and inspect it. I'm not saying a fluid change in situe isn't wrong, something is better than nothing, but to say random people couldn't do this isn't good form. Better to offer good solid advice, usually from experience....
They will ALL need attention, I've described in my earler post what to look for and how to go about it.

How's about I do a tutorial on the service of one? I have a very tired one on the bench I'm planning on stripping and rebuilding, would this be of use to XJR owners? Unless someone else would like to?

I'll be installing one of these kits
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...ht_1044wt_1165

 

As I said I used a smaller hose, and more flexible, then a 02 hose (or at least those who read my posts would be able to see).

Sure it has been done, I do not doubt that but the reality is my XJR supercharger either was a bad casting or was a change in constructionc. I took it to a trusted GM dealer service idiot who has done it 100s of times before and they were unable to do it. I took it to a friend who builds supercharger kits for Subarus and also to my regular mechanic who builds 1000hp retrorods to national levels, it isn't as if I'm basing the fact that you, me or anyone on this board is going to get a hose into my supercharger and get out even a 1/3 of the oil in there out of thin air.

I have plenty of patience FTR, although your ignorant additude is testing it. As I would advise my 5 year old at this point. Why don't you show me how to do it if you think it is so easy.