Hi All,

I am toying with the idea of using a smaller supercharger pulley on my 2001 XJR. Would probably do the +3psi version that requires grinding down the snout.

Seems like this would be much easier to do with the snout removed. Question is, how easy or difficult is it to remove the snout? If the entire SC nit has to come out then I will pass.

Thanks,

Mike

 

I believe there are a couple lower bolts that aren't accessible without complete removal.

 

The snout cannot be removed with the supercharger in place. Removing the hood, the thermostat housing, and the radiator provides fair access and is a lot less work than removing the supercharger
If you do remove the supercharger it would be worthwhile to rebuild the snout and install a new coupler with fresh oil.

 

Thanks for the info. I figured that was likely the case.

Might just try the 1.5 lb SS pulley for the time being. Mainly looking to get a bit more oomph off the line.

 

I would go with the 3psi upper, in my experience. I had the 1.5lb on there and it really had no difference at all. After going tot he 3psi, I really can't look back as it was definable a night and day.

Me and a friend did it with the snout on the car, I removed the thermostat housing, hoses and dropped the radiator fan to the bottom of the car. I made a cardboard cut-out of the new pulley (rubber mallet + piece of cardboard) made the indentation quite accurate. And I kept checking every few minutes after we grinded away the material.

We used a flapper disk on a small hand grinder. It took probably two hours maybe a little more because we did so much double checking.

 

+1 on checking that the new pulley 3 psi will fit. You have to heat the new pulley and you don't want push it on and find it binds. the pulley will cool and seize on the shaft before you can pull it back off.
I agree that the 1.5 is not worth it - go for the 3

 

Thanks for the feedback. Sounds like the 3psi is the way to go.

Had not thought of the flapper disk. What other tools have people used to do the grinding. I suppose that while clearance is critical, the snout does not have to be perfectly and evenly rounded (high or low spots should not matter as as long as highest spot clears the pulley).

 

I used a bi-metal hole saw that was just a hair undersized of the pulley to cut the snout. I removed the arbor and drilled out the back of the hole saw to clear the supercharger pulley bolt. I then used a longer bolt threaded back into the supercharger as a guide to center the hole saw and then rotated the hole saw by hand to cut the snout.
The aluminum is soft enough to cut just by rotating by hand. This may have taken a little longer but eliminated any high and low spots. It is difficult to see and fit tools on the underside of the snout with the supercharger in place


Note: don't use what you think is an old bed sheet to protect the engine - I got in big trouble for that

 

That is an interesting approach. I was wondering if you could use a hole saw, pipe threader or similar, now I have the answer. Did not realize the snout is aluminum. How long did it take using this approach? Do you recall what size hole saw?

Thanks.