Vortech SC - Leak & Loud Whine after Track (<6k)
 

Update 4:
August 22, 2014
Vortech called and will provide warranty on charger. Recommended to upgrade to V2 oil fed.

Update 3:
August 19, 2014
SC arrived at Vortech

Update 2:
August 13, 2014
Shipped out SC.

Update 1:
August 8, 2014
Recieved RA # from Vortech
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Hi All,

Let me try to make this short on the issue i'm having.

Yesterday i went to the track, had approximately 25-30 mins of track time with the first 10 minutes just getting used to the car/warming up. On the cool down lap, the engine was slightly louder than normal SC whine which i've never heard before. Upon inspection at the pits, i've noticed the SC fluid (Which is an ATF like fluid, red in color when its fresh) coated in some areas of the engine bay, mainly via the belt. The vent and filler plug had no leaks or signs of venting. The main "wetted" area is behind the SC housing, where i suspect the rear bearing may have failed and caused fluid to leak out. When the SC cooled down, i've decided to check the fluids within the SC, the fluid is slightly under 3/4 level and turned brown (just like old ATF or smells like brunt ATF), i assume this is normal when heated. The fluid was still fresh few weeks ago. When the car restarted, the SC was making terrible sound and my day was done ;/

Ruined my otherwise awesome weekend because the car pulls nicely, handles brilliantly (!) and brakes that actually hasn't fade (yet) along with tires that worked well on the track. :( Guess i'm done for the season once again.

Based on my records, the SC was installed at 11,320 km, with the first SC oil change at 14,820 km, and current mileage is 17,103 km. Lets just call it 6000km (3700miles).

IIRC, kit was ordered in June, 2013, Installed in Early-Mid August, 2013, Date of Video is August 3, 2014 (See below). Not sure if Vortech will be willing to work with me on this and provide a warranty.
My plan is to email them tomorrow and follow up with a call by mid week right after the long weekend.

The Supercharger is now very very loud, as if almost it will seize anytime soon. If Vortech gives me the go ahead, i will take this apart and send it back for an inspection. On the plus side, i've checked the intake side and compressor inlet and see very very little signs of blow by, the crawford aos seems to work well.

Cliffs:

1. Less than 6000 km on Supercharger. Total mileage on vehicle to date: 17,103 km.
2. After ~30 minutes of track time, SC develops whining noise. Upon inspection at the pits, the rear housing of the Supercharger was wet and sprayed onto the engine bay via the belts. Suspected rear SC bearing failure.
3. At this point, the SC is whining very loudly and sounds very very nasty (gritty)

Time for some photos and videos:

[ame]http://youtu.be/XVy-QmhuObE[/ame]
^ from my phone
[ame]http://youtu.be/KS9Ig3Dnnzk[/ame]
[ame]http://youtu.be/r9qLqRoLtLY[/ame]

http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64...B/IMG_0567.jpg[/URL]http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64...B/IMG_0569.jpg[/URL]
Checking inlet side:
Few spots behind the compressor were wet.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y64...B/IMG_2153.jpg[/URL]

-S

Sounds like a blown seal or something. By the way, I don't think the Supercharger oil should ever go brown. The heat involved in a supercharger isn't anything like that of a combustion engine. When I replaced my Supercharger oil yesterday, it came out red - basically the same color as the fresh oil.

well if the bearing is blown the friction could burn it

Any input from you guys are appreciated. Hoping to get a response back from Voretch soon.

Frustrating to have this season down. There is only about 3 months left before winter season hits.

@MyRx

This is not uncommon of self lubricated vortech blowers on track. The R32 golf community learned this a while back.

@Dezoris

Vortech is pretty good about covering their product. You are just outside the 1 year warranty but given the mileage they still may help you out. Most likely they will require you to send it in for inspection which is a little pricey for shipping but regardless they can fix it with super fast turnarounds in my experience. The important thing is that the tamper proof bolt cover on the compressor pulley is untouched which yours obviously looks to be still virgin. Have faith and get back out on the track before that white stuff heads your way.

I'm not very active on forums, this is news to me hearing that the V3 have similar problem. I'm rather disappointed if this is the case with only a short drive on the track. I wasn't pushing the car at the fullest either.

Guess when i contact Vortech, i will ask and see how much it would be to upgrade to engine oil fed v-2 blower.

The oil fed blower is without a doubt the way to go if you plan to track it a lot. It can sustain high RPM and heavy load for far longer than the standard duty V3. We were having issues with the standard burning up bearings here in AZs summer heats but the oil fed HD units have eliminated that issue.

We were running much smaller pulleys though so we were working the compressors quite a bit over their max RPM range.

That is sad but also excellent news regarding the oil fed blowers. Too bad the option didnt came out until a little later. Thanks for your input on this. Guess the car will sit for now, get the blower fixed and gather fund for next year for a bit more power while i'm at it.

I assume your experience with this is also on the FRS/BRZ? What pulleys are you currently running and how many track events (including duration of each event) has it endure to date?

Pm me I will get you Brians email should be able to get you inside help. Did you have winter miles on the unit?

A basic track day should not kill bearings.

Yes, my experience I am referring to in this case is all in relation directly to the 86 platform. I personally no longer run the Vortech as I have since gone turbo. My personal Vortech setup was a wastegate regulated system that I made and is still running strong on one of my customers cars that purchased it. I have built and installed several of these systems for other customers as well with fantastic results both in standard V-3 H67B and the HD V-2 H67B compressors. I run the 2.87" on most of them. Track days between mine and my customers is a lot haha. They are all NASA and Pro Autosports events so the heats are 20 minutes and 4 heats per day unless its a special event where we have more than 4 or even multi-day.

The only reason I sold my Vortech is because I am a turbo guy at heart and I switch things up often on my toys just to have good well rounded suggestions for customers based on a wide spectrum of personal experience in each platform I work with. It helps avoid bias. I admit there are times I miss my Vortech on this particular car. Love the turbo but Vortech still has a place in my heart especially when wastegated. It's just a really good fit for this car imo.

I had better tech results from Rick. I'd go directly to Rick.

As for the OP, my V3 did the same. 3rd day at the track did it. Limped the car home on I5 from BW to NorCal. Working with Rick, he advised simple fixes - none worked, it continued to spew/leak oil and shaft-bearing kept protruding. In the end, I've upgraded to V2 oil-fed unit. V3 inspection resulted in a damaged gearcase. Either it was caused by too much oil or too little oil, it was a repair I had to pay before I can receive the V2 upgrade.

With my experience OP, when you send it to Vortech, stay on top of it. Mine was finally shipped and arrived but missed having the drain portion included.

Hey @SonnyBRZ
Looks like I'm having the same problem as you. I immediately contacted Vortech and I'm sending it back to them tomorrow. He said the turn-around time is 10-15 days. I only have 3500 miles on mine. I'm hoping this is not going to be a recurring issue. Did you send yours back?