I've had the Magnacharger on for five months now and have put about five thousand miles on it. I really couldn't hear any noise from it (other than the whine, wich is normal). I ran the truck a bit harder this past week end. On the long ride home from Virginia I started hearing a noise. I don't know for sure that it is the supercharger. It sounds kind of what a power steering pump sounds like when it is about to go, not as loud though. I only hear the sound when excelerating from a stop, from two to three grand.
Before I go in an do too much investigating I figured I would run this by you folks to see if you might be able to help my search. The truck does not feel any different. I was just wondering if it is possible that I have reached a certian point of the break in. I guess worst case would be I fried the bearings.

Anyone hear noise from the Magnacharger?

Thanks!

 

Tom, I wish I could help but all I can offer is that you try to connect with ScottyBones (screenname) as he too has the MagnaCharger on his rig.

I enjoyed meeting you at the rally and hope you can make it next year. I wanted to ask you some many questions about your installation but just had to many scheduling difficulties this year.

As for next year I'm clearing the WEEK (can't rain again right?) and yes we are still in the midst of a three year drought in central Virginia!!

I hope everything is all right or that it's only minor. Please let us know.

seeya

 

I have heard from a number of people that the Eaton units usually get a bit louder as they break in. The guy I bought mine from commented on that. He said he could barely hear it when new.

Does the sound only happen under boost or under light throttle as well?

Ian

 

Thanks Petrol. It was cool meeting you. Last year I didn't get to meet to many. This year was much better even though it would be nice to see a higher attendance. It's great to see (in person) that we (the F150 Online community) are made up of some real good people. I really enjoyed all the conversation, though often scattered. It was so exciting to talk so much truck! Heidi wasn't nearly as excited, wich is why she didn't attend all of the events. She does like some of the talk, just in small doses.
I need some time before I think about going back down that way. The drive is kind of tough. I'll have to do some more mods to give me the added incentive to go next year.

Ian, I get the noise from about 2300rpm to about 3000rpm. It might continue after that because everything gets loud at that point (I don't think it continues though).
It didn't make any noise at all when new. I could only hear the whine when in boost, no compressor noise at all.
It may be normal. Nothing else feels any different. I'm thinking that I could have over spun something. I had the revs up there but I would figure that the rev limiter (even bumped up a notch) would keep that from happening.
I'm not going to start pulling stuff apart just yet. I value the opinion of you folks and have been steered in the right direction before. I will closely monitor the situation and report any new findings. I just hope if there is a problem I can catch it before it gets too $big$!

Thanks!

 

Hey Wittom,
If my memory is correct, you have a billet pulley.
Check and see if it is tight. I installed a different stainless nut on mine with out a washer and it began, over time, to wobble. This will get worse and the sound will travel down the shaft and into the blower housing. The housing amplifies this sound. Hope this helps.

 

Oh Man! Look at Flats Man's Mods. List!!!! How fast will he be after he puts his re-worked heads on!?!

Wittom,

Man, I wish I could average only 1,000 miles a month. On average, I am doing 3,000 miles per month.

 

Thanks Flats Man. I have the stock pully on there. I haven't done anything with it. I will check to see that it is tight. I need to check a few things in there, I hadn't thought of that tough.
By the way, what are your shift points when running? I would like to know how much different they would be from mine.

Iron Horse, one of the benifits, well the only benifit working for my father is I take the company van home. I put a couple thousand a month on the E250. My truck sits in the (rickety, old) garage for most of the week. It is a treat when I can take it out for a weekend stroll. Actually I think I put about 1500 of thoes miles on in the past week.

 

Hey Ironhorse,
The new heads are going on a new Motor and my goal is to be ready for the FFW Spring shootout in March . My next project is to bring the fuel system up to speed.

 

I have some more to add here.

So far I have not been able to verify the exact location of the noise. I is most promanent from 2500 to 3000 rpm. It's hard to replicate the sound without driving.

I was reading in the Lightning section about a couple guys that had low fluid in the compressor. Does this sound like it might be my problem? They said that the sound was only at idle. I would like to at least check this. Anyone got any advice on checking/adding/refilling the compressor? What tools? Where to drain and fill? What fluid?

It's hard to verify the location of the noise without getting into a huge job. I don't want to take a whole bunch of stuff apart if I don't have to. I know somethings not right though. I need to do something!

Thanks!

 

Tom;

The fill/drain plug is on the front of the blower. Just pull out the plug and check the level - it should be full.

I think I know the sound you are talking about - it is like a groaning noise at 2-3k and full boost. I get the same noise and just figured it was normal. Now I'm worried!

Ian

 

Ian N, I don't know if we have the same noise. I wouldn't discribe it as a groan. It's more like metal rubbing against metal. I fear it's bearings in some part that is belt driven. I wish I could just figure out it's a power steering pump or something. I really don't want to have to mess with the supercharger.

I can hear the noise at idle, though very faint, with the hood open. If, with the hood open, I operate the throttle the noise gets gradually louder. It seems loudest at about 3000, but that is when everything starts getting pretty loud. When I let off the throttle the noise follows, a second behind.

Well, I posted something in the engines section and jefflaws suggested removing the belt from the supercharger to see if that is the problem. I think I will do that first. My only concern there is will the belt tensioner take up the slack?

 

Wittom, I would bet money it is not the supercharger unless you have a loose pulley. More likely would be a bad idler pulley or an alternator bearing or something of that nature. Try taking the belt off and spin each accessory by hand. If anything is loose or has binding or bad bearings you should find it that way. Hope this helps!

 

Thank you all!

The more I listen the less I think it's the supercharger. I'm just the paranoid type. If I hadn't done anything to the truck I could just take it to the dealer and have them take care of it, the truck would be a lot less fun to drive though.
I don't have a ton of money so if something goes wrong it could set me back. I'm really hoping it's something reletively inexpensive.
I will remove the belt. I guess it's time to get my own tensioner tool.

 

Hey wittom, just use a 1/2 inch breaker bar or something like that. I use an old 1/2 inch torque wrench. Just snap it inplace and push forward or down on the tensioner. If you push forward with the right hand, it leaves the left to lift the belt off the alternator pulley. If you are going to completely remove the belt, draw a pulley diagram to help you when you reinstall it. When putting it back on, leave the slack loop up by the alternator again, push forward and slip the loop back on the alternator pulley. Boom, your done!

 

HI!... Actually the best way to remove the belt from the engine is to use a JOHNSON bar like FLATSMAN said but remove the belt from the water pump pulley 1ST. When re-installing the belt also put it on the water pump pulley last. See the water pump pulley is smooth and has no outer lip or serpentine grooves. It's ten times easier to slide the belt on/off that pulley. Hope this helps you out.