[DrFatz]

Some may have been following my other post about my Exige 260 and it's supercharger issues. Well in short I had to get a new MP62 to replace a worn out one on my car. However, during my journey into supercharger land I have come to learn quite a few things which I thought it prudent to share with the community of DIY Lotus enthusiasts.

The first thing I learned which I did not know is the oil in the snout of the supercharger must be changed (I learned this the hard way). If not changed there is a chance the gears will wear out and lead to a failure of your unit...not fun trust me. Since the MP62 is a common charger used on a lot of GM products so you can get oil for it pretty much anywhere.

Second thing is if you need a new MP62 fear not there is a solution! Save your money and don't pay Lotus as they are bending you over big time if you buy an MP62 from them. It turns out that the MP62 used on the Exige S is a generic unit which means you can buy it directly from the manufacturer! In this case the company that supplies Lotus with their superchargers is Magnuson. I ended up calling them directly and got a hold of Terry at Magnuson up in MI. Terry is the OEM manager for Lotus and handles their supercharging for the Exige and Evora. He is extremely knowledgable and more than willing to help us out. Magnuson will sell you a brand new MP62 for considerably less than Lotus which is exactly what I did.

So long story short if you need a new MP62 give Terry a call at Magnuson and he will hook you up.

 

[sturgeongeneral]

May I ask how much he charged you?

 

[Nessal]

How many miles did you put on the SC and how much is the oil? Is it hard to change?

 

[ramtin1000]

The Evora charger is a Harrop supercharger not a magnuson. Magnuson also have a TVS 1320 but it's not the same blower. Also the inlet manifold was specially designed for TRD to be part of the blower on the Harrop TVS1320. If you get the generic it will be missing that part as well.

 

[ee.engineer]

The Evora charger is a Harrop supercharger not a magnuson. Magnuson also have a TVS 1320 but it's not the same blower. Also the inlet manifold was specially designed for TRD to be part of the blower on the Harrop TVS1320. If you get the generic it will be missing that part as well.

???????

 

[<@¿@>]

How about the steps for changing that oil? Oil type and quantity... And recommended oil change interval... This would be very valuable information to the whole community. Thanks!

 

[shay2nak]

He did not recommend an oil to use, interval to change and amount to use?

I was under the impression these SCs are maintenance free.

 

[Jeff_r1]

I rebuilt the snout of my mp62 supercharger on my vf kit a few weeks ago. The coupler was badly worn and caused one of the snout bearings to fail. Overall it wasn't hard just time consuming to pull out the supercharger. I ordered a rebuild kit on ebay(one of the bearings did not match so i had to order another) with 2 bottles Gm supercharger oil and then followed the instructions here.
Eaton snout rebuild

 

[Harix]

Thank you everybody! So much valuable information. Do you know how many miles they required to do the service?

 

[Jeff_r1]

A 100k service interval was quoted from Jamaine at Vf on the mp62. Many Gm vehicles use similar superchargers and go way beyond that number if it doesn't start leaking oil first which seems to be a semi common problem. There are some miata kits that use it as well I found a few post about people doing coupler replacements more frequently just as a preventative maintenance and changing the oil since it gets dumped in the process.

jeff

 

[Nessal]

Jeff can you link to the correct rebuild kit?

 

[Jeff_r1]

I wasn't able to find a rebuild kit that had the correct bearing that is closest to the pulley. For the sout rebuild you need a 6303 and a 6204 bearing, a new snout seal and c clip (same as the m62), a new coupler(I got an extended life one), 1.5 bottles of gm supercharger oil and a tube of Anaerobic Flange Sealant. In the end I just ordered the correct bearing off amazon and called it a day.

Jeff

 

[GR82DRV]

A few years ago I bought a used M45 for my Miata, only to discover that the bearings were shot. I sent it in to The High Speed Lab to be reconditioned and Wade did an excellent job at a very reasonable price. He services the M62 also.

Here's the link: The High Speed Lab, Supercharger Core Shipping Information

 

[shay2nak]

100k? A couple of them needed service below 20k miles.

I guess if you drop the pulley size and spin the SC faster probably want to look at it sooner.

 

[<@¿@>]

100k? A couple of them needed service below 20k miles.

I guess if you drop the pulley size and spin the SC faster probably want to look at it sooner.

Also Detroit Iron only red line at 4,500-RPM (but only runs at 2,500-RPM 98.97% of the time) and ours run at 8,500-RPM all day at the track...that will significantly shorten the life of the snout bearings.

 

[sleepe]

Instead of removing the MP62 why not use a syringe to suck out the oil?
Even if complete removal isn't possible at least most of the oil will be fresh.
(like a Lotus engine oil swap)

 

[<@¿@>]

Instead of removing the MP62 why not use a syringe to suck out the oil?
Even if complete removal isn't possible at least most of the oil will be fresh.
(like a Lotus engine oil swap)

Because you probably want to replace the bearings with full ceramic (ZrO2) and the coupling with a Delrin (PTFE) one anyway.

 

[DrFatz]

To answer a few questions the Magnuson guys did say the MP62 "should" last over 100K IF they are driven in normal use. They then qualified that statement by saying track driving, pulley changes, et cetera will greatly accelerate wear. The main issue is heat as with pretty much anything. The harder you use the SC the more heat which will inevitably wear out the bearings and once the snout bearings wear they will load up the main rotor bearings and boom goes the dynamite. Although a specific service interval was not recommended, if you track your car or drive it hard relatively frequently I would change the snout oil ~10-15K as it isn't hard to do and the oil is cheap/easy to get. That is just my opinion. My car has just over 30K on the clock (I bought her only 1K ago) and I know she has lead a hard life and now that I know what a failing MP62 sounds like...mine has been going for quite some time. Of course if your snout is leaking oil get in there and rebuild it ASAP before you need a replacement unit.

Concerning the price of the MP62 I paid $1520 for a brand new one directly from Magnuson.

I won't get into the details here because I know there is some debate out there...but someone brought up the TVS1320. That blower is for the Evora S not the Exige. Unless you have upgraded your Exige to a TVS1320. I was considering this upgrade instead of replacing my MP62, but after extensive research and lengthy discussions with Lotus and Magnuson engineerings I decided the MP62 is better suited for my needs with the 2ZZ.

 

[amazingjason]

Is there a path here to getting a factory Elise SC setup for much less $$$ on an 06? Can one get the upgrade parts minus the supercharger from Lotus, get the supercharger directly from Magnuson and get it installed for lots less than $6,500?

Jason

 

[sleepe]

so how do you change the oil?