Roe Supercharger Installation - Tricks, Traps, missing directions

[DAMN YANKEE]

Since this project is coming to an end, I thought I would start a thread to be a repository of all our thoughts on the tricks, traps and missing instruction highlights in our installations. I'll start it off with tools required and not listed. I'll add the missing operations, tricks after others can add to the required tools. Somebody please let me know if this thread is of no value so I don't waste my and your time.

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1. Tools required and not mentioned in the directions.
- Small torque wrench in (foot inches / foot pounds). This will be especially needed if you plan on replacing your thermostat with a low temperature stat. Know the difference between inch pounds and foot pounds and highlight every instance of inch or foot throughout the directions.
- Low temp thermostat.
- thermostat housing gasket.
- Large breaker bar, minimum opf 2' long. A tube to slip over the hande of that large breaker bar to extenc the breaker bar to a minmum of 4'. This will be used in the crankshaft pinning operation.
- Approx. 12 more tie wraps of various sizes.
- A roll of teflon tape.
- A set of allen keys mounted in 3/8" drive heads.
- A good set of various extensions for your socket set.
- A role of wide painters masking tape. To cover the various finished parts while you work near them. Use this tape to cover ports so things don't fall in them, etc.
- Two saw horses coverd in beach towels to lay your hood on (upside down).
- A tube of vaseline (to lube O-rings on injectors, gas lines, etc.)
- A flex shaft for your drill bit if you are going to pin the crank shaft and want to make it a simple 20 minute job. http://www.sawbird.com/flex_shafts.htm
- A large 2 1/4' socket that fits on that breaker bar. If you need adapters to make that socket fit your large torque wrench, have them ready.
- The three (3) new clips that hold the hood liner to the very front of the hood. You will be removing (breaking) the stock ones so that you can adhere the hood lining to the hood to get about 1.5" more height.
- A small (tiny, dremel like) grinding wheel to finish off and part of the crankshaft pins that extend above the face of the pulley. If you measure your drill bit properly and drill properly, this wont be needed.
- A good jack to get your rear wheel off to access your battery. Good time to replace your battery if you haven't done so and have been meaning to.
- A good time to install a kill switch if you have been meaning to.
- A good time to do smooth tubes and radiator hoses if you have been meaning to.
- Radiator fluid as this is a good time to change it.
- You WILL need solder, paste and a small gun as one SHOULD solder every wire connection.
- Small fashlight.
- Roll of electrical tape.
- Small pieces of wire loom (used to cover the braided gas line where it touches the top of the thermostat housing).
- I did the job without having a factory manual around. It might have been nice (not required) to have had one.

 

[plumcrazy]

good info

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

For anyone interested, I have a complete day by day job journal with some daily pictures for anyone who wants to tackle the project. If you've been away from doing anything like this for over 20 years--like me--you might find it helpful. For example, I had no knowledge of the type of electrical connectors that the coil packs and FI were. After fighting behind the engine with these for much longer than I should have--Sean told me to plug the male/female VEC2 connector (same connector) together--which revealed that in addition to the red locking tab--there was also a tang which needed to be depressed to in order to release the connector. It also didn't help that the driver's side coil pack connector was in the unlocked position to start with....so I pushed it the wrong way for starters--actually locking it. Another little tip is that the manifold base has 2 bushed holes in the center for GEN II cars. That's because GEN I cars were all 5/16" bolts. The GEN II cars are 1/4". All the manifold base holes are drilled to 5/16" to fit either car. The instructions don't mention the purpose for the bushings nor did I initially notice them. After starting the other bolts in around the base, I couldn't get the center 2 holes started with the bushings in place---they were off just a tad. I removed the bushings and they went in. I torqued it from the center out as directed..........but being a little anal about such things, and wanting the best alignment possible for the belt, I did the whole thing over again the next day.

Steve

 

[Daddy Long Stroke]

You can never have "too much" information on installing something. Thanks for taking the time to make a list D.Y.

Steve, I would like that journal. You can e-mail it to me at [email protected]
Thanks guys!

 

[DAMN YANKEE]

Steve, my my goodness...Would I ever love to have a copy as well. Please do send it my way, many thanks! I'll PM you with my email!

 

[DAMN YANKEE]

Ok, lets start off with car positioning steps.

1. Positioning the car. Seems simply enough but in actually you need to know the following:

- The front end will have to be high enough to get a pan under the radiator. There are no assembly operations requiring you to get under the car. The simplest way to deal with the radiator fluid is to go down to Walmart and get one of their cheap Rubbermaid under-the-bed storage bins (with the top). They are low flat and hold alot of material. The can hold the fluids in a clean manner, allowing you to close the top and reuse them days latter. They clean up in a snap.
- When you unplug the fuel line gas will flow. Get ready to catch it all under the rear of the engine. There will be flow. Even if you prep the car by turning the engine with the fuel pump fuse out.
- The Driver rear wheel is coming off to get the battery disconnected. So, up goes the rear. AFTER, you turn the engine over with the fuel pump fuse off.
- Also note, if you are going to pin the crank (you really should pin the crank) you will need to have the car back on the ground with the parking brake on, the car in gear and somebody stepping on the brakes. In other words, your viper is going up and down.
- The hood...ah the hood. Sean suggests that you don't have to take the hood off. You don't, I installed the blower, pinned the crank, etc. with the hood on. No issues. Cover the hood with sheets to keep it clean and safe.

HOWEVER. there is one interesting exception to working with the hood on. That exception is one of the biggest missing pieces of the directions and the one that will make most people pretty unhappy when they find out why the "hard way." We give thanks to Chuck Tator for pointing this one out to me and giving me the fix. Simply stated, the best way to ruin a perfect Roe Blower installation is to do everything EXACTLY right, perfectly and then...Close The Hood. There goes the liner. The fix?

Well, Sean suggests that taking the hood off is a fast, simple operation. It is. Two people can do it. The trick is to remove the lower bolt on the top of the hood arm frame, leaving the upper bolt to be removed by two guys (one on either side) with their backs cradeling the hood, one hand holding the hood, one hand wrenching the hood. Have the saw horse ready properly spaced, solid footing and soft beach towels on them. Flip the hood over and lay the hood down.

How to stop liner damage? Wait until the supercharger is installed. Then, note the area where the pulley is on the blower, note the front edge of the blower box, note the bypass tube area, note where the accellerator cable crosses over the air tube (driver's side). Remove the three front clips of the liner near the nose, have three NEW clips ready (see earlier tools list) and and get under the liner with a tube of gasket sealant. Liberally bead up those areas under the liner where these "noted" rub areas are and place books on the liner until the liner is "glued" to the hood bottom. Results are an additional 1 1/2" of free space.

Ok, those are my car positioning thoughts,anybody want to add anything?

 

[DAMN YANKEE]

Tools required, not mentioned in the directions (forgot these)
- Large funnel to get the radiator fluid back in the main tank.
- Small funnel. Small enough to fit into the overflo hose right under the radiator cap.

 

[Steve 00RT/10]

One thing that every Roe guy needs to keep an eye on is the closeness of the upper radiator hose to the new pulley. It's about 1/4". The engine does torque to the right so that's a good thing. I rolled the rad hose up into the water pump bracket as far as it would go, but it's quite close. Because my hose is touching this bracket continually and with vibration always constant, I put a small piece of velcro between the hose and the bracket. If anything decides to wear it will be the velcro first.

There would be room to add a 45 degree fitting here to steer the hose directly away from the pulley. Sean says this has never been issue he's aware of, but the clearance is minimal.

Steve

 

[Jerome Sparich]

"A tube of vaseline (to lube O-rings on injectors, gas lines, etc.)"

No no no !!!!

Vaseline eats up rubber and will make those o-rings worthless in short order.

 

[TOOOFST]

are you suggesting KY from experience,hehe

 

[DAMN YANKEE]

Vaseline...

Rubber, no - Neoprene, your ok.

 

[DAMN YANKEE]

Hmmm, if some people are as anal as I am, they may be taken back by the "vaseline" question. A more complete explanation is in order.

In cars, flexible seals are made of neoprene, which is resistant to petroleum
products. Keep Vaseline away from regular rubber and latex products. You will see a lot of chatter by scuba divers who found that smearing their bodies with vasoline ruined their "neoprene" wet suits. Problem there is their suits aren't 100% neoprene.=, that and the important difference between high density and low density neoprene. Alsao, their seaming adhesive is a rubber compound.

O rings are HIGH density, neoprene.

For those still not confident, I offer this up. Here is a copy of the repair directions for making electrical connectors with neoprene seals watertight in a submarine (as in life-or-death). In this case they actually submerge the WHOLE connector assembly in...a pool of vaseline! All of thisunder sea pressures.

"A modification in the form of an enclosure surrounding the connector is now used. This is completely filled with liquid vaseline after the connection is made. This system has now been used on over fifty connectors, of which only one has leaked and that leakage was minor."

Still, I'm ready to learn something new here....

 

[Jerome Sparich]

Maybe someone can take one of these o-rings and conduct a little experiment?

Petrolium jelly is bad juju on rubber, and I am not 100% sure what these o-rings in question are indeed made of.

Better safe than sorry.

 

[DAMN YANKEE]

All done, high density, petroleum resistant, 100% neoprene. You are cleared to grease....

I received a very thurough and complete daily journal from Steve. I am going throgh it now, along with the photos. As soon as I'm done I'll combine and post the important missing/overlooked directions and tricks/traps. Thanks to Steve.

 

[joe117]

"You WILL need solder, paste and a small gun as one SHOULD solder every wire connection"

I would use rosin core solder. With rosin core, 60/40 solder, you won't need any soldering paste.

The advantage there is that some soldering paste is not intended for electrical use.
If you get rosin core 60/40 solder you don't have to worry about getting the wrong kind of paste.

You also want to avoid acid core solder.
Also avoid any of the no lead solders that are made for plumbing.

 

[DAMN YANKEE]

Great points....I bought the solder and paste from Radio Shack for an electronic repair. You make good points.

Also, Should have mentioned to bring 12 plastic zip lock bags and a good marker to keep the various "take off" parts well seperated and properly marked(as did Steve).

I took it for granted that people would know that, some may not.