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2003 SL55 Chirp and Supercharger Lag, Bearing or clutch?
I have read over and over the problems people have had with thier superchargers. I understand some people have gotten away with just changing the bearings and some have chaged the whole clutch.
First I took it to a mechanic who told me it was the harmontic balancer and that I needed to also change the bearings. I was not happy with the advice he gave on my ABC issues so I took it to a guy who has been a Mercedes Tech that now has his own shop.
First he told me I need to change the whole clutch, than I asked if I can get by just changing the bearings, he said he has seen it done before but not going to guarantee it will fix the problem.
oh and he said it will only take an hour to change the clutch and THREE hours to change the barrings, does this sound correct???
MY TWO QUESTIONS ARE ONE DOES IT REALLY TAKE THREE HOURS TO CHANGE THE BEARINGS? AND TWO, WHAT ARE PEOPLES OPINIONS OBVIOUSLY I RATHER GET BY JUST CHANGING THE BEARINGS BUT I DONT WANT TO WASTE MONEY IF IT WONT FIX THE PROBLEM AND HAVE TO CHANGE THE CLUTCH.
though he had hooked it up to the computer and he was engaging the supercharger on and off so that means the clutch is still good right?
Here is my 2-cents worth. The clutch chirp and worn clutch pack bearing are two separate issues, it is just that they often tend to raise their ugly little heads at the same time which is what has led to the confusion. The chirp is the result of the clutch surface wearing out over time just like any other clutch would do. That said, I do not think replacing the bearing will solve the chirp problem. The bearing should be inspected to make sure it is not worn out. The bearings should not be visible in the bearing races. If they are, the bearing is worn.
I had both a bearing issue and a worn SC clutch pack. Below is a photo of what the clutch bearing looked like. In my case, it made perfect since to replace the clutch pack because it comes with a new bearing already pressed in place.
My advice to you is if you are not bothered by the chirp, then don't replace the clutch pack, but do inspect your bearing on occasion. I believe that a worn clutch puts additional pressure on the bearing. If the chirp bothers you or if it gets bad enough, replace the whole clutch pack.
I am not sure about three hours time. To change the bearing, the clutch pack has to be removed, then the old bearing is pressed out and a new bearing pressed back in place. It is easier to remove the clutch pak and install a new clutch pak that comes with a bearing already in it.
I would assume your SC is still engaging. The 55k is an absolute dog without the SC so you would notice the loss of performance. The chirp sound you hear occurs when the clutch engages.
hope this helps. Good luck, let us know what you end up doing.
Last edited by cal1; 03-11-2012 at 09:58 PM.
Reason: Forgot the picture
Here is my 2-cents worth. The clutch chirp and worn clutch pack bearing are two separate issues, it is just that they often tend to raise their ugly little heads at the same time which is what has led to the confusion. The chirp is the result of the clutch surface wearing out over time just like any other clutch would do. That said, I do not think replacing the bearing will solve the chirp problem. The bearing should be inspected to make sure it is not worn out. The bearings should not be visible in the bearing races. If they are, the bearing is worn.
I had both a bearing issue and a worn SC clutch pack. Below is a photo of what the clutch bearing looked like. In my case, it made perfect since to replace the clutch pack because it comes with a new bearing already pressed in place.
My advice to you is if you are not bothered by the chirp, then don't replace the clutch pack, but do inspect your bearing on occasion. I believe that a worn clutch puts additional pressure on the bearing. If the chirp bothers you or if it gets bad enough, replace the whole clutch pack.
I am not sure about three hours time. To change the bearing, the clutch pack has to be removed, then the old bearing is pressed out and a new bearing pressed back in place. It is easier to remove the clutch pak and install a new clutch pak that comes with a bearing already in it.
I would assume your SC is still engaging. The 55k is an absolute dog without the SC so you would notice the loss of performance. The chirp sound you hear occurs when the clutch engages.
hope this helps. Good luck, let us know what you end up doing.
I dont mind the chirp sound, but yes i do feel a little loss of power at take off i feel a lag for the supercharger to kick in. does that help with which is my main problem? yes my bearings are worn, my tech just said he cant 100% promise to solve the problem
I dont mind the chirp sound, but yes i do feel a little loss of power at take off i feel a lag for the supercharger to kick in. does that help with which is my main problem? yes my bearings are worn, my tech just said he cant 100% promise to solve the problem
Sounds to me like you have both issues. If it was me, I would replace the clutch pak and be done with it. If your mech will work with you, you can buy the clutch pak online and save a few bucks most likely. That is what I did. I had a mech I used to work with in Indianapolis. I would buy mods and whatever else, take it to him to install. He just charged me normal shop rate to install.
Sounds to me like you have both issues. If it was me, I would replace the clutch pak and be done with it. If your mech will work with you, you can buy the clutch pak online and save a few bucks most likely. That is what I did. I had a mech I used to work with in Indianapolis. I would buy mods and whatever else, take it to him to install. He just charged me normal shop rate to install.
where can i buy the clutch pack online? i cant find any website that sells it
I may have located a good deal on a used clutch pack. It looks like maybe $400 or $500 and should be in great shape. If you are interested, let me know.
Buying used isn't always a good thing. I would rather buy a new set from the dealer which is the updated/revised design and is much less likely to wear out. I believe the 07+ SL55s came stock with it.
Buying used isn't always a good thing. I would rather buy a new set from the dealer which is the updated/revised design and is much less likely to wear out. I believe the 07+ SL55s came stock with it.
I agree with you, but the used clutch pack in this case is the new design and is less than a year old with only 8k on it. If I needed a new clutch pack, I would have jumped all over this one.
my name is leo, i build race cars, so any questions on the Sl55 amg or any other AMGs, email me, i pretty much know it all, i design my own race parts and built things my way, never failed yet.
My S.C. clutch (S55) has chirped since the day I drove it off the lot brand new. Before MB techs figured out it was normal, they replaced my clutch pack. Guess what: it started chirping again in a few thousand miles. I ignore that. It wasn’t worn out. For all I know, it is worn out by now (89kmiles) but the chirp sounds exactly the same as day one.
If the bearing is worn, it will be pretty noisy spinning when idling. You can also test it when the engine is off. Spin it and listen. If it’s nice and quiet and smooth, it’s fine.
So, if the clutch is worn, you remove the whole clutch/bearing and get a new one loaded with a new bearing. Experienced techs can do it in 1/2 hour or less.
If only the bearing is worn, yes you have to do as mentioned by a previous poster: remove clutch/bearing, press out old bearing, heat up outer clutch bearing in a nice 200deg F oven, while placing the new bearing in the freezer to shrink it, wait an hour or so during lunch, then reassemble the two, then reattach. 3 hours? Maybe.
hi AMG fellas, if ur pulley bearing is oki, dont touchnthe magnet or anything else.!
like i said, check ur pulley bearing as it will chirp when pressure isbapplied . if ur bearing is bad,!dont bother replacing it,!just go to VRP Racing and buy a lightweight pulley and a must, buy the Belt Wrap Kit and the chirping is gone and the lag is gone . you will feel an amazin power increase.!Also you can buy a smaller 70mml pulley and tune,'omg,'100+HP to the wheels, you wont believe the difference on ur car.
Make sure Tony from RaceIQ will do the tune, hes a Genius.
y
Originally Posted by CSIKTY3
I have read over and over the problems people have had with thier superchargers. I understand some people have gotten away with just changing the bearings and some have chaged the whole clutch.
First I took it to a mechanic who told me it was the harmontic balancer and that I needed to also change the bearings. I was not happy with the advice he gave on my ABC issues so I took it to a guy who has been a Mercedes Tech that now has his own shop.
First he told me I need to change the whole clutch, than I asked if I can get by just changing the bearings, he said he has seen it done before but not going to guarantee it will fix the problem.
oh and he said it will only take an hour to change the clutch and THREE hours to change the barrings, does this sound correct???
MY TWO QUESTIONS ARE ONE DOES IT REALLY TAKE THREE HOURS TO CHANGE THE BEARINGS? AND TWO, WHAT ARE PEOPLES OPINIONS OBVIOUSLY I RATHER GET BY JUST CHANGING THE BEARINGS BUT I DONT WANT TO WASTE MONEY IF IT WONT FIX THE PROBLEM AND HAVE TO CHANGE THE CLUTCH.
though he had hooked it up to the computer and he was engaging the supercharger on and off so that means the clutch is still good right?
03-11-2012, 12:27 PM
