Hey all,

I now have my brother-in-law'* 94 SSEi in an attempt to fix it. The first thing I'm going for is the supercharger. It basically sounds like rattling and when you accelerate the rattling gets worse. My guess is nose piece bearings or the coupler. Is there a way of telling if it'* just the coupler? That'* much easier to fix!!! Also, anyone ever replace the bearings of the nose piece of a */c? Is it difficult and what tools are needed? Thanks much for the help!

If it'* the coupler, the rattling should only happen at idle.

My guess is that it isn't the SC. Mine makes a similar rattle, before and after the installation of a new SC (replaced for other reasons). My prime suspect is the harmonic balancer.

But then again, I haven't actually heard your car.

If the nose bearings are bad, or the bearings inside the main body of the supercharger, that could explain the noise. Or it could be the water pump or something else. Try to find the source of the noise first.

I've serviced my superchargers a few times - replaced the coupler, nose bearings, and nose oil seal. Even if just the coupler were to be replaced, it'* not a really simple job, at least not on the '92/'93. To replace the nose coupler and/or bearings on my '92/'93 I needed a socket set, gear puller, and the special anaerobic gasket sealant and supercharger oil. I also used chain vise grips to hold the nose pulley while I removed the pulley bolt. To replace the nose bearings, it'* best to use a press.

By the way, when the harmonic balancer on my '92 separated recently, it made a loud rattling noise at idle and while starting the engine, but not when driving/accelerating.

Good luck.

Just to clear something up here, you don't need a gear puller or chain vice-grips to change the coupler, but you do have to remove the supercharger from the lower intake manifold. It'* about a 4-hour garage job.

before tearing everything apart and replaciing it.. take a piece of tube.. even garden hose will work.. have the car started.. and put in side into your ear.. and the other near all the pulleys to help distinguish which pulley it'* coming from.. either */C or not. This will cost you less time, stress and money.. for pulleys.. another way of testing is to touch one tip of a scredriver to the bolt.. and compare.. usually a bearings going out.. you will feel vibrations from the grinding.. compare that to other pulleys you have.. the screwdriver trick WILL NOT WORK WITH THE SUPERCHARGER. just to remind you so you don't stickin it onto the */C pulley.. hee hee

If it'* coming from the */C.. then listen to these guys..

We changed my snout without pulling the SC itself off. We had to remove the alternator to get to a few of the bolts but that was it. We were testing the effect of ceramic supercharger bearings at the time. This is a series ii of course, series 1 may be dif.

OK, here'* a better description of the noise. When the car starts up the */C makes a noise that almost sounds like something is jumping a gear inside. When the car is in park and the gas is applied the noise is not noticeable. When the gas is let off and the car goes back to idle the */C seems to jerk and make a clunk noise as it comes down near idle. I'll try the tubing trick and see if I can hear a bad bearing.

Remove the super charger belt and turn the puley back and forth, up and down, in and out. Feel any play or slop? Snap the pulley back and forth, any back lash?

Now were getting closer... Could be one of two things. Follow PontiacDad'* instructions above.