[moved] Are there any second hand good quality superchargers available anywhere? Should they be avoided?

[matth76 1]

Hi

So far I have only seen brand new superchargers available for the Golf VR6 at prices well over

[vr6madforit 0]

My s/c unit was second hand and have had no problems. Did get it checked before fitment tho. Check out the vwvortex classifieds at

http://forums.vwvortex.com

This is where i got mine. If you need it fitted try the guys at Storm Developments, basingstoke, if you live in the south, as they are very good and cheap.

Hope this helps.

[vr6madforit 0]

website is

www.stormdevelopments.co.uk

[matth76 1]

Thanks for your reply how much did you pay for yours?

[mightyvr6 0]

I got my second hand vortech v1 for

[matth76 1]

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately I haven't seen any superchargers for less than

[mightyvr6 0]

Try ultimatetune (UK C2 Motorsports distributor) or NS Racing who sell them for around the

[matth76 1]

Thanks. They seem like the place to go for a brand new s/c. However

[Nerih 0]

looking for a charger under 2k, means your limited to secondhand market, and since most people will sell their car with the charger on it, your outta luck.....just be weary of the z-engineering kits.....also, www.carpi.ch is the ONLY place i know where u can still buy z-engineering kits...

1 thing you HAVE to remember, is power doesnt come cheap, if you buy a second hand charge you will probably need to have it reconditioned before putting in your car......they should be done every 15k, although i know people who have had them serviced at 50k....

nothing is cheap, sorry m8.

(and i've just bought a brand new charger, if you check my charger thread in my signiture).

i recommend saving up, and buying a new kit for 2300...

[FishWick 21]

Vortechs are solid old things, so s/hand ones are unlikely to be problematic. If you want refinement, go for the V9 SQ trim. Good for over 20psi and much quieter than the V1...but they're still quiet noisy, it's a nice noise though.

Agreed, nothing is cheap. Adding 100hp to the VR is fraught with problems, some engines take to it well, others don't. A decent remap is crucial.

I've done 2500 miles on my NSR kit and it's still not there yet. Seems the map is over fuelling, but it's been reliable though, which is the main thing.

[mightyvr6 0]

A vortech doesn't need reconditioning every 15k. Regular oil changes should keep it going for many a mile. One advantage of the v1 is that it's cheaper to rebuild than the V9 but otherwise they are both superbly engineered units which shouldn't give any trouble.

[binliner 0]

just be weary of the z-engineering kits

why??

[Slim 0]

What's the difference between the V1 and V2 Vortech chargers?

[mightyvr6 0]

The v1 has straight cut gears and is very audible The v2 has helical cut gears and is quiter in operation. Otherwise they are virtually identical in terms of output and efficiency.

Nothing wrong with Z-Engineering chargers either, particularly the ZR2 although they're not put together as well as a vortech and do have some minor issues.

[Nerih 0]

z-engineering kits have a bad reputation if they arent serviced correctly (as per the gti-vr6 library), i'm guessing you have one......so i'll continue , oiless bearings, poor power output (240 bhp), i mean do it properly, get a vortech with the ability to go to much higher power outputs and piece of mind becuase you've a mechanical device running on ur engine oil (and if its good neough for ur internals, its good enough for ur charger)...i personally wouldnt buy the z-engineering kit considering the small price hike for the vf one (700 quid more lol)...

vortech is a better charger....and u pay for it.

heard on some other forums that the v2 isnt as reliable as the v1....but its like apples and oranges...

in my vortech guarantee is says regular services at 15000 miles, that may mean oil changes ( !amazed do mine at 3k!) or whatever...but its what it says m8.

i cant wait to hear my v1 in operation...i want it to be as noisey as possible.

[binliner 0]

i personally wouldnt buy the z-engineering kit considering the small price hike for the vf one (700 quid more lol)

If you're in the market for a new charger I agree that vortech is the one to get (on availabilty as much as anything else) but this thread is about 2nd hand superchargers for a budget of around £1k!

Thats the first I've heard of their bad reputation or the 240bhp figure and I know a few people who have them... but you live and learn

[VR6Pete 1,455]

Cant say I've heard anything bad about them either! lol

[Nerih 0]

wait, i'll find the thread about them, lol i think im right about the z-engineering kit, unless its another charger...

http://www.gti-vr6.net/library/engine/Z_charger_death.html

(s.c bearing failure - this thread really describes how you should get the later design charger)

http://www.gti-vr6.net/library/engine/Z_charger_pulley_prob.html

(waterpump bearing failure due to tension)

http://www.gti-vr6.net/library/engine/Eurotech_vs_AMS_vs_Z_Eng_superchargers.html

(comparison of z-engineering with vortech, describes how you get lower charger temp with engine oil & less power)

i must say many of us have z-engineering kits, and can't fault it, so manybe its an american thing...if you are looking for a charger thats easy to install, z-engineering is it m8. I'd prefer to have a charger with long term upgradability and im not sure of z-engineerings poisition with old chargers...(since they dont sell new ones?)

[binliner 0]

I'd prefer to have a charger with long term upgradability and im not sure of z-engineerings poisition with old chargers...(since they dont sell new ones?)

They do still sell new ones and servicing and all parts are still available just some of them are only available from Switzerland!

As Ive said if you're buying new vortech makes a lot more sense but I know several people who have bought second hand ZR2 chargers without any major problems

[Nerih 0]

so from this thread, we have decided

1. if you're buying new, buy a vortech based kit

2. if you're buying s/h, a zr2 Z-engineering charger is good.

I think the key is zr2, (is that the 3rd generation charger?), which has a bigger resevoir and different pulley (plagerised this from the library lol).

[mark@vagworx 0]

poor power output (240 bhp)' date='[/quote']

Lol....i think not Nerih.........

When i had my ZR2 charged VR, it was mapped at Stealth and put out 266bhp in 35 degree heat @ 6.5psi........bit more than 240bhp

[mightyvr6 0]

The failures were the ZR1s which used oil-less ceramic bearings, a ribbed drive belt and didn't produce enough boost. The ZR2 solved all these issues with the cogged drive belt, steel bearings sppining in bath of oil and more boost.

Ironically it was Z -Engineering who designed the brackets/tensioning system fo the vortech v1/2 before they got into manufacturing chargers.

[matth76 1]

Thanks for all your info guys. How much would I be looking at for a second hand ZR2.

And approximately how much for a second hand V1 or V2 which I know would be more expensive?

[mightyvr6 0]

Secondhand chargers are hard to find in this country but they do come up occasionally on ebay or on vw websites. I was just lucky to find mine (in the classifieds on this site) but haven't seen one since. Since you can buy new kits for around the

[antera309 3]

So when you've sourced your supercharger, where do you get all the other bits from?

Oil lines, brackets, pullies, hoses, etc etc etc.

I'd be concerned that sourcing the various bits from different places, racking up