Last Ditch Option

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Phillio99

Registered User
I am looking for a little advice regarding the reality of my situation.
I am looking at an SC about 10 mins from my house. The car is in nice shape and the engine turns over with the pully off the SC. However, the supercharger has siezed up.
I was giving it a thought and was wondering if the intercooler tube or any entrance for air could be easily removed so I could limp the car home? I figured that if any air could enter the engine the computer would run on limp home mode since the MAS will not be reading the air coming in. Is this a legit option or should I just pay to have the thing towed? If it is an option how could it be done?
Thanks for any input,
Phil
 
Reply; clarification

The thing i was getting at was if the S/C is siezed tight and not letting any air into the engine. Like one of the vanes is closed over the outlet so no air can get from the S/C to the engine. Can one of the Intercooler tubes or, actually, and point from the outlet to the lower intake be easily removed so the car can get air to burn?
Thanks,
Phil
 
Reply; Situation

The situation the supercharger is seized tight. I could not move it with my hands. Usually a bad sign, however the crank could be rotated by hand by means of the accessory drive pulley. I am not an SC expert, and was looking for any advice. I Assume the s/c is closed over the outlet right now so any air going through the s/c is blocked from going to engine. Therefore, i was looking for a way to get air to the lower intake via removing an intercooler pipe, joint, top, etc. Like I said I am no expert and I'm not 100% sure this is the source of the problem. Just wondering if anyone has attempted to remove a pipe, top, etc, so they could limp the car home.
Thanks,
Phil
 
There is a bypass that allows air to go around the SC. Ford designed the engine to keek running even if the SC stops. I drove my car for 3 months w/o the SC turning. If you have the top off, you will most likely have too many air leaks for the engint to run anyway. good luck
 
Last edited:
Phillio99 said:
I am looking for a little advice regarding the reality of my situation.
I am looking at an SC about 10 mins from my house. The car is in nice shape and the engine turns over with the pully off the SC. However, the supercharger has siezed up.
I was giving it a thought and was wondering if the intercooler tube or any entrance for air could be easily removed so I could limp the car home? I figured that if any air could enter the engine the computer would run on limp home mode since the MAS will not be reading the air coming in. Is this a legit option or should I just pay to have the thing towed? If it is an option how could it be done?
Thanks for any input,
Phil
Click to expand...
need a superchager i got one let me know if ya want it 175 pluis shipping let me know :) its pushing 13 pounds of boost right now :D oohh if ya dont have nothing to do with the broken one send it to me i will try to rebiuld it if i cant then no harm done i will pay for shipping on broken one out of the money for the other one later man
 
Reply

How can this bypass valve be actuated? If the s/c is locked up does the bypass open automatically? Like I said I don't have the most knowledge regarding the situation and what to do in this case. Also, I've been reading about the crank/ cam sensor failure and wondering if that could have possibly compounded the situation. For now, I'm just looking for a quick fix to the s/c problem and this bypass valve sounds promising. I'd love anymore information/ steps to removing the bypass.
Thanks,
Phil
 
Just block the bypass all the way open with a zip tie. It is the valve located directly behind the SC. Just tie it open.
 
Reply

Just zip tie the valve open? Can I do that in my driveway quickly? Am I going to have to dissasemble any parts to get to the valve? More details would be much appreciated.
Thanks,
Phil
 
Here's a little more detail to help you out.

Take a look at the back of the supercharger. You will see the intake side comes from the front passenger side of the car (air box) to the back bottom on the supercharger (this is the inlet plenum). The airflow goes out the top of the supercharger, through the intercooler and to the intake via the lower IC (intercooler tube). the lower IC tube mates to the intake plenum, which is also behind the supercharger. You will see a small "tube" with a black hose connector attaching the inlet plenum and the intake plenum. Just infront of that, slightly to the driver's side, you will see a round black thing with a small rod sticking out of it, approx 3.5" long or so. That is the diaphram (vacuum activated) that controls the bypass valve. You will also notice that there is a small lever right next to the diaphram. You can move that down towards the driver's side of the car. When you do that, you open the bypass valve. By simply zip tying that open will keep the bypass open and you will be able to drive the car in N/A form. Be warned though that the SC is pretty much a slug without the supercharger. The N/A 3.8 bird is faster than it! But if you are getting if for a good price, then go for it.

I hope this helps you out. Most of the responses so far have assumed that you have a basic knowledge of what is under the hood. Some people tend to forget that you have to start out somewhere. I was much like you a few years ago when I got my 1st SC. I had no clue. I'm much better off now. Hang around here and you'll learn a lot about the SC. There are quite a few people here who know these cars inside and out and are extemely helpful. Enjoy the SC and welcome aboard.
 
Reply

Couldn't be more appreciative of the help 007_sc. I had a very basic knowledge of the car's intake system, but your explanation helped me alot. Couldn't agree more that there are some very intelligent people on this board when it comes to the sc, and it's amazing what they can do. Once again, thanks for all the posts, I will see what I can do tommorrow.
Thanks again,
Phil
 
Reply

Found the valve in 10 seconds flat, tied it down and got the thing running. 2 mins tops. Runs HORRIBLE and takes quite the finesse to keep the thing from stalling but it runs. Going to be quite the 8 mile drive home.
Thanks again,
Phil
 
^^^^

Must be something else wrong, too. The thing should idle fine w/o the supercharger, and actually drive OK but suffer from a terrible lack of power. Ah well, you'll have time to figure it out when you get it home.
 
I, as I'm sure lots of people have, shreaded the SC belt and ran it about 5 miles home without the use of the SC. It was definately a slug! But it ran fine because the bypass valve allows the air to bypass the SC. I'm not so sure zip tying the bypass valve is a good idea as that may actually force the air through the SC which is what you are trying to avoid to get it home. It should run fine, though slow, without messing with the bypass valve.
 
^^^^

OH! I though he tied the bypass open. I didn't think about his tying it closed. Yeah, that probably would run like junk.
 
No, he was instructed to open the bypass.
By simply zip tying that open will keep the bypass open and you will be able to drive the car in N/A form.
Click to expand...
If your SC is not seized, then it will freewheel while driving and allow air to pass through it. Not so when the blower is seized. When the blower is seized, all air must be drawn through the bypass valve which is very small and will allow only minimal driveability.
 
Reply

I am pretty sure the bypass is tied open. Got it home, it was quite an adventure of a drive. Took some finesse/ excessive revving to keep the thing from stalling out but I did it. Now it's time to get the thing in the school and replace the blower.
Thanks for the help again,
Phil
 
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