Apten or Factory Eaton replacement... a no brainer decision?

[ygohome]

My car requires a new supercharger. I'm outside of the warrenty period (over 36k miles) and I took my cobra into Lou Grubb here in Scottsdale to diagnose a loud tapping comming from the supercharger (not the heads). They came back and said it was infact the supercharger making the noise.

The supercharger is still intact so the actual problem hasn't been precisely determined yet... but they say it is comming from the eaton. They suspect it may be because of the smaller pulley 2.93 may have overspun the blower causing the sound we hear. I have about 40k miles on the car.

They gave me some estimates for repairing/replacing it:

$1740 for new factory Eaton supercharger
$70 gasketts/sealents etc...
$472 for 5 hrs labor
$141 tax
$43 shop (fluids etc.)
------------------
$2466 total


So I'm leaning more towards the ported Apten Eaton:

Core exchange
$599 port/polish
$250 shipping
--------------
$849 total


I told my dad that I'd be saving alot of money plus I'd get 30+ rwhp out of it. But he didn't think it was a good idea cause he would have to help me and he doesn't feel capable of the labor involved. But I think we can do it without a problem.
He thinks I should spend the extra cash for the factory SC (booring).

My question.... how complicated is it really to perform the SC removal and installation. I've read the instructions over and over and the only complicated part seems to be with the intercooler and the bolts which sometimes break off.

I need to convince my dad that he can help me with this Apten installation and that we're not going to mess it up.


Also, my previous existing tune was a little lean with the 2.93 giving the hp/tq numbers you see in my sig. If I go with the 3.10 or 3.0 upper pulley and the ported apten I should be right about even with what I am making now, right? just with a better a/f ratio?

Thanks,

Ben

EDIT:

actually I may consider just forking out the $1300 for the APten without the core exchange considering my existing Eaton may have issues.

 

[NBS4]

If you have to get a new blower.. why not do it right and go with a Kenne Bell or Whipple?

 

[03gobluecobra]

If you do the apten swap, won't your ruined blower end up being sent out to somebody else, and in the end just screw them over?

This is the second time i've heard of a cobra over spinning the blower, other one had an upper and a lower but less miles. The lightning guys have a lot of experience with this. I'd talk to them. From what i've heard after 50k miles the blowers just die.

Maybe it would be possible to send the blower to apten, to have brian redo your bearings. He could also port it, and save you money.

 

[ChicagoMike]

Use your 40K+ mile broken Eaton for a core exchange? That means someone else will end up with it on their car ... this is why I don't want to core exchange my apten, I might end up with yours...

:bash:

 

[Juiced-03]

Apten wont accept your f---d up blower. If you read their site it says "your core charge will be refunded upon receipt of your stock Eaton IN GOOD RUNNING condition." They will send it back to you and you will pay all shipping. You would be better off selling the blower to me and I will repair it

 

[ygohome]

of course I'm not going to try and screw anybody over with my sad eaton.... duh!

I'd talk with Apten about either repairing mine and porting it as 03goblue suggests or just fork out the $1300 for a fully refurbished Apten.

I've concluded this is a pointless thread. lol

 

[Juiced-03]

Whatever you do, talk to me when you get rid of the Eaton. Maybe we can work out something.

 

[Traffic_Cone]

Just go all out and by u a KB or a Whipple like NBS4 said...

 

[ygohome]

I've actually considered the KB. Comes complete for about $3500? It is tempting but I must use some restraint with my finances... but it is TEMPTING!

 

[Juiced-03]

The whipple is $2895 shipped.

 

[ygohome]

Well, turns out that Apten is clean out of blowers and are in the process of buying some new ones... don't know if that means they are buying used cores or totally new ones though.

Maybe KB is an option I should be researching.

 

[ygohome]

Originally posted by Juiced-03
The whipple is $2895 shipped.

sweet! I'll give them a call.

 

[Juiced-03]

Actually it is dgussin (I think that is his SN) that you need to get a hold of. He gets them wholesale.

 

[ygohome]

Thanks, yeah... i just went to whipples website and they were asking $3095. I'll look up dgussin

 

[dhammans]

I'm so tempted to drop a few shares and pick up a Whipple. Has anyone ever come to a consensus on which one really made more power at the same boost level?

 

[NBS4]

Originally posted by dhammans
I'm so tempted to drop a few shares and pick up a Whipple. Has anyone ever come to a consensus on which one really made more power at the same boost level?

There won't be any clear winner between the whipple and the KB. With the KB tho... They had an Oil problem and the Catch Can BS is also present. Whipple wins hands down.

 

[2kbill]

Is anyone actually selling and shipping Whipples? Everybody is talking about them as if they are a product that you can go out and buy right now.


If your Eaton rotors are OK, you might want to consider just getting a new snout from Magnuson. I think they're about 350 bucks.

Bill

 

[stangin]

Originally posted by 2kbill
Is anyone actually selling and shipping Whipples? Everybody is talking about them as if they are a product that you can go out and buy right now.


If your Eaton rotors are OK, you might want to consider just getting a new snout from Magnuson. I think they're about 350 bucks.

Bill

I agree, probably a snout/bearing issue and easily replaced.

Anderson has a brand new snout with gaskets and oil for $330:

http://www.andersonfordmotorsport.com/46-index

click new products on left hand side top and scroll half way down the page and start looking, it is there.

Also

New 03 Cobra Supercharger $1199.99:

http://www.fordpartsnetwork.com/03Cobra.htm
scroll half way down this page as well and look for:

2R3Z 6F066-AA Genuine Ford 2003 Cobra supercharger $1199.99

 

[wally9404]

brian herron is no longer in buisness ,he sold the company to somebody in ohio,i think they are still useing his old phone# 877-273-2288,they are useing the same guy that brian used to port the blowers.

 

[ygohome]

Originally posted by stangin
I agree, probably a snout/bearing issue and easily replaced.

Anderson has a brand new snout with gaskets and oil for $330:

http://www.andersonfordmotorsport.com/46-index

click new products on left hand side top and scroll half way down the page and start looking, it is there.

Also

New 03 Cobra Supercharger $1199.99:

http://www.fordpartsnetwork.com/03Cobra.htm
scroll half way down this page as well and look for:

2R3Z 6F066-AA Genuine Ford 2003 Cobra supercharger $1199.99

excellent! Thank you. I was actually thinking about the snout idea on my drive home from work. Its worth a shot... and if that doesn't fix it then I can still order the supercharger all for less than the dealers asking price.