Supercharger replacement / Flutter ?

[Azzkker]

The reason cars who install the solid coupler themselves don't complain about the noise is because they also install a smaller pulley at the same time (well most people do) which loads the supercharger faster from being overdriven which in turn eliminates the noise caused by low rpm low load conditions. Just food for thought.

[Admiral Ballsy]

That's a great point, I hadn't considered that but you're right.

[Alfieboy]

Originally Posted by HDRDTD

Once AGAIN, if you can hear the rattle, take it to your local dealer. the SC will be replaced under warranty.

Once again...I believe he OP is talking about AFTER supercharger replacement..

[Admiral Ballsy]

Originally Posted by Alfieboy

Once again...I believe he OP is talking about AFTER supercharger replacement..

Yep. If you take in your 2014, or your earlier car with a November 2013 or later supercharger, you'll get sent home with "that's normal".

[2013 ZL1 #7860]

Originally Posted by Kevlar382

Anybody interested in a 2012 ZL1? It has 1700 miles, never driven the rain, and was broken in the way GM said it should be. I did not buy this car to have somebody at my local dealership take my engine apart, but it back together, and then have to explain to anybody who rides in why I have a car that sounds like a piece of $hit.
I have always owned GM cars, right now I have 7 Chevys, but I can't believe how bad they dropped the ball on the ZL1. They didn't do enough testing to this car before they put it on the market and now it's our problem.
GM should take our cars back and get there act together. I'm guessing the new Z06 won't be any better.

We are all so very

[CRTZL1]

I had mine replaced and I don't hear any new unwanted noises.
Wonder why you guys all do..

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

[omegaman]

Originally Posted by Admiral Ballsy

Here's what I think happened:

• Eaton builds the original TVS for the CTS-V program with the spring isolator/coupler. It's a good idea, a good design (I found the patent on it, back from '88).
• Some segment of the CTS-V population experiences the marble sound after a while. It's caused by the abrading/compressing of the shaft, to the point that there's a little clearance between it and the spring when the latter 'unloads' at idle. They (rightfully) bitch about this. GM says "it's normal", which it is, but "normal" and "acceptable" are not mutually inclusive.
• Ed somebody from GM says it's by design, explains why they did it the way they did, says there'll be a different noise if they go to a solid, don't worry, nothing bad will happen.
• The ZL1 comes out, with the same setup and the same results.
• For some unknown reason, they switch to a solid in MY 2014 and start a replacement program. And, what do you know, the new noise Ed predicted does indeed show up.

The only reasons I can think of for the switch are that they either got tired of the marble noise complaints, or that they figured out that the worn material can/does get past the bearing seal(s) and causes bearing failure.

I'm guessing the latter.

What do I do about this? Good question. Right now, I see these options:

1. Do nothing (always the simplest option), live with it;
2. Sell the car and move on with something else;
3. Scrounge up a spring coupler, install it, and hope I never have issues with it;
4. Hope something bad happens to the blower while in warranty, and hope the replacement has a tighter tolerance stack in the drive;
5. Hope they eventually come up with an R&R program for this.

I don't think I can do 1. 5 seems so unlikely as to be wishful thinking (they're not making any more of these, 2015 ZL1s and 500 CTS-V coupes excepted). 4 is statistically like winning the lottery.

That leaves 2 and 3. There's nothing else out there I really want, except maybe an M6 SS, but in any case I sure don't want to take a $15K hit.

Therefore, 3 seems like the only reasonably *actionable* way to go. It would technically void the warranty, but since GM doesn't allow dealers to open the thing, I think worst-case is that it would eventually get replaced under the marbles TSB and then I'd be right back where I am now.

So, there's no good choices...

Another option to consider is replacing the blower with an aftermarket model. This would be less expensive than your option #2, and most likely add more power.

[Admiral Ballsy]

Yeah, I guess that's true. It's not on my radar, because I have no interest in more power and/or voiding my warranty. Fiddling with the coupler, while technically having warranty implications, I think in real world terms is 'safe'. Since GM doesn't open these, they'll have already made the warranty decision long before anyone at Eaton ever opens it up and says "hey, that's not the right coupler".

Nor do I have any interest in reprogramming, etc. I didn't even really want a supercharged car; if GM had made a CTS-V "lite" - maybe like the V-Sports now - with an LS3, that would have been perfect. Hell, if they'd even offered the manual with the 3.6L, I might well have bought that - all I wanted was a RWD small-or-midsize with a manual. Unfortunately, GM only had Papa Bear and Baby Bear versions - no Mama Bear.

[silverds]

Originally Posted by Admiral Ballsy

Yeah, I guess that's true. It's not on my radar, because I have no interest in more power and/or voiding my warranty. Fiddling with the coupler, while technically having warranty implications, I think in real world terms is 'safe'. Since GM doesn't open these, they'll have already made the warranty decision long before anyone at Eaton ever opens it up and says "hey, that's not the right coupler".

Nor do I have any interest in reprogramming, etc. I didn't even really want a supercharged car; if GM had made a CTS-V "lite" - maybe like the V-Sports now - with an LS3, that would have been perfect. Hell, if they'd even offered the manual with the 3.6L, I might well have bought that - all I wanted was a RWD small-or-midsize with a manual. Unfortunately, GM only had Papa Bear and Baby Bear versions - no Mama Bear.

If not for the 580 HP Supercharged 6.2L V8, why did you choose the ZL1 over an SS or 1LE?

[HDRDTD]

Originally Posted by Kevlar382

Anybody interested in a 2012 ZL1? It has 1700 miles, never driven the rain, and was broken in the way GM said it should be. I did not buy this car to have somebody at my local dealership take my engine apart, but it back together, and then have to explain to anybody who rides in why I have a car that sounds like a piece of $hit.
I have always owned GM cars, right now I have 7 Chevys, but I can't believe how bad they dropped the ball on the ZL1. They didn't do enough testing to this car before they put it on the market and now it's our problem.
GM should take our cars back and get there act together. I'm guessing the new Z06 won't be any better.

Here's hoping that your next vehicle you buy will be absolutely PERFECT in every way for the life of the vehicle.

[Admiral Ballsy]

Originally Posted by silverds

If not for the 580 HP Supercharged 6.2L V8, why did you choose the ZL1 over an SS or 1LE?

I reckon you missed the "CTS-V" part?

[ZMEnow]

Originally Posted by CRTZL1

I had mine replaced and I don't hear any new unwanted noises.
Wonder why you guys all do..

Sent from my SM-N900V using Tapatalk

Same here, in fact I have two other friends who had theirs changed and no rattles.

[jayno20]

Originally Posted by ZMEnow

Same here, in fact I have two other friends who had theirs changed and no rattles.

As I said earlier, I have a 2014 and don't really hear anything I wouldn't attribute to drivetrain chatter either...

[Admiral Ballsy]

If it happened to everyone, I'm sure GM wouldn't be essentially ignoring it.

The total population of LSA-equipped cars - 2014, or earlier with a 2014 blower exchange - is small, in the big picture.

It happens only (with rare exceptions) to manuals - which make up less than half of that small group.

And from what I can tell, it's limited to units with more than some unknown amount of end play/lash in the drive.

So it's hardly universal. Not everyone had the marbles-in-a-can noise either; how much did "I don't get it, mine doesn't make that noise" help that situation?