How to: Intercooled Banshee/M90 supercharger installation

[2000StreetRod]

Engine wiring harness installation (continued)

6. Route the crankshaft position sensor wiring to the sensor and connect it.

7. Route the voltage regulator wiring.

8. Route the TPS and MAF sensor wiring.

9. Route the engine temperature sender wiring and connect the connector (red arrow below).

10. Route the engine coolant temperature sensor wiring and connect the connector (green arrow above).

11. Connect the camshaft position sensor connector.

12. Connect the knock sensor connector.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Spark plug wires installation

Route the spark plug wires and connect them to the coil pack. Since I no longer have the upper intake manifold with holders to keep the #1 ,#2 & #3 cylinder wires in place I enclosed them with 3/4" dia. split convoluted flexible conduit.

 

[2000StreetRod]

FVMV hose installation

1. Install a small head hose clamp on the previously installed PCV reducing elbow attached to the shortened fuel vapor management valve hose as indicated by red arrow below.

2. Install a length of 1/2" i.d. fuel vapor hose with small head hose clamp on the barb coupler as indicated by yellow arrow above. The other end will eventually be connected to the IACV vacuum chamber.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Alternator & belt tensioner installation

1. Position the alternator mounting bracket and attach with 3 bolts (use 15 mm socket).

2. Position serpentine belt tensioner and attach with 1 bolt (use 13 mm socket).

3. Position alternator and attach with 3 bolts (use 13 mm socket).

4. Connect voltage regulator connector to alternator (red arrow below).

5. Connect charge cable to alternator (yellow arrow above).

 

[2000StreetRod]

Banshee intake manifold installation

1. Screw mounting screws several turns into each of the 12 threaded holes in the vicinity of the head intake ports to make sure they don't bind and then remove them.

2. Clean the surface around the head intake ports and mounting holes.

3. Remove shop towels plugging intake ports.

4. Apply a thin layer of blue RTV (supplied with kit) to the surface around the head intake ports and mounting holes.
Note: Do not RTV into the threaded holes in the head since that will make it more difficult to start the mounting screws.
In the kit a gasket is already attached to the lower surface of the Banshee intake manifold.

Note: A 5 mm allen (hex) tool with a ball end is very helpful in starting the screws that mount in the forward and aft recessed internal and external sides of the intake manifold.

5. Align the ports of the intake manifold with the head ports and then lower the intake manifold onto the heads. I learned later that it is very difficult to insert the 2 outer mounting screws after the manifold has been lowered.

Inserting them in the manifold prior to lowering it may greatly simplify the task but be very careful that they do not fall out and into the head intake ports.

6. The forward and aft mounting screws that are recessed in the manifold internal sides are the most difficult to thread.

Start them first and then start the forward and aft exterior mounting screws. Do not even finger tighten any screws until all 12 have been started. Work rapidly because the RTV will begin to set making slight repositioning of the manifold difficult. Also, the fuel rails will probably exert some force on the manifold making it difficult to align the screws with the holes. The head intake ports do not exactly match the manifold ports so I used an awl to align the screw holes. Be very careful not to drop a screw into an intake port. I reinstalled shop towels in the ports after starting the 4 screws in the recessed sides. Finger tighten all 12 screws and then wait for an hour for the RTV to set and retighten until snug.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Intercooler core installation

1. Remove shop towels stuffed in intake ports.

2. Position hose clamps on silicone hoses.

3. Apply blue RTV in slot (indicated by arrow above) on passenger side of manifold.

4. Apply blue RTV in slot (indicated by arrow below) on driver side of manifold.

5. Apply blue RTV on stop seat (indicated by arrow above) at front of manifold.

6. Apply blue RTV on projected surfaces (indicated by arrows below) at front of core.

7. Insert core tubes into silicone hoses. Insert core mounting plate into slots in manifold.

8. Press core aft and down until front drops to stop seat.

Make sure core top is even with or below top of manifold.
9. Remove RTV (if any) from top of manifold.

10. Position and tighten hose clamps.

Make sure no part of the clamps are above the top of the manifold.

11. Add coolant to coolant reservoir.

12. Connect the positive terminal of a power source (I used a battery charger) to the positive lead of the intercooler and the negative terminal to chassis ground. Make sure the pump self primes and then check for leaks at all connections in the intercooler system. As the coolant fills the hoses and cores the coolant level in the reservoir will drop. Add enough to keep the level above the outlet port. Tighten connections as required to stop any leaks. Since the system is not pressurized leaks are unlikely.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Engine oil separator installation

My positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) air flow is:

Pre-throttle plate main intake port > passenger side valve cover port
> crankcase breather > oil separator > PCV valve > M90 plenum

The advantage of having the oil separator upstream of the PCV valve is to prevent sludge from clogging the valve. A bottom view of the oil separator I selected is shown below.

There is a pressure relief valve (drain) at the bottom of the glass container to drain collected oil. The glass container unscrews to allow access to the screen filter for cleaning. I was disappointed that the 90 degree NPT to 3/8" barb fitting was plastic. The separator side view and mounting parts are shown below.

1. Drill 1/4" dia. holes in the metal mounting bracket.

2. Using the mounting bracket as a guide drill 1/4" dia. holes in the coolant reservoir to washer reservoir plastic support.

3. Insert 1/4"x20x1" hex head bolts into the metal mounting bracket.

4. Install 1/4" i.d. 3/8" thick plastic spacers on the hex head bolt shafts.

5. Insert hex head bolt shafts into reservoir support holes.

6. Install 1/4"x20 nylon insert metal lock nuts.

7. Unscrew hose clamp until the end separates, thread the end between the mounting bracket and the support, reassemble the hose clamp. Insert oil separator glass container into hose clamp and tighten clamp.

 

[2000StreetRod]

M90 supercharger maintenance

My M90 supercharger from a 1991 Thunderbird supercoupe was shipped with the stock pulley installed and full of oil.

After 22 years the paint was chipped off in several places and it didn't look its best.

There were signs on the snout that oil had been seeping out.

I read an article on the internet that the plastic type coupler wears with time and causes a rattle which I wanted to avoid due to my overly sensitive knock sensor. I determined that in order to achieve my target 8 psi of boost I would need a 2.7" dia. pulley.

During one of my "test" fittings with the M90 mounted on the manifold cover I loosened and removed the pulley retaining nut. First I wrapped the pulley with several layers of duct tape and fitted a large pipe wrench onto the taped pulley.

Then I installed a torque wrench on the pulley retaining nut and loosened the nut while using the pipe wrench to keep the pulley from rotating. After removing the nut I installed a gear puller over the pulley with the tape still in place.

I had to use an adjustable open end wrench to prevent the pulley/puller from rotating.

The pulley came off easily and there was no detectable distortion.

 

[2000StreetRod]

M90 supercharger maintenance (continued)

Next I covered the blower inlet and outlet ports with duct tape and sprayed the M90 top, bottom and sides with paint stripper.

After sitting overnight I scraped and brushed off the stripped paint. It took three applications to remove all of the paint which was very thick and because the outside temperature was well below the desired temperature for the stripper (70 degrees).
After all of the paint was stripped I sprayed the M90 with engine degreaser and hosed it off after about 30 minutes. It still wasn't completely clean but I was anxious to proceed.

The fill plug is identified below.

A 3/16" allen wrench was a snug fit in the plug head and I tapped it in with a small hammer to make sure it was seated before loosening the plug.

I used one of my wife's discarded hand lotion bottles with a pump to extract the oil.

I used boards to prop the M90 at an angle that allowed oil to collect at the fill plug opening.

I used a 10 mm socket to extract the bolts. Contrary to what I've read in some articles my bolts were all the same length.

The two bolts with the pins require a deep well 10 mm socket which I don't have. I have a 12 point 10 mm box wrench but I was afraid the heads would round. Instead I tapped a 3/8" deep well socket on them.

The stock snout seal retaining clip is easily removed with a screw driver.

 

[2000StreetRod]

M90 supercharger maintenance (continued)

I used an awl to puncture the seal surface in two places 180 degrees apart.

I screwed two sheet metal screws into the punctured holes.

I used a weed extractor to pry between the bottom of the screw heads and the snout to raise the bearing.

The snout bearing is exposed after the seal is removed.

The Eaton M-90 supercharger Snout Seal Repair Kit from Speedwagon (PN SC-SSK-1) contains a Viton dual lip seal (underside shown) and a heavy duty retaining ring.

One internet article I read states that the Viton seal is a long lasting quality seal but due to its hardness takes longer to seal than a softer one. Hopefully, it initially won't leak or the leakage will be minimal.

I lubricated the inner surface of the snout, the outer surface of the shaft, and the inner and outer surfaces of the seal. Then I centered the seal above the snout opening and tapped it into position using a small hammer and a 30 mm socket.

I kept tapping until it seemed to be seated against the bearing.

 

[2000StreetRod]

M90 supercharger maintenance (continued)

Then I inserted the clip.

At first I thought the seal was not far enough down since the center section of the clip did not seem to be recessed in the snout groove. However, using one of the eyes in the clip I was able to slide the clip in the groove 360 degrees. Apparently, the outside diameter of the clip does not exactly match the inner diameter of the snout. I left it in because it seemed more secure than the stock one.

I stood the M90 up vertically and used a rubber mallet to tap sideways and upwards against the snout to break the seal loose from the lower impeller section. Keeping the M90 upright reduces the chance of the impellers sticking to the snout. If the impellers stick to the snout use the rubber mallet to tap them back into the lower housing.

Avoid rotating the impellers or the snout shaft after disassembly to simplify reassembly. The old coupler (I assume a stock one) was quite loose and I'm confident worn enough that it would have rattled. It is of a different design (has an upper and lower spring) than the replacement.

Some replacement couplers have a raised area around three holes on each side. The raised area holes should be installed against the exposed pins.

I positiioned the coupler above and in line with the pins, set a large socket on top of it, and then tapped it down with a rubber mallet until it seated. It was a fairly tight fit.

 

[2000StreetRod]

M90 supercharger maintenance (continued)

I cleaned both mating surfaces and then applied a bead of anaerobic gasket maker (I used Permatex 51813) around the snout surface since it had no guides.

I purchased 4 M8-1.25x80mm socket set screws to replace the 2 stock pin head screws and 2 of the standard bolts.

I screwed the set screws to the bottom of threaded holes at each corner of the housing to use for mounting brackets.

Using the set screws as guide pins I carefully lowered the snout onto the housing and inserted bolts in the remaining holes. Then I slowly tightened the bolts evenly drawing the snout to the housing.

I installed nuts on the set screws and tightened all nuts & bolts to 15 ft-lbs (180 in-lbs) in three stages (100, 150 & 180 in-lbs) in a random pattern. I wiped away the anaerobic gasket maker that oozed out between the snout and the main housing.

I used a board to level the M90 and then slowly poured supercharger oil into the filler hole until it raised to the bottom of the opening. It took slightly less than two 4 oz. bottles.

I reinstalled the filler hole plug.

I rotated the snout shaft by hand to make sure there was no binding. It did not spin as freely as before due to the new snout seal.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Intake manifold cover preparation

If the kit intake manifold cover plate came with the IAT sensor hole plugged

remove the plug and install the sensor using sealant (I used thread sealant).

The kit comes with an 1/8" barb fitting installed for the vacuum/boost gauge connection.

My boost gage uses compression fittings for connecting the supplied 1/8" semi-rigid boost/vacuum hose.

So I replaced the kit fitting with 1/8" NPT male 90 degree elbow using sealant (blue RTV).

 

[2000StreetRod]

M90 installation

1. Remove any tape covering blower inlet & outlet and clean surfaces.

2. Test fit gasket. I needed to elongate some of the holes using a round file.

3. Apply blue RTV to M90.

4. Position gasket and press onto M90.
5. Apply blue RTV to gasket.

6. Position manifold cover plate onto M90 and start all of the button screws to hold it in place.

7. Remove 1 screw at a time, apply blue RTV to threads, reinstall screw. This prevents the screws from vibrating loose and getting sucked into the engine intake ports. Tighten all 4 button screws.

8. Clean up excess RTV that oozes out between M90 and manifold cover.
9. Clean surface of manifold top and cover that mate together.

 

[2000StreetRod]

M90 installation (continued)

10. Remove shop towels (if still in place) from intake ports 3 and 6.
11. Apply sealant to top of intake manifold. I used anaerobic sealant but blue RTV is adequate.

12. Position M90/manifold cover assembly, insert fastening screws and start all a couple of turns by hand. I did not apply gasket sealant or thread lock to the screws. A drop of oil on the end threads of each screw eases starting. Do not screw down enough for the heads to enter the recess in the cover since that reduces cover movement that may be needed to start other screws.

It may be necessary to rock the assembly slightly to start some of the screws.

Do not force the screws to start them and risk stripping the threads. If one has a problem try another screw.

13. Screw the fasteners in until all heads have entered the recess in the cover but do not tighten.
14. Tighten all fasteners except the third ones back from the front and the third ones forward from the rear. These will be replaced with longer ones to to attach the fuel rail hold downs.

15. Check for interference between the M90 base and the fuel lines.

In my case there is about 1/8" clearance at the location identified by the red arrow.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Fuel rail hold downs installation

The Banshee kit comes with fuel rail support mounts (hold downs) designed for stock length fuel injectors but can be adapted for the longer injectors with minor modifications. A hold down assembly consists of a mount, spacer, fuel rail positioner with foam pad and associated screws.

1. Remove the hex socket screw that attaches the mount, positioner and spacer. It would be convenient if the mount and positioner could then be reassembled without the spacer but the screw is too long.

2. Shorten the screw length by the thickness of the spacer. Don't forget to allow for the thickness of the cutting blade. I used a Dremel with a cut off wheel to remove a total length of 1/4" and then beveled the end of the screw with a flat file.
3. Squirt a drop of oil on the screw end threads and assemble the mount to the positioner.
4. Repeat steps 1 thru 3 above for the other 3 hold downs.

The other problem is the supplied hold down mounting screws are too long without the spacer (the screw head recesses in the mount).

The screw bottoms in the threaded hole before the mount seats on the manifold cover.

The normal mounting screws for the cover are too short to use with the mount.

5. Shorten the 4 long manifold cover screws 1/4" in the same manner described in step 2 above.
6. Install the hold downs (with a drop of oil on screw ends) at the 3rd screw position aft of the front and forward of the rear.
7. Tighten the screws until the mount is tight against the top of the manifold cover.

After the hold downs are installed

is a good time for a fuel pressure test.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Hose to plenum adapter gasket

The Banshee plenum inlet has a diameter of 2.7" while my fabricated silicone hose to plenum adapter outlet has an inside diameter of 2.87".

This is a large enough difference (indicated by the blue ring) to cause disturbance of intake airflow. I fabricated a transition "gasket" out of a dishwasher safe kitchen cutting board with a thickness of 0.48". I've made two adapters out of the cutting board and both held up well over the last 3 years. First I used the adapter as a template to draw the shape of the gasket.

I found the center of the traced bore and drilled a 1/16" hole thru the center. Then I measured the inlet diameter of the plenum and used a compass to draw a circle the same diameter on the opposite side of the gasket material.

I used a 2 1/2" dia. hole saw to cut a hole slightly smaller than the plenum inlet. I used a small band saw to cut the trace perimete and a drum sander attachment to enlarge the center opening to the same size as the plenum.

I continued to sand the opening attempting to replicate a rounded 3 angle valve cut to match the diameter of the plenum adapter.

I assembled the gasket to the plenum adapter and then used the drum sander to match the two ports.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Plenum installation

The photo below shows the Banshee plenum as shipped.

I installed hose clamps on the bypass valve hose but decided to replace the 3/8" barb fittings with 1/8" barb fittings (one to go to the EVR and the other to the evap purge valve).

I installed lengths of silicone boost hose I purchased from Silicone Intakes (they were out of black & blue so red was my only option). I didn't have tiny hose clamps so I secured the hoses with cable ties.

I installed the vacuum/boost hose connector.

I removed the plenum to manifold bypass hose from the plenum and installed it on the manifold making sure the upper hose clamp was loose.

There was not enough room between M90 inlet and the PCM main loom against the firewall to install the plenum so I tied the loom up and toward the driver side.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Plenum installation (continued)

Apply blue RTV to the plenum gasket in the vicinity of the outlet.

I had to install the plenum from the passenger side keeping the back of the plenum below the loom and cowl. It was OK to have the IAT sensor installed but its electrical connector had to be disconnected and moved out of the way. Guide the plenum bypass port into the lower hose. Apply blue RTV to the 3 plenum to M90 retaining bolts. Install them with washers and hand tighten. (1 on driver side & 2 on passenger side. Then tighten all 3 bolts and the upper hose clamp.

Connect the IAT sensor connector.

Position the PCM loom and secure the ground wire lug with bolt.

Connect the PCM connector and secure with bolt.

I installed insulated metal clamps to hold the loom in position in the vicinity of the EGR valve.

I replaced the plug in the plenum on the passenger side with the boost gauge fitting I removed from the manifold cover plate.

I attached 1/8" hose to the fitting to connect to the semi-rigid vacuum hose from the bulb reservoir located below the air filter enclosure.

 

[2000StreetRod]

Main intake installation

I installed the gasket/adapter assembly to the plenum and using the drum sander on a hand drill matched the other two ports.

Then I used a vacuum cleaner with attachments to suck the sanding dust from the plenum.

Connect the hose from the vacuum bulb reservoir while the connector is easily accessible.

Install 3/8" dia. hose and hose clamps on the previously removed PCV valve/crankcase breather assembly.

Cut to length the previously connected 3/8" dia. hose from the crankcase breather and connect it with a 3/8" fuel hose clamp to the oil separator aft fitting. Connect the PCV valve hose assembly to the forward fitting (air flows from oil separator thru PCV valve to intake port.

On the post throttle body hose coupler install a 3/8" MPT x 1/2" barb 90 degree elbow on the driver side and a 3/8" MPT x 3/8" barb 90 degree elbow on the passenger side. Attach the coupler to a 2" length of 3" dia. silicon hose using a T-bolt clamp and attach the hose to the plenum with a T-bolt clamp. Cut the free end of the PCV valve hose assembly to length and attach it to the passenger side port using a 3/8" fuel hose clamp.

Install a rubber 90 degree elbow on the passenger valve cover port and secure it with a hose clamp while still easily accessible. Install a 1/2" dia. barb coupler in the other end of the elbow and secure it with a hose clamp. Connect with clamp a length of 1/2" dia. hose to the free end of the barb coupler.

Connect with clamp a length of 1/2" dia. hose to the driver side fitting on the post throttle body coupler.