I want to strip and inspect my G-Lader but I'm not 100%!

[Puncharado]

Right guys, it seems like several of you have rebuilt G-Laders and seen plenty in bits, so I'd like some help and advice (and after reading this feel free to call me a tool, although preferably not to my face)! 
Due to stupidity on my part, my charger (and indeed my car) wasn't stored in the best of ways for about 5 years. The blower was left in the boot of the car ("I'll put it in there for now......"), and although the boot doesn't leak it certainly has had some damp in there. Both inlets and the outlet were plugged, but only with tissue paper. Now I want to sort the car out and I'm a little worried about the charger.
Externally it doesn't look so pretty now, but from what I can see inside it looks fine and turns OK. The only resistance I feel is what I believe is due to the slight compression at the end of a full turn, which I would expect to be normal (please correct if I'm wrong).
It's a Jabba R1 charger, and I didn't have a single problem with it for the 18 months or so it was used. I initially thought about sending it back to them, but after some research I'm now undecided due to the usual "I thought they were great" but "I thought they were shit" comments you read about so many companies (including similar comments read about G-Werks, PSD, etc).
So after reading up on some of the posts here, I'm sort of up for having a go at checking it myself, and although I can wield a spanner with some degree of control it's not something I want to balls up.
So in a nutshell, how difficult, what precautions do I take, what do I have to look out for (I'm sure I can spot a perished timing belt and corroded bearings/scroll, so anything else), and would it be wise to replace at least some items as a matter of course?
I have tried searching the site, but there are so many posts with 'charger' and 'rebuild' it's not straightforward.
Any help, advice, instruction, links to old threads/other sites will be very greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance,
Steve

[Justin14100]

Well, I did just that - got the bits from jabba (before pete was selling his kits but next time it will be from him) cracked her open, and then realised why they charge so much to rebuild them, cause its relatively easy. yes they are delicate but overall i really enjoyed working with it, i did have help from my dad who is an engineer and he knows lots about lots of stuff. will post the pics up in a mo!

[Puncharado]

Good man!

[Justin14100]

spinning it on a lathe at 500rpm to see all is well prior to running it in the car, amazing how much air it pushed at just 500rpm, was a very smooth flow too!


not in any order, probs not that helpful but wanted them on here for a while!

[Puncharado]

I assume it's in the lathe to spin it slowly and check it?

[PeteG40]

i have done a brief write up but not online yet...  there are certain tips - like i never put the oulet on horizontally as apex seals can fall out!

however, if you want to post to me and pay postage back, or even post photos up, then i can give an idea of condition. Where are you based???  the major issue is water and therefore corrosion of the lader.  It'll be ok if its had plenty of oil in it, they really suffer if they've had parts washer thats not been cleaned off.

I do sell rebuild kits if you wanted to do it yourself.

[Justin14100]

I assume it's in the lathe to spin it slowly and check it?

Yeah, span it at 150, then 300 then up to 500 just to check it wasn't making noises and stuff, don't have to do this but would saving having to take it off the car again, 500rpm on a glader isn't much at all though, they go up to 12000

[PeteG40]

g-lader spins 1.6x engine

so at 6,500 its 10,400 with a stock pulley
at 6,500 its 12,160 rpm with a 65mm pulley

[Yoof]

Currently making a 'run-in rig' for all the chargers we rebuild, so we can run them in with representative oil pressure etc first. I'd not want to run them for long at all without an oil supply.

Good to see people DIY although they're still an expensive mistake!

[Puncharado]

Right, I've been down to my car (now in rented garage) and rescued all the bits from the boot, including the charger, and on second inspection there's no bloody way this is going on the car without a rebuild! It does turn OK, but there is a slight hint of grittiness. From what I can actually see (couldn't get any tidy pics), it looks more dirty than corroded, but it was clean before and the dirt has to have come from somwhere.....! 
Anyway, I think I will crack it open in the next few days (with fear and trepidation), realistically after Christmas, and then I'll post some pics and take it from there.
Pete, it's not like it was wet before it got forgotton about, but from the other bits in the boot there's no question it's been damp in there. At the very least you've sold a rebuild kit! And as for oil, there's still some in there, as the puddle on my kitchen floor bears witness to! I'm in South Wales, near Swansea.
And as for the rest of the car, I've found a couple of other early photos, and I've taken some more as it is today - write up coming soon in ongoing projects.

[PeteG40]

i'd not run it on a lathe without an oil supply to be honest


also they corrode like this - usually just the scroll


even one stored in a loft recently was slightly corroded - not fecked.  Just have to wait and see.  I store mine in the bottom of the wardrobe!

[NeilG40]

This makes me worry about mine, the car's been sat for five years in the garage which isn't the driest.

I was planning on getting it rebuild but might open it up anyway.

[Yoof]

Probably best Neil- the apex strips can become brittle over time too, also worthwhile having a check of all the seals and bearings- obviously they've had no lubrication for X amount of years.

As Pete says if laying a G40 up for any period of time, it's best to spend a few hours removing the lader and storing it in a dry place if your garage isn't.

[Puncharado]

I'm getting more and more worried as the comments keep coming! Perhaps the best way to keep them tidy is on a car in regular use....

[NeilG40]

Is it easy enough to pop them open have a look and then put them back together again?  Ideally I'd want it porting and rebuilding at the same time as it's only had a jabba stage 4.