Has Anybody Swapped Out Their Steel Bearings For Ceramic On Their Superchargers And Idlers?? I've Heard Of 30 HP Increase On This... Ill Be Running Mine On The Dyno In The Next Few Weeks And Will Swap Them Out To See If This Is True Or Not... The Engines That Were Tested Were Roughly 1000hp....Is 30hp On A 1000hp Engine Really Going To Be Noticeable? Thats Like Throwing A Deck Chair Off The Titanic.. But Hey If You Can Get 30hp For 200 Bucks Id Be Game For That..

ceramic bearings work better in theory than in practice. they don't wear at all, until they disintegrate. then really bad things happen.

I looked into getting them for my blower. W250 575SCi.
What I found was that semi-ceramic(balls ceramic, races steel) were rated for less load and RPM than good steel bearings, and the full ceramics were rated even less.
The original steel bearings I had were fine and rated for 11K RPM. The new steel ones I installed were rated for 17K RPM.

ceramic bearings do not offer a significant decrease in the coefficient of friction in bearing applications. The use of ceramic in bearings is for the environment they would need to survive in. They are much better in distibuting and conducting heat (high speed applications), they also prevent electrical currents from passing through the rolling element in an electric motor / VFD (variable speed drive) application and causing fluting. If ceramic bearings could free up more power, they would almost be mandated in the effiency standards for elecric motors. And the fact that ceramic coated races and ceramic hybrid bearings run significantly higher in cost, would negate any benifits other than the applications that specifically "need" them.

I still got that "beach front property in Omaha" if you're interested!

Best Regards,
Ray @ Raylar

Now that's a reply you can sink your teeth into. Thanks for the well thought out expanation.

Kurt

how much??

you are incorrect. ceramic bearings vs common steel bearing have roughly 30 % less friction for the same load in an apples to apples comparison. we used them in wheel bearing applications to reduce rolling drag and in every other aopplication we could until they outlawed them on a cost basis.

I tend to agree with you, although not sure if they would hold up in a b/m blower or not as it has been mentioned they failed faster. Here is a interesting link though, Smitty

http://www.republicsales.com/product...all-roller.php

I think based on current demand I could still sell that oceanfront Omaha property for less than the cost of the engine and blower equipped with these ceramic bearings after these bearing fail trying to supply that +30HP Bigfarmer is looking for !
Such a deal!

Best Regards,
Ray @ Raylar