TEC AutomobileDesign was one of the first to modify Glader equipped cars in Germany. In some of their rallye efforts with VW Motorsport, they found ways to make the Glader more effici
ent. One of their first modified Gladers was the 2RS. Essentially, the 2RS addressed two issues, (1) mechanical belt failure and (2)Air Flow efficiency. As discussed previously, the internal halves of the Glader rotate on different axis'. If they should rotate out of sequence, they will collide. The design utilized an eccentric shaft which would rotate through a 9mm belt attached to the main pulley. Should this belt fail, the other pulley would cause the other half to crash into the disabled half which was no longer rotating. The magnesium internals would shatter and oftentimes breach the outer casing. To make matters worse, the resulting debris would e
ffectively become shrapnel which would then be ingested into the engine's intake causing further damage upstream. It is not an uncommon occurrance and has contributed to the early Corrado's reputation for unreliability. To prevent this from occurring, TEC utilized twin belts in their 2RS model to form a dual redundant fail safe. (see illustration above right)To fit duel 9mm belts, required modifications to the Glader mounting bracket as seen on the illustration on the left.
I was fortunate to have a 2RS and a standard Glader. After pulling both from a car, I was able to make the visual comparisons without disassembling either glader.
Most obvious is the different size drive belts. The belt on the stockglader is tiny by comparison. I've seen several of these on other cars after about 40k miles, they begin to look worn and frayed along the edges. A failure of this tiny part is catastrophic. According to the good people at BBM, the dual redundant belts of the 2RS were not very effective in preventing catastrophic failure. Oftentimes, the first belt would also take out the second belt upon failure. Their solution was a more robust and durable belt. Clearance of the mounting bracket limited the size of belt. Since I already had the modified bracket for the twin belt, this was not a limitation for me. I therefore opted for the largest possible belt -- 19mm! The difference is visible.
The 2RS was also capable of spooling up to pressure faster than a stock glader. This was accomplished by porting specific areas of the glader body. This modification was a bit more subtle because it is performed to the interior of the superchargers casing. Below left is the stock glader. When viewed inside the intake port, the opening into the pressurized area is a small slit in the center of the intake opening. It is small compared to the 2RS intake port which also has been smoothed along the edges to encourage efficient airflow.
On the back side, the porting is also subtle but with careful examination, the differences are evident. Extra material had been removed from strategic areas to enlarge the outlet. The spider arms are thinned slightly to narrow their profile. I've seen many amateurs attempt this same job and fail miserably. One of the spider arms contains an oil passage which lubricates the spindle in the center. If one mistakenly machines away too much material, it exposes the oil passage rendering the glader useless.
Regarding the Glader, my philosophy differs from the majority of Corrado enthusiasts who increase boost pressures by utilizing a smaller diameter pulley. This effectively makes the glader spin at a higher rpm. I prefer to maintain the use of the standard 78mm pulley. The smaller pulleys are effective at generating greater boost pressures. However, my feeling is this shortens the glader's lifespan. The porting of the 2RS allows me to pressurize the intake system without the use of a smaller pulley. From my experience, it is good for an additional 2-4 lbs of additional boost compared to my stock charger. In 3rd gear, my boost gauge indicated up to 14 lbs of boost. My stock glader was only capable of 11 lbs according to my unscientific dashmounted gauge.
Since these photos were taken, I've had both of these gladers professionally rebuilt by Bahn Brenner Motorsport. Since the demise of TEC Automobiledesign, Kompressor Kanada and Bahn Brenner Motorsports are the only two remaining tuners with facilities to support the endangered glader. I hope to preserve a little of that history. It's what makes the early Corrados unique.
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