Fit a turbo or supercharger?

Question

I'm thinking of fitting a turbo or supercharger. Which would have been better? can I fit both of them? Which brand?

Answer 1

This is a major performance modification and will require much more information than you have included. First, turbo or super - you must choose one or the other. They both do basically the same thing - compress the air/fuel mixture going into the cylinders - with the same end result: more power to the drive wheels. The difference is in how this is done. With a turbo, the screw (the actual device that compresses the gas) is turned by exhaust gases coming out of the engine; with a blower (supercharger), the screw is turned by a belt driven by the crankshaft. There are different types of turbos, and different types of blowers, and they all work different ways, although in the end, the result is basically the same, as I said earlier. Historically, it would take a little time for the exhaust gasses to "spin up" a turbo under heavy acceleration, and this time was called "lag" time. Once the turbo would spin up, then a tremendous torque boost would occur, giving a power surge which caught many a driver unaware. This lag time/surge was a major drawback with turbos - a drawback which was not present with a blower. Because the belt keeps a blower spinning at a usable rate all the time, power was available instantly when the go pedal was mashed. Nowadays, with technological advancements, there are twin-turbos and variable-boost turbos and two-stage turbos that virtually eliminate the lag time present in earlier turbos, giving torque (the actual power you feel - horsepower makes you go fast... torque makes you go quick - there is a differenct) all the way through the usable RPM range, although these can get really expensive. But, as always, how fast you can go is directly proportional to the amount of money you can spend. Turbos are usually mounted to the side(s) of a motor while blowers are usually mounted on top - when you see a hole in the hood with a scoop sticking out, you are probably looking at a blower. Personally, I prefer a blower. I love the instant throttle response, the "blower whine" that comes with them, and that scoop coming from out of that hood is strictly intimidating. There are things you need to make sure of, though, whichever route you go. If you mechanically squeeze all that extra air inside your cylinders, you are drastically raising the pressure inside the engine and putting a lot of stress on your internals. You need to make sure your bottom end (main bearings, connecting rods) are much stronger as well as your pistons and head gaskets. Essentially, if you are going to go that route, your engine has to built to take the pressure. Then, once you get all that extra power, your drivetrain has to be able to handle it - clutch, tranny, driveshaft (they will twist), rear end - it is a whole formula you have to calculate, not just a plus sign.

Answer 2

Your idea sounds challenging. Superchargers are normally belt driven. Turbos are driven by exhaust gas pressures. Either one should increase the air/fuel mixture in the combustion chambers. The ignition and cylinder pressure potential will likely become to great to deal with pre-ignition or gasoline knock. Some engine builders switch to alcohol as a fuel, others like in a dragster, switch to NITROMETHANE. This becomes a whole new science in combustion engineering. Can you imagine a dragster engine in your personal car, going to the mall for a little shopping? Last of all, it is doubtful if you could get a legal registration where you could drive your car on public streets. You might be able to take to the fairgrounds, but you wouldn't be able run the engine for more than a few seconds without a misfire, overheat or something worse.

Answer 3

They each have pros/cons.

The main one is this -

Supers run off the drive belt and use more power to spin them, so they aren't a efficient as a turbo. However, they kick in instantly instead of needing to spool up. So a super may be a bit better for power off the line and acceleration

Turbos, it's the opposite - they are spun by the exhaust gases, which doesn't take much power off the engine as a super, however, because they are spun by indirect means, it takes a bit of time to get spinning up to full speed - aka turbo lag.

Pick one or the other depending on what you like and how you drive.

Answer 4

i have this same problem with my altima. its a 2000 nissan altima. they do not make a turbo for my car BUT my engine is the same as a 240sx which is a very popular import tuner. the best advice is find out engine type. for example mine is KA24DE. you will need to get the proper turbo exhaust manifold and find a universal turbo setup kit. customization will be needed with intercooler parts etc.. but bottom line, you car will have a turbo in it. it wont be designed for your car but it will be a universal customed turbo. i would suggest professional install if not used to working with turbos since u have to add boost controller and turbo timer (optional for timer) and also custimizing intercooler etc.. and attaching all oil lines and placing blow off valve etc.. also i would not go with a supercharger since you will need to rebuild your engine with aftermarket JDM or etc. parts which will be very challenging to find. i would suggest a racing chip for your car as well. some shops will costumize a chip perfect for your standards which is the best way too go. GOOD LUCK!

Answer 5

Turbo in my opinion. Better quality. I don't think you can do both from what I understand, even if you could fit all of the equipment in the compartment, they will end up cancelling each other out.

Answer 6

Be careful what you do. You didn't mention the compression ratio of your engine now. Is the lower end of your engine up to the added pressure of the charger? Can the connecting rods handle it? Either one will do the job of adding boost. You can call some of the manufacturers and they usually have tech help to guide you into something that will work. Good luck

Answer 7

There is always doubt in turbocharging reliability. I always recommend tuning the car by NA stage. Try tuning the ecu.