How bad is a turbo charger for your engine?

PistachioByAzul

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Oct 9, 1999
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Supposedly it will cut your engine life in half but I wouldn't know for a fact. I would think if you maintain it well and maintain your engine well it shouldn't take too much life off it.
 

Soybomb

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Jun 30, 2000
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<< Supposedly it will cut your engine life in half but I wouldn't know for >>



Exactly, old wives tale.



<< s your engine bullet proof? If not, it's bad... >>


I'm guessing you don't have one......

A turbo charger isn't bad at all. From the factory its awesome, and if its an aftermarket part its awesome, you just have to take a few more precautions. The running of synthetic oil is highly recommended. Running it hard and turning it off hot isn't a great idea either. Drive that last block home casually and then let it idle for a second when you take off your seatbelt and get ready to leave your car. Run the recommended octane gas for it. Let the engine reacher normal temp before you flog it. If you follow those guidelines.......everything will be just fine.
 

SuperSix

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Oct 9, 1999
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VERY accurate Soybomb.

Lessee.. if it cuts engine life in 1/2, and my low 13 second Buick Turbo engine should last at LEAST 350,000 miles!

A Supercharger is run off an engine belt, a &quot;driven&quot; unit, whereas a turbocharger uses spent exhaust gases to sping the turbine. Turbochargers are a LOT more efficient, but there's a lag time before the power hits, superchargers have instant power.

Superchargers are VERY parasitic when it comes to engine power.
 

mAdD INDIAN

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Oct 11, 1999
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A supercharger is belt driven while the turbocharged is powered by the exhuast from the engine.

The supercharger gives a linear increase of power while the turbocharger gets full steam once its spooled up.

Since the turbo runs off exhaust coming from the engine, you'd have to wait for the engine to give away lots of gases so the turbo can develop more boost. This is usually at around 4K RPM depending on the engine and turbo size and setup.

You'll have to wait for Soybomb or Genocide to reply since they can give a better explanation..
 

SiliconVandal

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Nov 17, 2000
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Here's my two cents. Comsumer reports testing say Ford F-250 Power Stroke diesel with a TurboCharger (engine) last longer than a Chevy C-2500 that is gasoline powered.
 

Soybomb

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Jun 30, 2000
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Actually indian in one of my cars I'm at full boost of about 15 psiby 2300 rpm! Its a small turbo so its can't put out much more than that (I have other cars for high boost hehe) but man it comes up so fast! I wouldn't say that it hits all that hard either, it may not be quite as smooth as a supercharger, but its not far off in many cars and its much more efficient ;)



<< my low 13 second Buick Turbo engine >>


Sounds like a fun ride! Is it a GN?
 

freebee

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Dec 30, 2000
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ahhh, thankfully there are car guys at anandtech.


Turbocharging doesn't hurt engine life, at least not oem ones anyways. (thats why a lot of oem turbos are used in aftermarket cars also superchargers like the eaton unit in buicks are used in many applications.) as long as your boost pressure is reasonable for your compression ratios, proper modification is an excellent way to increase gas mileage and power. The reason a lot of manufacturers don't use turbos is most of the time premium fuel is needed as well as higher insurance costs. Engines also run hotter, so you may have to change your oil more.

About turbo lag, it is prominent in some cars. Anyone remember the dodge daytona? 224 hp outta a massive turbo, and a ton of torque steer. But many cars have very progressive throttle response, including most of the lower pressure turbos, ie volvos, audis, and vws.
 

mAdD INDIAN

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Oct 11, 1999
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Soybomb: wow..that's pretty good..almost no lag. You have a 2.2L 4cyl right?

Also, it wouldn't be smart to turbocharge/supercharge a engine that already has a high-compression ratio..a la the 1.8L in the Type R. I think it has a compression ration of 12:1 or something like that..if you had a turbo in there..you'd probably blow the engine.
 

Soybomb

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Jun 30, 2000
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Yup, 3 2.2L 4 cylinders actually ;)

You're right though, compression is the biggest problem. Most cars would be fine though by going from flat or domed pistols to dished pistols provided the rods and other bottom end parts can handle the power :)

On the particaular car I'm talking about it has a mitsu turbo and that is the absolute limit of it. Its wastegate vacuum feed is unplugged so its really workin' overtime :) One of the others runs closer to 20 psi.......WHEEEEEEEEEEE :D
 

Evadman

Administrator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
Feb 18, 2001
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Well... Any forced induction can hurt an engine. You must, as stated higher up, take good care of the engine. Oil changes are a must. This might come as a shocjer to some people but if you look in your manual it will prolly say change oil evry 7500 miles or so. 3000 is only for hard core usage such as dusty, off road or heavy use ( full throttle ) not that every 3000 miles will hurt it or any thing :D

I have a 99 Dodge 2500 with the V-10 and it has withstood 10 intercooled PSI for over a year. I just rebuilt it with forged pistons for my NOX system ( Pro Fogger from Jegs ) I maxed out the dyno at the shop at 975 HP and 780 FT/LB torque. It is prolly higher HP but that is all the dyno can pull down. ( that is with the NOX flowing With the biggest jets that fit in my runners. ) no NOX is 625 HP. I love pulling up to lights here in suburban Chigago, poping the truck into 4 wheel, then toasting Mustangs and Vets. Although a buddy of mine beat me in top speed with his Viper. My truck is like a flying brick. No steering above 160 :D As long as the road is straight with no toll boths.
 

freebee

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Dec 30, 2000
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If you live in the NY area (or LA area)you will see plenty of turbocharged 1.8L Integras. Just listen for that turbo whistle at idle. (try to block out the loud exhaust they seem to have..its actually a hole in the muffler) I don't think its an actual problem with compression per se (please consult an engine builder for more detailed info) but more with the strength of the pistons and valve springs. Turbocharging small engines is actually a kinda asian/mexican/californian/newyorkish culture. You can see some of their work at local car shows and expos (along with some famous import models- people, not cars). Lottta sites for these. Its basically like the old school muscle car culture being transformed by a new generation. Jackson Racing and HKS are prime examples of organized efforts, and now there are even factory sponsored programs like TRD(toyota) which have supercharging kits for the 3.4L 4runners and a kit for the 3.0L Camry.
 

Soybomb

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Jun 30, 2000
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<< asian/mexican/californian/newyorkish culture >>


Sorry man but the ricers are about a decade too late. The turbo dodge guys that own things like that daytona you're talking about have been upping the boost since about '86 and up with bleeds and more advanced mechanisms ;)

edit: The main reason the problem is with the high compression is that when your compression increases you have to have a higher octane fuel in the combustion chamber or you'll suffer from detonation. This is the same reason why if you buy a really old mean muscle car from the 70s when you could buy leaded gas (much higher in octane) you might have problems running it on pump gas today!
 

Evadman

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Feb 18, 2001
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And as for the type R that someone was asking about... A Friend of mine used NOX on his. Has about 10,000 miles on it, but he uses the NOX very sparingly. Part # 741-05123 at Jegs. I think it is on their web page at Jegs.com Gave him about another 120 HP after all the tuning.

When I was at School ( High Scool ) at Elgin High we Disabled the Waste gate on a Diesel 6 Cyl tractor. Try 52 PSI @ 3400 RPM. That was fun. We could pull around the dump trucks we had no problem. I wonder if they still have that thing there. Time for a road Trip

( I love cars almost as mcuh as I love Computers )

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Sorry bout the E there. I was bored

 

Jmman

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Dec 17, 1999
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I used to have a Turbo Shelby charger. I think it was a 1985. With a few tweaks, that car was surprisingly fun. I torched a lot of other cars because of the &quot;stealth&quot; factor.....unfortunately, it had a few too many ponies and I ended up breaking the front axles......TWICE!!!.....yikes.....:)
 

Soybomb

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Jun 30, 2000
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jmman you should pick another one of those up, they are dirty cheap today and I can tell you where to buy some axles cheap that you're going to have a hard time breaking ;)
 

Jmman

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Dec 17, 1999
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Yeah, when I had it, I thought it was a pretty cool little ride. The factory axles were really crappy though. I can't remember how we solved the little dilemma, but I am pretty sure we went with some aftermarket parts.....Nothing sucks worse to be in a race and have an axle brake....kind of embarrassing....:)
 

Soybomb

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Jun 30, 2000
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Actually in my experience the factory axles, at least the later ones like the GKN ones are much better than the aftermarket stuff. Nappa/autozone are guarenteed to snap everytime ;)

Anyway if you ever want to get another turbo dodge let me know and I'll hook you up with some links ;)
 

Evadman

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Feb 18, 2001
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I have only had it at the strip once. It clocked 11.49. Remeber, this truck weighs in at 6200 LBS. After that run they kicked me off the strip for not having a roll cage. Like a 8 pint will fit in a othewise stock truck.

That run was made in 4 wheel drive because i didn't think I would get any traction in 2 wheel :p

Any other dodge guys here? I want to hear a dodge cummins story!!! I was gonna buy one but got suckered into the V-10 ( damn 3 MPG )