Q09244

Supercharger over turbocharger.

During teenage careers and midlife crisis men and woman have an erg to spend money on their cars. The first thing that comes to mind is turbo but what people don’t know is that superchargers are more practical, they produce a louder “whine”, they produce a larger level of horse power, (hp), are cheaper to install and are more efficient for your motor.

Is it not common sense that bigger is better when it comes to your dream car? It is, when turbocharging or supercharging. These two devises have one thing in common “forced air injunction”, so really the more air that can travel into an object, the more air that can be forced into the cylinders. Just to make the situation clear motors run on air and not fuel (think of internal combustion and air expansion). Turbos are 50% smaller than your regular supercharger, so therefore superchargers must produce 50% more hp than a turbo and it is right. Supercharging an engine will add on average 50%-70% more hp to a motor that has not already had adjustments to it, and it is right. Whereas the turbo only adds 25%-35% more hp basing on revs per minute (rpm) and air pressure (psi). A supercharger boosts extra hp all the time; however a turbo only starts to boost at around 4000-6000 rpm.

If a person were looking for a lot of hp gain it is easy to see which one you would choose, however most of your decision lie in the motor you have to adjust. It is easier to turbocharge a rotary styled engine than it is to supercharge it. People can still supercharge them however the hp gain would be more with the turbo option than the supercharger.

In today’s society it is all about money. To survive a midlife crisis people going through them will need money. Supercharging costs a lot but most of that money goes into buying the blower. At first (with the turbo option) it may seem cheaper but once people by fuel injection, computer chips, the actual turbine that sits in the exhaust system, a new exhaust system for some motors, and the new paneling to be done on the engine bay it turns out to be pretty expensive. As the years go on these key modifications will keep “sky rocketing”, the same will end up happening to the superchargers but people buying will not by a lot. As it seems turbo systems for production use are 15%-25% more expensive than producted superchargers. However because the supercharger is boosting all the time it is using more fuel. Having said that this wouldn’t compensate for the money spent buying the turbo, but it is something to keep in mind.

After a mechanic or “red head” has finished with his/her brand new turbocharged engine the motor would only last a year and a half before the hp starts to drop. This is because of the 40% increase of “flush back” that the turbine (that drives the turbine in the turbo that is located in the exhaust system or extractors) causes because it is now taking up almost 70% of the exhaust diameter in order to “go round”. Another problem is that if this “red head” has turbocharged an eight cylinder engine and could only afford one turbo system, now he or she are going to end up wearing out one side of the motor. This is because the turbine that runs the turbo is located near the connecters or in the extractors, because this is an eight cylinder engine and the price for a twin turbo system was too much there is only one turbine and two extractors. (Extractors connect to the heads(x2) where the gases flow out) because of this the left/right cylinders are working harder than the opposite side to push the gases through the exhaust system, therefore when an engine is working around 20% harder it would wear out 20% faster. There is on average with medium turbo systems 63% space being used up in a 4 inch wide area, inside the exhaust or extractors, therefore the left or right side of the engine is working near 30% harder, will wear out 30% faster, will need to ree build 30% sooner. In the next two and a half years the mechanic would have to replace a head gasket recondition the ports and cylinders, and would have had to clean the turbine at least twist.

When people go through the midlife crisis or teenage “bit” of their life it is all about looking good and sounding great. To achieve this people start with their cars. To “look good” it is always helpful if people have a devise sticking out of the bonnet. A turbo can achieve this but they would only “stick out” on one side and look “tacky”. With the supercharger option most of the equipment you have bought is sticking out, and it looks strong and shinny. There are studies that show that superchargers are at the top of a byres list and most of these people were going through their midlife crisis. These show that most people prefer superchargers over turbos. An element that superchargers and turbochargers have in common is the sounds that they make. For the turbo it is a turbine that sits in the middle of the system, for a supercharger it’s a thick rubber belt that travel around the face of the motor and blower. Because of the turbines shape and where it is. It makes a “whine”. Because of the material of the belt and the fast paste it travels at it also produces a “whine”. But because the belt is made of rubber and travels fast it produces a louder “whine”. The belt also “whines” all the time where the turbo only “whines” when the revs pick up.

When it comes to making a car look better and go faster it is almost obvious that a supercharger is the first pick. Whether it be for the “whine”, cost, hp, or you just want to go fast without having to ree build the engine every year, the supercharger will deliver. Superchargers have been around for decades and have been the first pick time and time again on a buyers list.