Turbo Chargers

Now,I'm going to be honest with you about something. I was not a big fan of Turbo chargers till I had a 1980 Trans Am. I could drive the hell out of that car and it took everything I threw at it. It was durable as hell. No matter how many times I spun that turbo up it always performed for me.

Now,let's have a look at how these things work. exhaust is plumbed through a turbine that mounts somewhere along the exhaust be it either on the manifold or further down the line. The exhaust gases pass threw this turbine and make it spin. The turbine is connected to what is called an intake wheel. the intake wheel spins at the same rate as the turbine. There is a component called the compressor involved as well. The exhaust gases cause the turbine to spin,the turbine is connected to the intake wheel . The intake wheel draws air into the compressor,this pressurized air gets forced into the intake manifold and you have more power.The more you put your foot in it,the more power your engine makes,theoretically.

Now,the housing that holds the turbine,intake wheel and the compressor is called the turbine housing and there is a component called the Turbo switch that sends the power from one housing to the other.

Using a turbo can give you an advantage when it comes to fuel economy,under normal operating conditions it's not spinning very fast and does not effect power in a manner that adversely effect your fuel consumption. You can customize your turbo with different housing and wheels that allow you to bring more power at almost any RPM range. 

Now,a turbo kit will run you anywhere from $2500.00 to $4500.00. A good idea would be to shop around and find a good complete kit designed for your particular application.

You may also bare in mind the when air gets compressed it creates heat,this warmer air going into the intake is not actually a good thing compare to the potential of using an inter-cooler. When the air is warm,it's bigger. When it's cooler,it's smaller. And you want a cooler denser charge going into that intake for more efficiency. I won't explain why this is what you want just take my word for it. The inter-cooler should be installed where direct access to cooler air is readily available. The forced air is plumbed from the turbo through the inter-cooler and from there into the intake. Below are just a few samples of inter-coolers out there on the market.

Now I'm gonna be honest, the inter-cooler is a good idea simply because if there is too much heat you can run into detonation. Other things to think about are timing,fuel quality and not to mention how the computer is going to handle the extra sensory input. Your injectors may not be able to supply enough fuel for the amount of air going into the intake. Detonation is a nasty thing to have to deal with,valves and piston bosses don't mix well with it. A power programmer is a wise investment in any event to help you with your turbo application.