If I understand correctly a turbo charger runs off the exhaust (thus 'causeing 'turbo lag') and a super charger runs off the belt (thus a faster response to acceleration off the line). If this is true it would seem to me that a supercharger would be preferd over a turbo charger, correct?
Which wears on the motor more?
Is there a supercharger for the feiro?
Can a clutch type device be installed into a super/turbo charger so that the amount of boost can be controlled on the fly?
:wink:
Thanks Http://www.Lithiumeffects.com/car.html
Pheagey's Fiero website comming soon!

[This message has been edited by Pheagey (edited 10-11-2001).]

turbo charger is prefered for smaller motors becasue it has no drag on the engine. Supercharger on bigger engines becasue they can be made to kick out much more HP and the loss to the supercharger does not matter as much.

I prefer turbocharging.It is virtually free horsepower.The problem is not turbo lag,I have none on my GN.The problem is the room needed for the exhaust plumbing.You also need a wastegate to control boost.

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Explain the wastegate thing please. I have abn idea about it but...
Thanks.

The Wastegate, similar to a "pop-off valve", purges unused air charge from the engine.

Basically, think of the Turbo or Super charger's blast of air as a "charge". When you lift off the throttle, there is still a charge on it's way to the engine. If that charge enters the engine without the fuel (because you lifted) it causes an ill-mixture and detonation can occur.

The wastegate simply diverts that charge out of the system when you lift between shifts or on deceleration, saving both the engine AND your pocketbook

The effect becomes worse with higher boost levels. A little is bad enough, but if you are running 9 or more pounds of boost, you're going to grenade your engine eventually.

Anyone telling you that you can run a high power Turbo WITHOUT a pop-off valve or wastegate is setting you up for costly repairs.

As for the difference and preference between the two, I have a 14.9 lb boost Turbo on my Lotus Esprit and a 6 lb boost Super Charger on my Durango R/T...

The Lotus "kicks" at a pretty low RPM, so Turbo lag is almost non-existant. As long as you get your RPMs up to around 2500 before you let the clutch go, you are starting out with boost. Of course, as the RPMS come up, so does the boost. So at 4500 the car acts like you've been shot out of a cannon!

The Supercharger on the Durango, on the other hand, "kicks" very early... just over idle in fact. The pull is aggressive but the maximum horsepower is achieved at around 4800 RPM.

As with both chargers, impeller size and design will change the power curve so you can get Turbo chargers that will deliver power sooner ans well as Super chargers that will deliver power over a longer RPM range. It's all up to you... and your pocketbook

DKOV -

I'd like to correct something here.
A wastegate does just that.It dumps exhaust gases directly from the engine into the exhaust system(or on some systems,to the atmosphere).When it does that it bypasses the turbo,slowing it down and reducing boost.After market wastgates are usually adjustable,and can be set to the desired boost.
There are valves that are controlled by manifold pressure.When under boost and you close the throttle the valve opens and dumps the incoming air charge back into the inlet of the compressor.This relieves the pressure on the throttle shaft.They have been known to be bent,but it is my experience that under normal driving and sometimes racing this is not a problem.If you have a huge compressor for race only application,the weight and force of the air charge could hurt your throttle body,but I wouldn't concern myself about it.

Thanks guys.
What would be the best type of vehical to pull a turbo from that would fit my '88 coupe?
Thanks.

Hugh, One other benefit of the pop-off valve is that the pressure build-up when closing the throttle doesn't stall the turbo as much. Typically this is good for manual trans, and slow & go racing such as street courses.

A turbo from a Ford 2.3 works well with the 2.8. There is a fair amount of "plumbing" involved to install it in a Fiero though. There are also several kits on the market but plan on spending some big $ for them. Just type "Turbo charger" in your browser and you'll get lots of info. Also check Howstuffworks.com.

Thanks for the info SKIDMARK
but my '88 only has the 4 banger in it. what would fit that?

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