Garrett Turbo

MJ Marks asked:




At one time, if I asked, what exactly are twin turbo kits? The fact that I didn’t know could be attributed to the fact that I am a girl. But saying something like that today would not go over well in an equal rights, girl’s can do anything, type of society. So I will blame my ignorance on lack of interest, the fact that I didn’t get my license until I was 21, and that I have a minor in Nature and Wilderness Conservation and consider excess noises and lights a form of pollution. So, when I hear the words twin turbo kits, I think loud, fast cars. But is this correct? And if so, is there more to them?

With just a little research, I discovered that my basic concept of twin turbo kits are correct. They give your car a huge boost of power along with loudness. And let’s face it, a lot of people like the roar of a fast car! Here in our small town last weekend there was a 50′s car show called Lost in the 50′s. It is a huge event in our small town and begins with a vintage car parade on Friday night. Our whole family went in to see it, and the roaring of supped up engines was one of the biggest hits.

To break down more specifically what twin turbo kits are, let’s look at each term individually.

Let’s first look at the second word, turbo, which is short for turbocharger. A turbocharger forces compressed air into an internal combustion engine. It is a type of supercharger in which the compressor is powered by a turbine which is driven by the engine’s own exhaust gases (so you can tell your neighbor that you are recycling!). With the air compressed as it enters the engine, it creates more power.

Now let’s back up. Obviously, twin means two, but two what? Two turbochargers, which can come in one of two different configurations: parallel or sequential.

Basically, parallel are two identical turbos that are smaller than a single turbo, and that both turn on at the same time. With the two smaller turbos, the duty of compressing the intake charge is completed faster, so they reach their boost threshold more quickly than a single large turbo, but produce the same amount of boost.

A sequential twin turbo system is a lot more complicated. Basically, one turbo is active throughout the entire rev range, and the second one only kicks in at the higher RPM. This system also has reduced turbo lag (the time it takes to spool the turbine enough for it to operate effectively), but has the added benefit of adding extra boost at higher RPM’s. Similar performance with less lag is the primary benefit of twin turbo kits over a bigger single turbo system.

Kit, well we all know what that means, it is the twin turbo system bundled up with everything you need to turbo charge your car.

So, if you like your cars loud and fast, then turbo charging your car may be just the thing for you. And if there is one thing I learned at the vintage car parade, it is that any car can be turbo charged! I expected to see twin turbo kits on muscle cars of the 1960′s, but I also saw car’s with them from as early as the 1920′s. And though you may not get to use your turbo charger every day, there are definite moments in time when they can be a lot of fun.



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Lauren Woods asked:


German carmaker Volkswagen is known for its precision engineered cars and the performance that they bring to the table. One of the cars in Volkswagen’s lineup which gives any driver a thrilling ride is the Fahrenheit. For the 2008 model year, Volkswagen has made the Fahrenheit even more appealing and more powerful.

The 2008 Fahrenheit will be equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. This same engine is also being used by other vehicles from Volkswagen and Audi. The turbocharged engine provides power when needed without the lag that is commonly encountered on turbocharged engine.

The lag happens because turbochargers are powered by exhaust gases. When a turbocharged engine is of course just starting up, the amount of exhaust gases is not enough to power the turbine of the turbocharger. But with the engine on the Fahrenheit, the design has been carefully adjusted to make sure that lag is minimal.

The said engine can produce as much as 200 horsepower and 207 pound foot of torque. The combination of the horsepower and the twisting force gives the Fahrenheit a good acceleration.

In terms of stability, the suspension setting of the Fahrenheit is designed for sports cars. With that suspension, although the ride is stiff, the car can navigate sharp corners on high speeds. With aftermarket parts such as Volkswagen cold air intake, the power can be increased and the increased power will go well with the sports-tuned suspension.

The engine is paired with a six-speed transmission which has close gear ratios which provides smooth transfer of power from the engine to the drive wheels. The precision engineered transmission works well with the engine that clashing gears inside the gearbox does not send vibrations to the body of the car.

Stopping power is provided by disc brakes for the front and the rear. For the front wheels, the Fahrenheit is equipped with 12.3-inch discs while for the rear; it is equipped with 11.3-inch disc brakes. Stopping power though is not as responsive as the engine. According to some auto journalists, the brakes only activated when the brake pedal is pushed almost to the floor.

The Fahrenheit is a limited edition vehicle which means that one would not be able to see it on a regular basis cruising around city streets. The theme used by Volkswagen on the limited edition Fahrenheit is yellow. Exterior color is yellow which makes it call for attention. The interior of the Fahrenheit is also accented with the color yellow. Although the color and its use inside and out of the Fahrenheit maybe attractive, it will not be for everyone.

According to the German car manufacturer, the limited edition Fahrenheit will have a starting price of $27,880 for the model with the six-speed manual transmission. This is aimed at performance enthusiasts who are more favorable with manual shifting than automatic ones.

The addition of the yellow Fahrenheit in Volkswagen’s lineup for the 2008 model year is expected to turn heads. Performance enthusiasts are expected to take notice, but with the color yellow plastered all over the vehicle, it is guaranteed to attract attention of the general public.



Nash

Leaftech asked:


When you are looking to add that extra boost of power to your engine, whether it’s a muscle car or a tractor, you want to make sure that you explore all of the alternatives. Both turbochargers and superchargers have their advocates, but let’s focus on turbochargers and the advantages they have over superchargers.

What is a charger?

Both superchargers and turbochargers add extra horse power to an engine through the compression of air in the cylinder. Compressed air is forced into the engine, and this leaves room for more gas to explode in the cylinder, adding power to the engine. The difference between superchargers and turbochargers is that superchargers are powered by a belt driven by the engine itself, while turbochargers use exhaust gases to power a turbine wheel which supplies the boost.

The Advantages of a Turbocharger

Waste not, want not. Because turbochargers are driven by exhaust gases, they actually using emissions produced by the engine that would otherwise just go to waste in the atmosphere.

Engine wear. Superchargers depend on the engine to produce the power they need to add the extra boost, but turbochargers are strictly exhaust driven. The extra boost that a turbocharger provides is therefore calculated without any loss to drive the charger itself; superchargers use some of the boost they provide just to run themselves.

Efficiency. The turbine wheel and a shaft connecting it to the engine are all the hardware that a turbocharger uses. A supercharger, on the other hand, needs pulleys, belts, and gears to run. The amount of friction created by this extra material and the added weight may make a difference in performance.

More Power? A turbocharger will produce more power at lower RPMs than a supercharger. A regulator built inside the charger opens the waste gate, which gets rid of any extra pressure and enhances the performance. The waste gate typically has opened at between 2000 and 2500 RPMs. Improvements are also creating larger waste gates. In any event, turbochargers will give greater boost to the engine on paper, although there is traditionally concern about lag.

One of the last factors to consider in your decision is cost. Turbochargers cost less than superchargers, and they are also easier and less expensive to repair due to simpler engineering. Continued advancements in turbocharger technology have addressed concerns such as throttle performance due to lag, making the turbocharger the better performer all around.

Lauren Woods asked:


In the world of the auto industry, car manufacturers have been coming up with improvements for their current models. Some of these changes include tuning existing models for a sportier application. One concrete example of this is the 2007 Mazda Mazdaspeed Mazda3.

The popular hatchback is made even sportier by the Asian car company in response to the growing number of tuned hatchbacks in the market. Basically, Mazda improved the car’s suspension by tuning it for a better performance on cornering. To do that, the company installed a turbocharger to increase the car’s engine’s power, and that also gives the Mazda vehicle with a limited slip differential.

To start with, the Mazda3 is already a nimble compact car which has already gain popularity among American car buyers. It is no surprise though that the Mazdaspeed is made even more powerful and better performing than the Mazda3.

One of the problems found in the Mazdaspeed though is turbo lag. This is the effect of using a turbocharger to provide more power to the engine. Since turbochargers uses a car’s exhaust gases to propel its turbine, the device would not readily start unlike when a car uses a supercharger. Turbo lag management is one of the focuses of car manufacturers when installing a turbocharger on their cars.

Unfortunately, the Mazdaspeed or all of Mazda’s efforts suffers from turbo lag. Other aftermarket parts can be added to the Mazdaspeed to give it better fuel economy like Mazda cold air intake systems.

The Mazdaspeed’s power comes from a 2.3-liter direct injected and turbocharged engine that is capable of producing 263 horsepower. The drivetrain that the Mazdaspeed uses is the same as that used by the Mazda CX-7.

What makes up for the turbo lag is the Mazdaspeed’s limited slip differential feature. This allows the car’s tires to grip the road completely enabling the power produced by the engine to be utilized without a substantial amount of waste. The limited slip differential is complemented by the suspension system of the tuned-up hatchback. Together with the steering system, the suspension gives the hatchback a good handling which is of course the main reason for tuning the car for sportier performance. Unluckily though, giving the car a sportier suspension setting decreases the ride comfort that it offers to passengers. This harsher suspension setting is a threat to everyday commuters. But with the overall performance that the Mazdaspeed brings to the table, consumers who are in need of high performance vehicles will surely like the hatchback.

While performance enthusiasts are guaranteed to like this car, music lovers would think twice before buying the Mazdaspeed. While the car is equipped with a six-disc in-dash CD player with seven Bose speakers, its user interface is a bit confusing according to auto journalists who has taken the Mazdaspeed for a test drive. The lack of user-friendliness is somehow contradicted by the Sirius satellite radio that the Mazdaspeed is equipped with.

Justina Mathews asked:


For quite some time, the only way that engine designers knew how to make power was by adding displacement. The bigger the engine, the more power it could make. While this type of design was acceptable in the 50s and 60s, as technology moved on and fuel became more expensive, it became clear that smaller motors could be made to develop healthy power too.

There are plenty of imports out there with 4-cylinder motors in the 2 liter range. If you have one of these engines, then you know that while it might be fun to drive it in the higher rpm range, it does not have a lot of grunt down low, and it tends to run out breath pretty quickly in top gear. You might have seen some sporty-looking compacts zoom by you on the highway and heard a distinctive “pssh pssh” sound when they shifted gears. That is the sound of a turbos blow-off valve. A what?

A turbocharger is a device that crams more air into your engine by compressing it as much as possible. A quick lesson on how engines make power: they take air and fuel, combine them together, and then ignite that mixture to create an explosion that turns your cars crankshaft. This generates horsepower. Now, if you can figure out a way to get more oxygen into that mixture before the spark plug fires, then you can add an extra amount of gasoline and create an even more powerful explosion. Thats what a turbocharger does, through compressing air so that it contains more oxygen per cubic foot than the air around us in the atmosphere.

In order to do all of this compressing, a turbo has to spin pretty fast actually, really fast. Most turbos spin above 20,000 rpm, and this allows the blades inside the device to compress air incredibly quickly. Turbochargers are really efficient devices, as they are driven by the exhaust gases of the engine itself. These gases exit the engine at great speed, and this speed is translated into the high rpms of the turbo itself.

However, this design is also the source of one of a turbochargers greatest downsides turbo lag. Since an engine running at a low speed does not produce a significant amount of exhaust, when you mash the gas, it takes a little while for the turbo to spin up to maximum power. The time it takes between the pedal being depressed and full power being available is known as lag. This can be a frustrating experience when running the stoplight grand prix, as some turbo cars are a bit slower off the line than their more torquey opponents. Once that turbo kicks in, though, all is forgiven.

A turbo can be a great way to add some real punch to your imports engine, but its important that you take the time to install everything properly, and make sure that your fuel delivery system is up to the demands of all that extra air rushing in. Turbochargers add extra pressure to many engine components, and its far better set things up well at the beginning than it is to have to call a tow truck to take your baby back to the garage.



Francis