Garrett Turbo

Ronnie Tanner asked:




The Audi A3 features a two liter turbo-charged engine that makes the car a nimble and quick performer. The turbo-charged engine runs on premium unleaded gasoline, and fuel is is inducted into the engine via a direct injection system. This powerful engine is mated to a six speed manual transmission. The engine produces two hundred horsepower at five thousand one hundred revolutions per minute; the engine produces two hundred seven pounds of torque at one thousand eight hundred revolutions per minute. These performance figures make this engine one of the most powerful available in a small car. The engine also features four valves per cylinder, in addition to the aforementioned turbo-charger. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the turbo-charged engine returns twenty-one mile per gallon in city driving and thirty miles per gallon in highway driving. Audi has held over from the 2009 model the all wheel drive system, although the all wheel drive system is available only on the base two liter engine without the turbo-charger. The other major change from the 2009 model year is that Audi has decided to drop the six cylinder engine as an option on the A3. The 3.2 liter six cylinder was a smooth and powerful performer, producing two hundred and sixty-five horsepower. The negative aspect of that engine was that it returned only fourteen miles per gallon in city driving. Audi has elected for the 2010 model year to not make any major changes to the A3, but rather make the A3 a roomy, sporty wagon that is able to return good fuel economy in an attractive package.



Caffeinated Content for WordPress

Britt Eastwood asked:




So you have put a diesel performance exhaust, diesel performance chip and performance intake on your rig, if you had put those diesel performance products on your truck a few years ago you would have been considered a diesel performance connoisseur or someone who was into extreme diesel performance.  The fact of the matter is that in the past few years the diesel performance industry has grown by leaps and bounds and what were considered to be extreme diesel performance modifications back then won’t even let you keep up with the big boys nowadays.  Once you have gone beyond the standard diesel performance mods and are ready for extreme diesel performance there are some common diesel performance products that you should be aware of.  If extreme diesel performance is your goal, then the most common diesel performance parts to put on your truck after the typical chip, intake and exhaust are larger injectors, a larger turbo and possibly an upgraded injection pump or lift pump.

Larger Injectors

Part of the equation for more horsepower is more fuel.  By pouring more fuel into the cylinder you will be able to increase horsepower and torque, the thing that most people don’t know about larger injectors is that they also increase diesel fuel mileage.  Most of the misunderstanding comes from the terminology itself, of course if people hear “larger injectors” they just naturally think that the holes themselves are going to be bigger when in all actuality injectors get larger in a couple of ways, the size of the holes in the injectors and the number of holes in the injectors.  Increasing the size of the holes is usually accomplished in a couple of different ways, first is by laser cutting and second is a process known as extrude honing.  There has been some debate as to which method is better but our experience has shown that the extrude hone process allows for smoother holes in the injectors themselves allowing for an increase in diesel fuel mileage.  The second way that injectors get “larger” is by increasing the number of holes in the injector nozzles, by increasing the number of holes in the injector nozzles you get a finer mist which allows for a better atomization. The increased diesel fuel mileage is with conservative driving of course.

Pump Upgrades

If you are planning on pumping more fuel in with larger injectors you need to make sure your pump is up to the task.  The amount of modification your pump will need as well as the options you have available to you will rely mainly on the year, make and model of your vehicle.  For those vehicles that have a rotary style pump such as the Pre-1994 Dodge Cummins, 6.2L and 6.5L Chevy Diesels and even the 99-02 Dodge Cummins VP44 pumps you will be a bit more limited as to the modifications that you will be able to make to your pumps.  The main reason mods are limited on these style pumps is because of the fact that they are lubricated by the fuel, so if you fail to run additive through each tank you may sieze your pump regardless of which mods you have made, with that said, Industrial Injection has made some crazy modifications to the VP44 pump so look for the HOT ROD and DRAGON FLOW versions of that pump.  If you are fortunate enough to drive a 94-98 Dodge Cummins with the Bosch Inline p7100 pump then there are a plethera of modifications that you can do, one of the easiest of those being the installation of the Dynomite Diesel Fuel plate.  If you have a newer common rail pump your task is all about keeping your rail pressure up so you can do that with a modified pump or by running dual feeder pumps.  Now modding your injection pump is only half the battle, you still have to make sure that your lift pump can keep up with the demand as well and there is where systems like the FASS and AirDog come in handy.

Larger Turbo

Once you have plenty of fuel running to through your system it’s time to use all that extra exhaust that is being created to turn a bigger turbo.  When it comes to upgrading your turbo you have several options including, ball bearing, stainless steel, waste gated or non waste gated, variable vein or not.  Picking out just the right turbo charger comes down to your application and personal preference so we won’t go into great detail on that topic but do plenty of searching or come to our site for more information.  The big names you will see throughout the industry include, Industrial Injection, HTT, Turbonetics, ATS and many more.



Caffeinated Content – Members-Only Content for WordPress

Cody F asked:


i have a garret t88 turbo just sitting in my garage and its never been used i want to know how much horsepower it will give me in my 1990 nissan 300zx

Caffeinated Content for WordPress

James Russell asked:




Gasoline and diesel prices have been fluctuating for the past year but oil rates have become more stable for the past few months. This may sound like good news to you but there is still no assurance that oil prices will stay the way they are. It is still better to be ready for such increases in the future.

Keeping your vehicle well-maintained is an important thing to consider during such crisis-stricken times. Every part and bolt of your ride should always be kept in good shape to avoid breakdowns. You must always keep your vehicle’s engine well-oiled. Having it regularly checked by your local mechanic can keep you from spending more on having it overhauled for some minor problem that got worse because of neglect.

Aside from keeping your automobile in good shape, there are also other measures by which you could save more. One of these is by installing worthwhile improvements for your vehicle that can increase its performance and even help you save a lot more on your car. Tornado Fuel Saver is such an enhancement part.

Tornado Fuel Saver is a patented automotive air channeling tool that helps you save more on your gas mileage and can even increase your vehicle’s horsepower. The Tornado does this by improving air flow in your vehicle’s intake so that the air can fully mix with the fuel so that it can burn more effectively and efficiently. Better fuel and air combustion can result in more mileage and better car performance.

The Tornado is no turbo charger but it can do as much for your vehicle. It is just a simple but effective device that can be easily installed in any air intake system, whether it is a fuel injection engine or a carbureted engine. The Tornado transforms direct intake air into a swirling tornado. It is just a small metal ring with aerodynamic slotted fins that can fit in your air intake hose. With its precisely engineered slotted fins, the Tornado can change normal air flow into a spinning motion, somehow creating a Coriolis Effect that improves better air intake which results in better air and fuel integration inside the engine. And like a turbo charger which pumps more air into your engine, your engine can get more air and with the Tornado, the fuel can burn more effectively which results to more horsepower for your vehicle. Because you burn fuel effectively, you can save more on gas.

Several independent laboratory tests have proven that the Tornado can do miracles for your vehicle. Because it initiates better fuel atomization, it can increase mileage from 7 to 24 percent. These figures are based on road tests that were performed at an EPA licensed emission lab. Dyno testing has also found that it can increase an automobile’s horsepower by as much as 4 to 13 points. These are huge figures that can really make your life and your vehicle’s existence better.

And this miracle enhancement does not require you much of your time for installation. It can be put in your vehicle in just a few minutes and you do not have to take your car apart. Your car’s engine format also does not matter. For fuel injection engines, installation only requires detaching the air inlet hose from the throttle body and the air filter box, putting the Tornado inside the hose, replacing the hose back again and it’s done. For carburetor set-ups, it only needs putting the Tornado inside the air cleaner housing and the Tornado is ready to go.

Gear your vehicle with the Tornado Fuel Saver and experience better performance, improved fuel economy and increased horsepower.



Website content

James Russell asked:




Increasing your vehicle’s performance, horsepower and torque doesn’t always need to replace your engine or hooking up a costly turbo charger or buying those high-intensity nitrous oxide systems. You can do it by just investing on a Tornado Gas Saver. And aside from getting increased power and performance, you can also save more on fuel.

The Tornado Gas Saver is just a simple easy-to-install engine enhancement that can do wonders to any vehicle. Tornado Gas Saver is a patented automotive air channeling tool that helps you save more on your gas mileage and even increase your vehicle’s horsepower. The Tornado does this by improving air flow in your vehicle’s air intake system so that the air can fully mix with the fuel so that it can burn more effectively and efficiently. Better fuel and air combustion can result in more mileage and fuel economy.

With more than 10 years of research and development behind it, the Tornado has been developed to be an effective and efficient enhancement part. It can work like a turbo charger but without its additional motors. The Tornado transforms direct air that the air intake receives into a swirling tornado. This action results in better air and fuel integration that eventually creates more horsepower for your vehicle.

The Tornado is just a small metal ring with aerodynamic slotted fins that are precisely engineered to deflect passing air and turn it into a small tornado by initiating a Coriolis Effect in the air flow. This whirlpool action induces the air to fully mix with the fuel atomization and it also helps in filtering particulates from polluting the vehicle’s internal combustion chambers. The Tornado makes this action result in an air tunnel with a vacuum in the middle that promotes heavier matter to be driven out of the air tunnel.

The Tornado Gas Saver can really be considered a miracle vehicle add-on because it doesn’t come with any motors or additional adjustments that can really cost much but it can really boost up your vehicle’s performance. Several independent laboratory tests have proven these claims. An EPA licensed emission laboratory has found out that the Tornado can increase fuel mileage from 7 to 24 percent. Dyno testing has also found that it can increase an automobile’s horsepower by as much as 4 to 13 points. These proven facts can really account for a miracle.

The Tornado Gas Saver has a wide variety of models for all kinds of automobiles: from ordinary sedans, to sport coupes and even power SUVs and trucks. It can also be installed to any engine system, whether it is a fuel injection engine or a carbureted engine set-up. It can be put in your vehicle in just a few minutes and you do not have to take your car apart. For fuel injection engines, installation only requires detaching the air inlet hose from the throttle body and the air filter box, putting the Tornado inside the hose, replacing the hose back again and it’s done. For carburetor set-ups, you only need to put the Tornado inside the air cleaner housing and the Tornado is ready to go!

Gear your vehicle with the Tornado Gas Saver and experience better performance, improved fuel economy and increased horsepower.



Caffeinated Content for WordPress

jctaton asked:


I just bought a 98 saab 900s with the turbo 2.0 engine. I want to get a front bumper so that I can put an intercooler in. I would like to do some other mods to give it a little more horsepower.

Caffeinated Content

Dylan G asked:


i have a 89 chevy 350 tbi and i am thinkin bout putting twin turbo chargers on it while i save up to buy a supercharger. how much more horsepower will i get out of it. it is completely stock right now. thank you

Create a video blog

Mac Demere asked:


rs are traditionally rear-wheel drive. As is the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe. Similar to a RWD racer, the Genesis Coupe 2.0T model is quick, responsive and fast. The standard engine is a 210-hp, turbocharged, four that makes a whopping 230 pound-feet of torque at a very low 2,000 rpm. Pricing for the 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe 2.0T is under $25,000.

The main purpose of front-wheel-drive, contrary to popular misconception, is to increase interior room. (And, if you haven’t heard, additional weight is not “road hugging.”) With a front-drive car, the front tires must do all of the acceleration and steering and about 80 percent of the braking, while the rear tires’ main job is to keep the gas tank from dragging on the pavement. This means a front-driver has more difficulty simultaneously accelerating and turning (or turning and braking). With a rear-drive car, the rear tires concentrate on putting power to the ground, while the fronts focus on turning and/or slowing down. The bottom line: A rear-drive car will always beat an otherwise identical front-driver around a dry racetrack or up a mountain road. Not to mention, a rear-wheel-drive car can do things no stock front-drive car can do: drifting powerslides and hooning, smoky burnouts. (“Hoon” is an Australian or New Zealand word translates to anti-social behavior and driving irresponsibly.)

The Genesis Coupe is also available with a 306-horsepower 3.8-liter V6. While the Genesis Coupe 3.8 V6 is notably quicker at the drag strip, the turbo four is the more enjoyable version of the car. Reasons are many: Much of the V6′s extra 100 pounds is carried on the nose, which tends to overwhelm the front tires. The four also has much lower first and second gears in its six-speed manual transmission. The combination of big torque and low gearing gives the four cylinder strong acceleration in the speed range that can be used on public roads without entering the Highway Patrol’s Frequent Offender Program. It also offers enough torque to squeal the tires leaving the line and on the one-two upshift.

The V6 moves the Genesis Coupe into a different realm. The V6 feels much less nimble than the four. Also, the V6′s manual did not react well to performance-oriented shifts, responding with harsh drivetrain shocks, as if we had never driven a manual. Also, the linkage of both manual transmissions suffered from an extremely annoying buzzing. Unfortunately, we did not have the opportunity to sample either of the automatics: five-speed with the four or six-speed on the V6.

The Genesis Coupe 2.0T will go head-to-head with the likes of the Honda Civic Si and the V6 Ford Mustang. The four-cylinder turbo is rated at 30 miles per gallon in the government’s highway driving cycle and 21 mpg. The V6 gets 26 mpg on the highway and 17 mpg in the city, when equipped with the six-speed automatic.

Both engines are available in a “Track” configuration, which includes 19-inch-diameter wheels with very sticky Bridgestone Potenza RE050A summer tires and stiffer suspension springs and anti-roll bars, as well as Brembo brakes. The summer tires will help the Coupe’s street performance but the stiffer suspension will be difficult to live with every day in pothole-plagued areas. Unless you’re really going to the track, stick with the regular model. There’s also a “R” version that removes some standard features, such as the sunroof, to reduce weight.

Safety features include six airbags, active head restraints, standard electronic stability control and anti-lock brakes. Included is a 360-Watt, 10-speaker Infinity sound system. Inside, the Genesis Coupe offers good quality materials and commendable fit and finish. This is one reason that the average residual value after 36 months for a Hyundai has improved to about 43 percent currently from 37 percent in 2005. All is not perfect as the blue on black digital information center is difficult to read, and the speedometer and tachometer are offset away from the center of vision, making them a bit difficult to follow.

The Genesis offers minimal rear seat room. Five 17-year-old girls would fit just fine, but the Genesis Coupe is a two-seater for big or tall adults. It has a hefty trunk with a pass-through for long items. Here’s the take-away: Rear-drive rules. Strong horsepower, low gearing and a low purchase are nice, too.

Haitham Alhumsi asked:


The first time I ever heard of twin charging (using both a turbocharger and a supercharger on the same motor) was probably back in year 2000. At that time I was very interested in performance for the Toyota Celica and naturally I also read a lot about its sister cars (that shared some of the same engines) such as the Camry and the MR2.

One of the most interesting aftermarket parts I ran across at the time was the HKS turbo kit for the 4AGZE powered 1st generation mr2. The 4agze (for those that are not familiar with Toyota engines) is a peppy 170 horsepower 1.6 liter engine powered by the Toyota SC-12 roots type supercharger. On this car Toyota used an electromagnetically clutched supercharger that could be disabled during low power requirements such as cruising, and engaged when the user demands it.

One of the most important parts of the HKS kit is the bypass valve. This valve was used to direct air from the supercharger to the engine at lower rpm/flow points. Once the rpm’s rise, and the engine starts to demand more air, and the turbocharger is fully spooled, the valve switches over gradually till the turbocharger alone is feeding the engine while the supercharger is completely bypassed. The twin-charged MR2′s were rumored to break the 300hp mark in some cases, depending on the final boost level and the supporting modifications, and this level of power for a 1.6 litre motor at the time was quiet astounding.

The theory behind this kind of system is to use a small positive displacement (roots style) supercharger. Supercharger performance efficiency is typically at its highest at lower engine and supercharger rpm’s (for example from idle to 4000 rpm’s). Above 4000 rpm’s the supercharger’s performance and efficiency starts to drop, the horsepower required to drive it starts to rise exponentially, and the air temperature coming out of the supercharger starts to rise dramatically limiting performance.

On the other hand, using a generously sized turbocharger will allow us to feed the engine efficiently with cooler air (than that from an overworked supercharger) and maintain high rpm performance. The problem with using a larger turbocharger is that a generously sized turbocharger typically doesn’t spool before 3000 to 4000 rpm’s giving us a limited power band and thus providing no performance boost at lower rpm’s.

The idea of twin charging is to use both a supercharger and a turbocharger to have each charger do what it does best, have the supercharger boost the motor for low end torque, and as it runs out of steam, the turbocharger comes online to carry us through to redline.

There are three aspects to these types of systems that make them prohibitive to most tuners:

1. Cost and complexity: Having a complete supercharger system as well as a complete turbocharger system on the same vehicle is a lot of money to spend and a lot of parts to deal with and diagnose in case something does go wrong.

2. The bypass valve used to bypass the supercharger (and yet hold in all the air pressure coming from the turbocharger) as well as being able to control this valve electrically or mechanically requires a custom made one off valve that isn’t quite available off the shelf. Although as I write this it seems possible to find a large sized dual chamber bypass valve plumbed to operate on the differential pressure between the turbo outlet and the supercharger outlet to switchover once the turbocharger pressure = the supercharger pressure + the tension of the bypass valve opening mechanism.

3. Since we are using two different types of chargers with two different efficiency maps, it can get very complicated to figure out how to tune the motor (especially with much simpler fuel injection systems that were used at the time) because the air density can vary dramatically at the same rpm point and pressure level depending on which charger is feeding air to the motor and at what proportion. This is also where the HKS turbo kit for the 4agze was at its weakest, namely at smoothing the transition point fueling between the supercharger to turbocharger switchover.

One of the things that has changed over the last 10 years is the availability (and proliferation of knowledge) about available alternative fuels or octane boosters. Two such options are:

1- E85 fuel which is comprised of 85% Ethanol which has an octane rating of about 100 to 105 octane vs the typical 87 to 93 octane pump gasoline.

2- Water / methanol injection systems that can be used either as supplemental fueling system (based on the methanol content which carries an octane rating of 110 octane or higher) or can be used for in cylinder cooling when the water vapor injected with the methanol transforms into steam inside the combustion chamber, thus extracting lots heat out of the combustion chamber, and thus slowing down the speed of travel of the combustion flame front simulating the effects similar to those of a higher octane gasoline.

With the availability of these octane increasing or octane simulating concoctions, it has become more accessible of recent for the performance enthusiast to build a different type of twin charger system that does not require a bypass valve.

In this type of system the supercharger outlet is routed to feed the turbocharger inlet or vice versa. Rather than either the supercharger or the turbocharger feeding the engine individually (in parallel operation) and switching between the two, we are now using a two stage compression system where one stage is the factory supercharger, and the 2nd stage is an aftermarket turbocharger system.

The net result of the two compressors is a compounding of pressure ratios. For example if the turbocharger waste-gate opening spring is set to a setting of 7psi of pressure above atmosphere (which is a pressure ratio of 1.5 given that 1 atmosphere is about 14.7 psig); and if the supercharger is mechanically geared to flow 50% more than the engine (for positive displacement roots style superchargers) at any rpm, thus having an identical 7psi boost setting or a pressure ratio of 1.5; then the resultant pressure ratio of the system combined is :

PR total = PR turbo * PR supercharger = a pressure ratio of 2.25

A pressure ratio of 2.25 is equivalent to 18.4 psi of boost (not 14psi expected by adding the two stages together).

So anyway, how does this relate to octane requirements ?

If the turbocharger is feeding the supercharger for example, and the turbocharger is ingesting fresh air at ambient air temperatures (T1), then:

1- The air exiting the turbocharger will be at a temperature T2, higher than the ambient air temperature (T1) by about 60-80*C depending on the exact turbocharger, and where we are on the turbocharger compressor and efficiency map.

2- The air entering the supercharger will enter at a temperature T2 ~=T1+60 and exit at a temperature T3 which is higher than T2 by about another 60-80*C depending on the exact specifications of the supercharger.

3- If we had an intercooler after the supercharger, then the air entering the intercooler will be at 120 to 160*C above ambient temperatures which is a lot of heat for the intercooler to attempt to shed in the short amount of time that the air passes through the intercooler core.

4- If we have no post supercharger intercooler (which is common on cars where the supercharger is packaged into the intake manifold of the car), then the air entering the engine will be at some 120 to 160*C above ambient.

5- This excessively heated air not only reduces power output (By about 1 horsepower for every 13*C) but it also increases the probability of the air fuel mixture automatically igniting in the motor pre-maturely before the spark plug has fired, and if this pre-mature ignition occurs early enough to catch the piston significantly far away from top dead center, then the battling flame front pushing the piston downwards, and the inertia of the system (and force of other firing cylinders rotating this piston via the crankshaft) pushing the piston upwards will cause extremely high pressures and a temperature rise on the surface of the piston ultimately damaging it and possibly damaging other parts of the motor as well.

For these reasons (pressure compounding, and combined temperature rise) sequential charging has seen very little application in the past. The use of a higher octane fuel by definition means that the air fuel mixture is more resilient to auto-ignition and detonation. Furthermore, in the event of a pre-mature ignition, the higher octane fuel creates a slower traveling flame front which gives the piston more time to travel upwards in the cylinder bore (Closer to top dead center) before meeting the flame front and this reduces the time that the piston surface is improperly pressurized and overheated reducing the possibility of catastrophic failure. Last but not least, the use a water / methanol injection mix includes two phase-change events:

1- The injected methanol changes from a liquid state to a vapor state at its boiling point of 65*C, i.e. as soon as it hits the compressed air mixture coming from the supercharger outlet. This phase change absorbs a lot of the heat out of the air and methanol mixture reducing inlet air temperatures even before the mixture reaches the combustion chamber and starts to get compressed. This temperature reduction goes a long way towards eliminating or highly reducing the possibility of detonation.

2- The injected water, changes from a liquid state to a vapor state at its boiling point of 100*C which depending on the availability of an intercooler in the system, my occur in the intake plumbing before reaching the combustion chamber, or may not occur until the mixture is ignited. Either way, when the temperature is high enough, the water mist injected in the air stream will flash vaporize into steam also absorbing a generous amount of the heat created in the combustion.

The availability of these two octane boosters makes it now possible for aftermarket performance part manufacturers to deliver safe and reliable sequential charging kits to the mass market.

One such kit which I ran across in an article from hot rod magazine was developed by hellion performance (http://www.hellionpowersystems.com) for the factory supercharged GT-500 mustang.

The kit supposedly produce up to 1000 horsepower at a boost level of 24 psi using two 61mm Turbonetics turbochargers.

To achieve 1000 hp requires around 1500 cfm of airflow at 24psi or 1500cfm at a pressure ratio of 2.63, or 750cfm @ 2.63pr per turbocharger.

Since most compressor maps for this size of turbocharger (61mm) peak out at around 600cfm @ 2.63 pr @ around 50% efficiency which is an extreme point on the map (i.e. the turbocharger is maxed out at this point). I’m going to say that I am confident that the kit is capable of supporting 800hp with a typical pair 61mm turbocharger, however 1000hp although dyno-proven, does not agree with what is published on most 61mm turbochargers. I’m not doubting the kit, I am stating that I don’t have a better reference for the specific turbocharger used in the kit.

Furthermore, feeding 1000hp from 8 injectors requires eight 750cc/min injectors by my estimate and this agrees with what is mentioned on Hot Rod magazine’s article of needing 75lbs/hour injectors (each lb/hour is roughly equivalent to 10.5cc/min) at a minimum or a total fuel deliver requirement of 900 liters per hour of fuel at a the fuel rail pressure which is typically around 45psi.

Looking at the flow capacity of the GS342 fuel pump supplied with the kit, which is 255lph @ 30psi, then using 3 fuel pumps gives us the capacity for 765lph which is about 2125 hp worth of fuel, so in that regard the kit is capable of supporting the power figure.

As you can see, it is possible to design such a complex system if the information (Turbocharger compressor map, turbocharger temperature map, supercharger compressor map, supercharger temperature map …etc) information were available before hand. What remains a mystery and an art of trial and failure, is how over-engineered is your engine, how much torque can it produce and still continue to survive, and how long can it continue to survive at elevated power levels. That is altogether a more exciting question to answer.



W.Baker