Turbo charger or super charger?!?!?!

[Chekmi21]

First off...what is the difference between the two.
Second...how much will it increase my horsepower.
Third...how much does it cost installed?

[P10DET]

Originally posted by Chekmi21
First off...what is the difference between the two.

Well, first of all, some folks also call a turbocharger a supercharger. Both make power by taking in ambient air and compressing it into the engine, basically stuffing more air into the engine than it can suck in by itself.

Typically, a supercharger is driven off the crankshaft while a turbocharger is driven by exhaust gases. A properly sized turbo will kick supercharger ass any day. There is a common misconception that superchargers have no lag while turbos do. In fact, superchargers lag as well and a properly sized turbo will spool up significantly faster than a supercharger.

Turbos kick supercharger ass.

Originally posted by Chekmi21
Second...how much will it increase my horsepower.

How much money do you have?

Originally posted by Chekmi21
Third...how much does it cost installed?

That depends upon how much power you want to make, which is, of course, dependent upon how much money you have.

I'm being funny, but there is no set answer to question number 3 and question number 2 has no specific answer. An SR20DET can be made to easily (and relatively cheaply) make 250 bhp. You can get a turbo SR20 to make 500 hp to the wheels if you have enough money (and more if you have more money).

[Chekmi21]

OK so the rumor I heard about superchargers working at low speeds and the turbocharger working at high speeds is false?

Also where would I go to get a turbo charger?

So if I wanted total power of like 250 or so hsp....then how much would that cost me?

[P10DET]

Originally posted by Chekmi21
OK so the rumor I heard about superchargers working at low speeds and the turbocharger working at high speeds is false?

Yes. It's a common misconception. There are lots of reasons for it and I used to even believe it. The fact is, a [i]correctly[/u] sized turbo will build boost faster than a supercharger and will work better over a much wider rpm range.

Originally posted by Chekmi21
Also where would I go to get a turbo charger?

I would do a search on the web. If you want to buy a turbo, get a Garrett. You will actually want to either buy a kit or a SR20DET. Kits are available from Hotshot and F-Max.

Originally posted by Chekmi21
So if I wanted total power of like 250 or so hsp....then how much would that cost me?

Figure about $2,000-4,000.

[DVSNCYNIKL]

Click here for a more in depth description. Pull up a seat, it's a lot of reading.

Click here

[P10DET]

Originally posted by DVSNCYNIKL
Click here for a more in depth description. Pull up a seat, it's a lot of reading.

Click here

Just be careful. The guru has made some statements that are not true. One major one is that turbos lag and superchargers don't. I still say if you want a excellent primer on forced induction, read what Mike Kojima wrote in SCC in his Suck, Squish, Bang, Blow series. Mike is an engineer working in both the OEM field and performance aftermarket. He used to work for TRD building racing engines.

For another resource on the discussion, check the SE-R Mailing List archives. They include some excellent technical information about turbos vs superchargers with a lot posted by Rob Cadle, an engineer for Garrett Turbos. Don't think that Rob is biased. He works with superchargers too (for big rigs). Rob and Mike both go into depth about the advantages of a turbo over a supercharger and the popular myths about both.

There are a lot of myths and misconceptions when discussing turbos vs superchargers. A lot of the myths about turbos is based upon old school turbos and turbo systems. I know because I used to believe the myths and know better now.

Lastly I'll say this for now.....

I think you will find turbos to work better in situations with a wider rev range than a supercharger will. That is because a turbo is not dependent upon engine rpm for shaft rpm. So, a properly sized turbo will make boost sooner than a supercharger. Also, in racing where superchargers andturbochargers are allowed, you will find turbochargers. In Top Fuel drag racing you find superchargers because turbos are banned.