Other than easier install, what real advantage is there to a Supercharger?

[Future303]

....Over a Turbocharger?

I mean, the Turbo will create far less parasitic drag (maybe a bit of backpressure on the engine)and you don't have to worry about the tightness of the belt.

Since a V8 should spool a Turbo pretty quickly I don't think there would be much turbo lag at all, properly tuned probably negligible.

And it looks like it's slightly cheaper to go with a single large Turbo setup (running maybe 8psi on a stock engine?)

Opinions?

[GTStang]

Originally Posted by Future303

....Over a Turbocharger?

I mean, the Turbo will create far less parasitic drag (maybe a bit of backpressure on the engine)and you don't have to worry about the tightness of the belt.

Since a V8 should spool a Turbo pretty quickly I don't think there would be much turbo lag at all, properly tuned probably negligible.

And it looks like it's slightly cheaper to go with a single large Turbo setup (running maybe 8psi on a stock engine?)

Opinions?

Because a S/C is less complicated it is automatically more reliable. I'm not saying turbochargers are unreliable or bad but it automatically loses here . Through complexitity of the machine it's percentage of something breaking are greater along with more maintenance needed.

Tuning.... becuase a S/C is a pure rpm basis it is a lot less time and effort to tune. While a turbo is a load driven system making the tuning much more complex and hence costlier.

Just cause it's a V8 doesn't mean it will spool quickly. It depends on each individual set-up.

[TheStang00]

with modern turbos turbo lag is virtually irrelevent. also with a v8 you already have so much torque that the supercharger really isnt going bog it down much at all. one reason for the sc is that they have been around longer and ford knows how to use them, turbos are a whole nother story. ford once built a turbo car and it was very unreliable- the probe. so they just went back to what they know best.

[ModMech]

Turbos are most often just sold. Do you see ANY big names (AirReasearch, Holset, Mitsubishi etc.) selling turbo kits? NO. Why? Because it is VERY complicated to PROPERLY engineer a turbo to an engine. You must figure out what the flows are to be, at what RPM you want the most flow, how to package it, wether or not intercooling (and if so how much) is really needed, plus they add TREMENDOUS amount of underhood heat, which is NEVER dealt with in any kit form.

Look at all the OEs. How many turbo vehicles are there? Supercharged? WAY more. Why? Mostly because of the packaging and heat, but they offer superior durability (reliability) as well.

You just cannot "mess" with a S/Cs output map as easily, so for the really "go fast" types who want to get the last 0.001 shaved off the 1320', turbos are somewhat easier.

[dampachi]

Factory turbo cars: Buick Grand National, Mitsubishi Evo 8, Subaru Impreza STi, Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T and GSX (same motor as the evo8 but still). Volkswagen 1.8T cars,Toyota Supra, Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4, A bunch of random Porsches, Dodge SRT-4, etc.

Factory supercharged cars: 03/04 Mustang cobra. ....what else?

"Look at all the OEs. How many turbo vehicles are there? Supercharged? WAY more. "

I can only think of one....=/

[TheStang00]

the new chevy cobalt is supercharged stock so was the ford lightning i think, but thats the cobra engine

[stang_racer20]

Originally Posted by dampachi

Factory turbo cars: Buick Grand National, Mitsubishi Evo 8, Subaru Impreza STi, Mitsubishi Eclipse GS-T and GSX (same motor as the evo8 but still). Volkswagen 1.8T cars,Toyota Supra, Mitsubishi 3000GT VR-4, A bunch of random Porsches, Dodge SRT-4, etc.

Factory supercharged cars: 03/04 Mustang cobra. ....what else?

"Look at all the OEs. How many turbo vehicles are there? Supercharged? WAY more. "

I can only think of one....=/

What else? Regal GS, MR2, Mini, Lightning, Ford GT, Cobalt SS, Grand Prix GTP, just to name a few.

[TheStang00]

mercedes SLR McLaren, the monte carlo ss, a landrover, a bugatti, cadillac sts-v, a couple jags. im sure theres more to

[dampachi]

Toyota MR2s are turbo. And speaking of more turbo'd cars I think there was a late 80s celica that was turbo...and can't forget the RX-7s...and I'm going to go ahead and leave out the plethora of "turbo diesel" vehicles. So yeah...I think theres alot more factory turbo cars.

[CHUCK76]

I had a turbo charged 301 v8 in my 81 trans am.it was a pain to get running right.the turbo would kick in at about 20 mph.it sounded kick butt.and yes there is alot of heat under the hood.these are not cheap to install.my car was factory t/c.turbos require low compression ratio's and fordge pistons my pistons when i rebuilt the engine cost me 500$

[Ghost96Gt]

well the worlds fastest door slamer is a turbo charged monte calo. top fuel drag cars arnt turbo bc they would be to powerful. turbos are more effiecent. now the only other thing that i can think of how a super is better is the low end tourqe if u look at a dyno chat of lets say the kenne bell compared to the hp twin turbo kit u will notice that the kennebell produces near max boost at like 2500 rpms so u get power at the snap of a finger while a tubro builds max boost and power is achived higher. so pretty much u get more power off the line if ur at low rpms(more like the street)

[boosted331]

Cost and ease of install are the only things Vortech has going for them. The only people who say tuning a turbo is hard are the people that have never done it before, a good tuner with both cars can have them both nailed down in about the same amount of time. For reliability, well, if blowers were more reliable than turbos, you would see a lot of supercharged diesel semi's, not turbocharged ones.

[stang_racer20]

Originally Posted by dampachi

Toyota MR2s are turbo. And speaking of more turbo'd cars I think there was a late 80s celica that was turbo...and can't forget the RX-7s...and I'm going to go ahead and leave out the plethora of "turbo diesel" vehicles. So yeah...I think theres alot more factory turbo cars.

The 1988 Toyota MR2 was supercharged. I'm not disagreeing w/ u though. Hands down there are more factory turbo equipped cars than sc'd, but I just had to tell ya there were a couple more sc'd than just the Cobra.

[JekylandHyde]

Here's an article I wrote for the newspaper on turbos and superchargers:
http://www.jekylhyderacing.com/Story...bochargers.htm

There are lots of manufacturer's that offer SC cars stock as has been pointed out. There are manufacturer's that even offer SC kits for their cars (Toyota to name one).

Originally Posted by dampachi

Toyota MR2s are turbo.

1988 and 1989 MR2s had a supercharged engine as an option.
1991-98 they had a turbocharged engine for an option.

[Ghost96Gt]

damn jeff is in everyfreckin fourm glad to see u in here man