Backyard Turbocharging

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What it's about!
Power Increases So how much power can you get with a turbocharger? Some general rules that allow you to estimate the power increases on a turbo car go as follows: For every 6-8 PSI of boost you get about 40% more torque. For every 15 PSI of boost you are effectively doubling the airflow (the size) of your engine. A 350ci engine becomes a 700ci engine. A 2.0L becomes a 4.0L. Some engines can produce 100% more horsepower on stock engine parts. Turbocharging raises power without raising the engine speed.

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Flexibility in Upgrades A turbocharged vehicle is unique in that it has an unlimited amount of potential. If you want more horsepower on your turbo car, you can turn up the boost. If you want better acceleration at low speed, you can go with a smaller turbocharger. If you want to get 500hp, you can. There are no limits because you can change each and every part until you reach the desired level of power. When you have boost, you do not need to change the entire engine to get the performance that you desire. On the other hand, a naturally aspirated engine is limited primarily by its design. At some point a naturally aspirated engine has to be replaced to achieve higher power levels.

Affordability Dollar for dollar, there is nothing that can compare to turbocharging. In the search for more power, non-turbo engines are usually replaced with larger engines. Engine swaps can be very expensive. Turbochargers eliminate the need for engine swaps by producing huge gains in power. Turbochargers also provide a huge level of potential for power increases later on down the road, something that engine swaps do not provide.

Ease of Installation Even if you have never rebuilt an engine before, you can probably install a turbocharger. A turbocharger is a small device and it sits on the outside of an engine. Because the turbo resides on the outside of the engine, it is not necessary to take your engine apart. The turbocharger bolts on in place of your exhaust manifold. If you can remove an exhaust manifold then you can install a turbocharger.

What you Need
Parts Required When building a turbocharged vehicle, the most challenging task is actually figuring out what you need. Parts vendors, friends and magazines do little to clarify the situation. Instead of listing one or two parts, each aftermarket company may have 100 different fuel regulators. One EBay seller might list 20 different turbochargers. The magazines often review and even recommend products that cost more than some cars. The situation leads many people into buying things they do not need. Because of the great complexity of putting together the correct parts, some people have opted to go with the easiest route and purchase a turbo-kit. There is nothing wrong with a turbo kit. You may save a great deal of time by purchasing a turbo kit that is specifically designed for your car. The problem is, most turbo kits cost twice as much as they need to. Many parts in a turbo kit are not necessary and can be discarded. It is often less costly to purchase each part individually. This allows you to pick out the
best parts for the optimal configuration. The following list details the essential parts that are required to build a turbocharged vehicle.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Turbocharger Turbo Exhaust Manifold Turbo oil feed and drain hoses Hose fittings Turbo Exhaust Downpipe Metal Intake tubing Fuel Control Device/s Boost Gauge

The list above is missing certain accessories and recommended parts, but it is an essential list. If you buy only the parts on the list, you will be able to create a running driving turbo vehicle. On the other hand, if you'd like to make a turbo vehicle that drives as though it were factory designed, you may choose to spend some extra money on small enhancements. These recommended enhancements include the following. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. PCV Oil Catch Tank Stand Alone Fuel Management Turbo Exhaust System Intercooler Oil Cooler Turbo Timer EGT Gauge Wide Band O2 Meter

You have just been given a complete list of all the parts that you need. Buying these parts in a kit is not necessary and it may not save you money. We will discuss the list of components in more detail throughout the remaining chapters. Once you understand what each component does, you can differentiate between essential items and non essential items. When you are comfortable with the technical aspects of turbocharging, chapter XIII will provide you with a step by step guide for completing your very own turbo project.

Shop Tools To build an affordable turbo vehicle, many parts will need to be custom made. If you are fortunate enough to have a good work area, then you can save money by doing your own fabrication. Below is a list of tools that are required for a totally custom Turbo project. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. MIG or Stick welder Drill Press Hacksaw Die Grinder Bench Grinder Hand Drill

If you do not have access to a shop, it is still possible to complete a turbo project. There are many shops that specialize in welding, milling and general fabrication. You can assemble your own turbo header without doing any welding. In this case you will need to improvise by designing the system and then bringing the pieces to a machine shop to get them welded, cut or milled. If you do have a shop, then you can do just about everything with the tools listed. If you enjoy working on cars and making things with metal, I'd recommend purchasing a good welder. A MIG (wire-feed) welder can be expensive, however it produces a very clean weld and takes very little skill to operate. MIG stands for Metal Inert Gas. The inert gas on a wire feed welder is used to blow away the oxygen as you weld. Oxygen destroys white hot steel and it creates air bubbles in the weld bead. Keep in mind that a low grade wire-feed welder with (flux core) wire will work just fine, however the welds are inferior to those made with shieldin
g gas. How you weld is not important, welds can be fixed later and steel is cheap. If at first you don't succeed, weld, weld again! For more information about welding, you can checkout the book called "How to weld damn near anything."