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| Sooo... Why do it? |
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Am i crazy? Well, yes.
There are benefiets and disadvantages to supercharging, as there are to turbocharging. Google it people, you will find thousands of comparisons, most of which will in the end present a bisaed opinion based on their own application of it. Me? ill try, TRY, to be unbiased. So my answer to which is better - Neither. They both kick arse, theyr all good fun. V8's theory of bigger = better is even a good one, bigger bang = more power, instead of trying to squeeze lots of power from a little bang. Its even better when you get a twincharged V8 engine... Mmmm.
Look up the Nissan March Super-Turbo - great example of what forced induction can do.
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So why superharge?
Lots of reasons, its more reliable, its simpler, its a smaller project, to be different - everyone wants to be different - but to be honest, i just dont have the kind of money or time that a turbo conversion requires. Just buying all the hardware to turbo a car was going to cost more than the entire supercharger project should cost me. So that was the deciding factor. See a very biased opinion on supercharging here
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Then why turbocharge?
Because ite been tried and tested. A supercharger is a belt-driven turbo basicly. (which gets me to thinking, why is there no positive displacement turbos?! They would own)
So the problem with superchargers is the belt driven part - it is powered by the engine, so it steals some power from the engine to make more power. Turbos use the exhaust gas form the engine to drive, so they are using a waste product in order to make something useful, Boost. So they dont steal from the engine! Their problem however is they run hotter, from being constantly in contact with hot exhaust gas. They need a complicated system of oil cooling pipes, intercooler plumbing, which can be there on a supercharger but isnt neccesary, they need a cool down period after running to prevent damage... they are that eficcient that if allowed they will run themselves to death. The output however is much hotter boost than from a supercharger, so while they can produce more boost it is hotter, therefore less dense and less productive. Here is a very biased comparison for turbos
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Sooo... whats the deal?
Well, like i said, i chose it because of cost mostly. And convenience - i know where to get the things i need for supercharging, and what i need, and how it all goes together. My brother did it. I know the guys who will do it for me. And it will be cheaper - even though a lot of people have been saying turbos are cheaper, i would like to see you show me a rebuilt turbo that costs less than . Then there is factoring in the whole new exhaust you will need, intercooler (they need to be bigger and more eficcient for turbo cars) oil coolers and pumps etc etc, at at the VERY BEST they are equal, if not the supercharger being by a LONG WAY cheaper. People have also been talling me it is cheaper in the long run - the worst to go wrong with the supercharger would require replacing it, for a whole more. Rebuilding or getting a new turbo costs more. It will take more modification and time than a turbo to get up to the same power level, that is when it becomes cheaper in the long run to go turbo. But all i want is 200rwkw, and i dont think thats too much to ask for at all. Especially if i have my way and have a single shot NOS kit fitted at some point... But thats a few modifications away. For me, a 12 second car (even if it is 12.99) is more than ample, seeing as i prefer drift but still enjoy dusting people off at the lights. So this is the way to go for me.
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