CHOOSING YOUR NEXT TURBO

The first and foremost decision to be made is what do you need for your engine, how much power, how little lag, low-end grunt or extended top-end power, we are constantly contacted by people asking for the latest spec turbo without any idea if it's actually suitable for their car or project. We need to start at the beginning.

 

The first things you need to establish are:

 

1. What is the budget and how much work is needed to get to the power goal?
2. Is the turbocharger you are seeking going to be used for a Motorsport application or are you aiming to increase everyday road performance and engine power?
3. Decide on a realistic performance target and stick to it, don’t decide that you want a turbo that will produce 300-400 bhp out of your 1.0 eco-boost engine, it won’t happen unless you have incredibly deep pockets!
4. Will my engine/application cope with my targets (ask the professionals…not the forums) remember, just because the turbocharger is capable of producing the power, it doesn't mean the engine and gearbox are capable of handling it.
5. Remember what the car is mostly used for, a 500bhp monster with tons of lag won’t be good around town or at beating someone away from the lights.
6. Once you have the answers to all these questions and with our help, you will know the turbo you need and will be happy with.

 

How to narrow it down?

 

A primary input that can help determine which turbocharger is right for you is brake horsepower. What gains are you looking for, a slight increase or a drastic improvement? Once you have established this you can narrow the list down that little bit further. Keep in mind the engine capacity, the maximum usable engine RPM and whether the turbo is to be oil or water-cooled. Once these critical answers are covered we can start to set out the exact specifications that your turbocharger will have incorporated in order to suit your exact needs.

 

A fast responding turbo or the ultimate BHP?

 

So which one to sacrifice? Will your turbocharger require a very fast response where maximum torque is focused upon? This is most commonly found in rally car engines. Or are you looking for maximum BHP that will sacrifice low-end performance? You may be sitting there thinking why not both? It is rare to find an application that has both a very quick spool times and high brake horsepower in one turbo unit, but it’s not impossible. Select applications, including our BorgWarner's EFR range of turbochargers, now offer such performance. The range produces high brake horsepower and minimal lag, so make sure to check these out on our website.

 

What’s your budget?

 

Let’s get straight to the point - How much it is all going to cost? As I am sure you are aware car parts are not cheap, especially high-end products such as turbochargers. Genuine parts, trusted brands and quality build processes can be costly. If you have a budget of £200, I’m sure you can find something on eBay in no time, however, if it’s quality and reliability you are after then speak to the specialists (Turbo Dynamics), with 30 years’ experience, we know exactly what we are doing, so give us a call and we can work out the best options for you and your budget.

 

 

For expert advice on buying, servicing, repairing or upgrading your turbo, give us a call on 01202 487497 or simply click on one of the buttons below