Some very general questions about turbo's/SC's..

[IFX]

Hey guys, I'm trying to better understand the differences between the two.. Turbo and SC.. .

I wanted to know, which one is better as a daily driver?
Also, I read that the SC is better at lower speeds, this true?
And which one requires tuning?
And which is likely to cause more problems to the engine if something goes wrong?
And which one is easier to install?


I have some more, but I just needed to understand these for now.. Any help would be appreciated.. I someday wish to Turbo or SC one of my own cars..

[TxZHP04]

Either can be perfectly fine for a DD - either can also be made to run poorly or exceed the limits of practicality on the street. It really depends on the particular setup.

Some superchargers might be better at low rpm than a really big single turbo that takes forever to spool - fortunately this isn't the only way to design a turbo setup. And not all SCs provide significant low end boost. Once again, the specifics really depend on the particular setup.

BOTH require tuning.

The most likely thing that will cause "problems to the engine if something goes wrong" is the tune. Since both require tuning, there is no difference in risk between a turbo or SC. The important thing is to buy a kit with a good reliable tune from a reputable vendor. As I've said before, the specifics really depend on the particular setup.

Which is easier to install? Well, you might have guessed by now: it really depends on the particular kit.

There are differences (such as in power delivery) between turbos and SCs and even between the different compressor designs used in SC kits. There really are no general answers to your general questions though - you really have to compare specific kits by measuring them against your goals and expectations.

[IFX]

That last paragraph summed it up for me, lol.
The supercharger is belt driven correct?

Thanks!

[TxZHP04]

Yes, a supercharger is belt driven. A turbo is driven by the flow of exhaust gases.

[IFX]

At what point is it determined that you need to start running race gas instead of pump gas?

[parad0x]

Yes, a supercharger is belt driven. A turbo is driven by the flow of exhaust gases.

Well written simplified paragraph as to how the two are conducted and with regards to his question. Though would be good to point out as well that since the Supercharger is belt driven it suffers parasitic loss which makes it less efficient, as opposed to a turbo setup where it's gas driven on heat energy that has already made it's way out of the power plant thus almost recycling the power that would of been lost, thus making more power more efficiently.

There is also advantages to boost control, where turbo setups can adjust boost on the go (while driving, at the press of a button on a boost controller placed inside the vehicle) whether it be lower or raise it where as a supercharger kit would require pulling over to the side of the road, popping open the hood and using tools to swap pulleys to change boost settings.

I hope I didnt just instigate a sc >|< turbo war in this thread, but I have to stand by turbo > supercharger systems. Interesting fact as well is that you will find a lot of people getting rid of their supercharger kits in replacement with better turbo kit but you wont see a lot of turbo guys converting to supercharger kits, so that speaks for itself.

[parad0x]

At what point is it determined that you need to start running race gas instead of pump gas?

when the detonation point of the gas becomes an issue (early combustion before completion of compression stroke), too many varibles play in this (power, compression, octane, heat, etc)

[TxZHP04]

Though would be good to point out as well that since the Supercharger is belt driven it suffers parasitic loss which makes it less efficient, as opposed to a turbo setup where it's gas driven on heat energy that has already made it's way out of the power plant thus almost recycling the power that would of been lost, thus making more power more efficiently.

This difference is largely philosophical as both offer considerable more power than stock. Does anyone really care if a turbo nets a few more hp lb for lb of boost?

There are also a lot of other things to understand when choosing between tc vs sc, centri vs pd, roots vs ts, etc, etc. I don't care to repeat an encyclopedia worth of such readily available information. If one wants to know more, I might suggest the following as a starting point:

http://www.my330i.com/boost.php

[TxZHP04]

I hope I didnt just instigate a sc >|< turbo war in this thread, but I have to stand by turbo > supercharger systems. Interesting fact as well is that you will find a lot of people getting rid of their supercharger kits in replacement with better turbo kit but you wont see a lot of turbo guys converting to supercharger kits, so that speaks for itself.

One is not inherently better or worse than the other. They are merely different approaches, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Which is "best" depends on a person's goals and expectations and what's "best" for your needs might not be "best" for mine.

[parad0x]

that article is well put together, though a bit biased towards ESS's supercharger system it is still worth a read (also check out http://www.automotivearticles.com/123/Supercharger_vs_Turbocharger_.shtml ). In the end I would suggest to the original poster to do some online research (google is a good start) and try to find some unbiased reviews on your own. Good luck !

[TxZHP04]

that article is well put together, though a bit biased towards ESS's supercharger system it is still worth a read (also check out http://www.automotivearticles.com/123/Supercharger_vs_Turbocharger_.shtml ). In the end I would suggest to the original poster to do some online research (google is a good start) and try to find some unbiased reviews on your own. Good luck !

Ironic that you are so concerned about bias when you yourself are so openly biased towards turbo. :hi:

[parad0x]

Ironic that you are so concerned about bias when you yourself are so openly biased towards turbo. :hi:

I am biased towards turbos as I do favour that myself, but like I mentioned I did recommend the OP to do some research on his own using google as a start to get unbiased opinions on the subject. google turbo vs supercharger, or turbo supercharger differences and you will get a lot of results.

[beanfree]

Keep in mind that efficiency of the particular supercharger head unit will effect how much power, if any, a turbo kit may make over a supercharger kit with similar boost.

I would agree that the general view is that a turbo kit is better than a supercharger kit, however I would contend that this position would only be true in case of a well designed variable vane turbo (which are not offered in any tuner kits as far as I know).

As far as any tuner turbo vs. supercharger kits, you have to look at each kit closely, then compare them and determine what suits your needs better.

The search function is your friend. Use it.