Turbo info.

[jdhill]

Anyone recommend a good, how to, book on turbocharging. Have a basic understanding, looking for detailed setup info, comparisons, etc. up to date would be good. Thanks. Quick question, are inter-coolers really worth the extra plumbing for a street engine??

[oldsinner111]

yes intercoolers help a bunch.look at turbo bandits set up

[duxthe1]

Maximum Boost by Corky Bell is the default answer to that question though I personally have never read it. Technology has come a long way in the last several years so it may be a bit dated but still likely worth the price. The internet can be a good source of info but difficult to filter the bs. What are you interested in turbo-ing?

Intercooler is an integral part of a good system and is worth whatever effort it requires to fit one. I use an air to water unit. The boost plumbing is simple and easy but the heat exchanger plumbing adds complexity. Air to air is simpler but real estate can be a limiting factor. The trick to a good system is figuring out which compromises will work best to acheive your goal. Oh and have a goal, dont just buy a bunch of parts that the internet says is best.

[oldsinner111]

i've been told to stay away from godspeed stuff.

[MAG58]

Originally Posted by duxthe1

Maximum Boost by Corky Bell is the default answer to that question though I personally have never read it. Technology has come a long way in the last several years so it may be a bit dated but still likely worth the price.

x2. Depending on your moral compass, there may or may not be a PDF which you should not download.* The book is still a good read and the foundations of calculating flow rates and being able to read maps are still valuable in today's world.

A more modern and more basic (and picture intensive) book would be the Performance How-To Turbo by Jay Miller. It was released in 2010 and has a little more up to date information on turbos but lacks some of the detail of Corky Bell's book.



If you're looking for specific examples on Mercedes engines however I'd reckon you're SOL.



*I think I covered the legal aspect for peachparts on that one.....

[jdhill]

Playing with the idea of turbo'ng my M110. Those cast iron blocks with 7 main cranks are bulletproof. Friends have said just swap it out for an M104 and get better breathing but I have $1500 in parts and machine work in it. Thanks for the info, sure are a lot of books on the subject.

[MAG58]

Originally Posted by jdhill

Playing with the idea of turbo'ng my M110. Those cast iron blocks with 7 main cranks are bulletproof. Friends have said just swap it out for an M104 and get better breathing but I have $1500 in parts and machine work in it. Thanks for the info, sure are a lot of books on the subject.

Your friend sounds boring. A turbo M110 would be sweet.

[jdhill]

Thanks everyone, ordered both the Bell and Miller books.

[jdhill]

Just a follow up. Have had a chance to read through both the Bell and Miller
Turbo manuals and while they both have in depth coverage and pictures, I feel
I got everything I really needed to know from the 94 page manual Garrett has for free on there site. Plus pre-printed maps of all their units and they are up to date. Hope this might help someone else. Thanks.

[oldsinner111]

a ball bearing turbo spools faster.

[tbomachines]

I think the biggest hurdle would be fabricating the exhaust headers/manifolds. Might be interested in doing a "rear" turbo setup (further down the pipe) if plumbing isn't an issue. Personally I'd do a supercharger, a bit simpler and does not require exhaust work unless you need the extra breathing.

Turbo options are nearly endless and "x spools faster than y" completely depends on your engine, air flow, turbo itself, etc. that's what the maps are for.

I thought about doing some FI work to my m103 and honestly the supporting mods were not worth it (read: transmission) and the power levels are just meh.


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[MAG58]

Originally Posted by tbomachines

I think the biggest hurdle would be fabricating the exhaust headers/manifolds. Might be interested in doing a "rear" turbo setup (further down the pipe) if plumbing isn't an issue. Personally I'd do a supercharger, a bit simpler and does not require exhaust work unless you need the extra breathing.

Turbo options are nearly endless and "x spools faster than y" completely depends on your engine, air flow, turbo itself, etc. that's what the maps are for.

I thought about doing some FI work to my m103 and honestly the supporting mods were not worth it (read: transmission) and the power levels are just meh.


Sent from an abacus

Except the supercharger drive is not an easy task if you're doing it yourself and requires quite a bit more precision.

Also, what power level do you need to not be 'meh'? After getting a trans under it, the 103 is a strong motor.

[yzn]

Originally Posted by oldsinner111

a ball bearing turbo spools faster.

how much faster? couple hundred rpms? i dont think they worth the extra money

[duxthe1]

The ball bearings are more for thrust load than anything. Im surprised they spool as fast as hydrodynamic bearings, even.

[tbomachines]

Originally Posted by MAG58

Except the supercharger drive is not an easy task if you're doing it yourself and requires quite a bit more precision.

Also, what power level do you need to not be 'meh'? After getting a trans under it, the 103 is a strong motor.

They've both got their challenges, for me the supercharger seems less daunting but I suppose it depends.

For power, I think what prevented me was the "why" question. I would want at least 300hp from putting in all that work and money which would require a lot more than just 6-7 psi from a turbo or supercharger (of course built internals can handle more but try and find some). Other than having a lot of time and money to burn I can't think of a good reason to take that approach vs just buying a newer car that is more performance and tuning oriented. I chose option b and don't regret it.

That said it changes things if you have a spare turbo lying around or whatever. And of course there are folks on here who are dedicated to adding FI to these cars, cost no object so YMMV.


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