I need some education on Turbos. I have an idea on how turbos work but I've been told different things and don't know which to believe.

Quote #1 "If you put a turbo after the manifold you don't have to start the car and wait for it to warm up and when you get to your destination you can just shut it off without a worry. Because the 300ZX have the turbos placed after the manifold and they do this."

Quote #2 "If you put a turbo on the intake it will give you more power than if you put in on the manifold, because by placing it on the exhaust it will try to suck power out of the motor and it will screw it up."

Quote #3 "If you have a twin cam car you should put twin turbos so the motor stays balanced"

Quote #4 "If you have a turbo you can start or stop the motor without worrying about the turbo unless you have raced. If you've raced you should let it cool down before shutting off the motor."

Question #1 I've heard about the turbo timers and wondered if they work with a standard trans. 'Cause when I park my car I leave it in gear and put on the e-brake. How can I leave it in a gear and let the turbo timer shut off the motor by itself? (I think that's how the turbo timer works).

Question #2 Will a turbo cause a lot of excessive wear on a daily driven car? If so, what will it wear?

Well if you've read THIS far I should thank you. Thanx and hope you can help.

 

Oh my lord...

#1. You don't have a header on a turbo car, you have an exhaust manifold that connects to the turbine side of the turbo.

#2. The turbine side of the turbo is connected to the compressor side which does all the sucking. Before you reach boost, you are in vacuum, no way around it.

#3. Biggest piece of **** I've ever heard

#4. Starting the car doesn't matter, but even after a regular drive you should give the turbo time to cool down.

#1. You can't, you MUST take your car out of gear and have the hand brake up in order for the the turbo timer to work.

#2. Dependent on how much boost you run, but if your fuel mixtures is fine, and on a stock motor like our own, you don't push more that 6 psi daily, you should be fine.

 

When I said header I meant manifold. It's just that I was momentarily confused. I thought that the pipes that inject the gas were called the manifold. I stand corrected. Thanx.

The way that I think that the turbo works is that when you shift gears the turbo sucks out the exhaust fumes and pushes air through the intake. I'm not 100% on how it's connected but that's why I'm asking.

 

this is a good link for the basics on the topic...

http://www.howstuffworks.com/turbo.htm

 

Thanx JJB. I checked out the link and it was quite helpful. After I finished reading that, I went to turbo international and saw a tip and it said what I most feared.

"Wait for the oil to warm to reg temp. before reving"
"Wait for the engine to cool off a little before turning off the engine."

These are the ONLY two reasons that I haven't installed a Turbo. As soon as some company designs a products that will give me the same performance and is in the same price range of a turbo, I most probably will buy it. And the topic you linked to was basically the way I thought a turbo worked, before I got all the quotes that I mentioned before.
Thanx again

 

Uhh, I really don't see what the problem with the heat is... Any forced induction product is going to produce extra heat and need a proper cool down before shutting the engine off. To tell you the truth, you should do that with your engine as well to prevent hot oil from sitting on the bearings and seals. This can cause flat spots on working parts. I've been a happy turbo owner for over a year now and haven't had one problem with mine.

 

Fred-

You MUST let the engine "warm up" when you start it and you MUST let it "cool down" before turning off the engine. the reason is that if you rev it high when you just start the oil hasnt mad its way to the turbo center yet-since turbos can spool to 100,000rpms, thats enough friction to melt, yes melt, the ball bearings or bushings depending on the turbo. Same thing applys to shutting the engine off after a hard pull. The oil will coke to the bearings and the heat damage will, if your lucky, only affect the turbo. Besides, isn't a 100+ hp gain worth letting the car start for 2 mins and cool down for 5?

 

I know it's worth it! But let's make a situation...
I'm L-A-T-E I've been 10 minutes looking for a parking at college and I finally find one. Now I'm 15 minutes late and now I have to wait FIVE MORE because of the turbo. Then I have to walk 3 more minutes to get to the classroom.

Unless I do that turbo timer thing. How much do those run for? ($$$)

 

Turbo timers wont slow the turbine down for you-they range from $30 for the mechanical bearing and spring to the elaborite APEX'I and other digital ones for up to 800 bux. I hear your pain-I'm at FSU and its at least 15 mins to find a spot. All I can say is put the turbo in and floor it-you'll get there earlier .

 

A)It is only school, who cares if your late

B) Your in school, your not supposed to be able to afford a turbo

 

do you have to let an engine with a supercharger also cool down before you shut the engine off? is it required anyway?

 

I would if I were you. Some superchargers are also oil cooled, so the same goes for them. Both units use some sort of cooling method: some use oil and some use coolant.

 

here's what corky bell has to say about turbo timers, take from it what you will....

The perceived problem:
......
"1: supplying lubricant to the turbo prior to start-up, to replace oil that drains away while the turbo is stationary.

2: supplying lubricant to the turbo after engine shut-off stops the oil pump.

3: pumping a given amount of oil through the turbo after shut-off, to help remove heat from the bearing cavity, reducing the oil's tendancy to coke.

While all these intentions are honorable enough, there are a few floors in the scheme:

1: All of the oil does not flow out of the turbo bearing. Further, the turbo does not leap into action on start-up. Rather, it achieves a rotational speed at idle similar to that of your ceiling fan.

2: When an engine is turned off, the instant the spark is discontinued, heat available to the turbo for its driving power is removed, and the turbo stops. Generally the turbo will stop before the engine's rotation ceases. A non-rotating turbo needs no lubrication.

3: Removing heat from the turbo is always a good idea. However, a turbo that is already air cooled, oil cooled and probably water cooled is going to enjoy little extra benefit from one more quart or so of oil pumped through it to cool it. Not cost effective.

Determine precisely what an oil system aid will do for you and for the manner in which you operate your automobile. If the aid suits your needs, buy it and good luck to you."

Direct Quote from "Maximum Boost" by Corky Bell.

 

how does the timer supply oil to the turbo before and after the engine is turned on? Isn't the oil pumped like a syphone when the engine is started?

These are all good points. But let me set the stage. You've just started your car, and your late (politto ) so you floor it. The engine itself can be damaged if oil doesnt make it to all the parts. Same thing should apply to turbo's. Even though they have oil in the cartridge there is still a moment of vulnerability isn't there? Also, let's say you've just finished a drag, or other hard pull. Then shutting off the engine could coke the hell outta the bearings/bushings.

What corky said does apply but mostly to commuter type driving. I was just explaining the extremes. If your just driving from A to B then you can turn off the engine w/o worrying about the turbo. Correct me if i'm wrong-been awake for 19 hours.

 

its all good. i reckon there is no right or wrong here, just considered opinion, so its good to get as much info as you can collect.

btw, "maximum boost" where i got that quote from isn't about building "commuter systems", its about building performance systems.

i have to admit, i'll buy a turbo timer when i eventually get around to this project just so i can walk away with the car still running.
small things amuse other small things as the saying goes.