Turbochargers and Superchargers

There is that one component in the engine that turns an average human being into a lifelong car enthusiast. There was that one ride we got from a friend that was so life-changing that we decided to work harder at our jobs, excel in school, and clawed our way through the mud just to have one. What is this component that creates black magic while making intoxicating noises? What is this object that feels like it will propel us into the skies? This mechanical snail is responsible for so much fun yet so much heartache at times. We need more, we need bigger, we need faster. Welcomed to the Turbocharger and Supercharger section. 

Now since this website really delivers performance products around the turbocharger, the central focus of this post will be about turbochargers. We will talk about superchargers later down the page. 

When asking the car enthusiast where did the turbocharger originate? What vehicles were the first to use the turbocharger? For many, we would think back to the early '7s - specifically with that legendary 1974 Porsche 911 RSR with its silver chassis coated in black soot from the brake dust as a massive fireball belching literally right out of the large turbocharger that hung out of the rear bumper. And even earlier than that the Porshe 917 models utilized a flat 12 twin turbo engine which is absolutely wild as this was 5+ years ago when these cars utilized ancient continuous injection systems, and they had to examine the spark plugs to determine if they were running lean or rich. 

But no, it wasn't Porsche, it was Oldsmobile. We've come a long way with many changes throughout the sands of time. And we can even go earlier than that with the Swiss engineer who actually invented the turbocharger back in the early 19s but let's not. 

One of the main purposes of the turbocharger was to give smaller engine designs a boost in power without having to resort to a larger displacement engine like with a V8. Yes, many of us have heard the term, "there is no replacement for displacement", but then you're at your local drag strip on a Friday night and you see a kid with an eBay turbo kit haphazardly wedging out of the hood as he runs down an old loud muscle car. And the idea was to help save fuel economy when compared to a larger displacement engine but that went out the window long ago as soon as aftermarket companies such as the pioneers of HKS found out how to make the turbocharger whistle harder. 

As the Germans were doing their own research and development with major corporate backing from the likes of Porsche and Audi still remaining highly competitive in the IMSA circuit, and rally racing including the legendary Group B series and the Paris Dakar events, Japanese enthusiasts were conducting their own research. 

In Japan, companies such as HKS and Trust were engineering their own high-performance turbochargers and components for vehicles that participated in high-speed runs, hill climbs, and the ever-exclusive underground racing establishment known as the Midnight Racing Club. The Midnight Racing Club was a small group of members that had to prove that their vehicle was worthy by competing in high-speed runs. These vehicles consisted mainly of Porsche 93 models, as well as the Mazda RX-7, early Toyota Supra Turbo models, as well as Nissan Z models. HKS and Trust aka Greddy made components for these road-going enthusiast vehicles, but their products were also used in factory race cars that competed against other titans in Le Mans, the Rolex 24 hours, and the 12 hours of Sebring.

As the '9s approached, a new wave of turbocharged vehicles made major performance waves. Outside of the Porsche 944 turbo, the 93, the Nissan 3ZX, The latest Fairlady Nissan 3ZX really started hitting the US streets in 199. It was the beginning of the twin-turbo wars. Shortly after, we saw the debut of the Dodge Stealth Twin Turbo along with its twin, the Mitsubishi 3GT VR4 Twin Turbo. Followed by the next generation Mazfa RX-7 FD, and the MKIV Toyota Supra Twin Turbo. These models were designed to compete against the Corvettes and Mustangs at the time. During these times, the Nissan 3 ZX and the Mazda RX-7 had insanely attractive lines. The Supra was considered too bubbly at the time. We're not discussing the Acura NSX because this is about turbochargers. 

But behind the scenes of all of these twin-turbo monsters, Subaru and Mitsubishi had other plans throughout all of this chaos. Under the radar, and for the Japanese / European markets we have introduced the Subaru Impreza WRX and the Mitsubishi Evolution. Rally Racing and hill climbs were entering a new phase of interest as Rod Millen dominated the Pikes Peak Hill Climb in his All-Trac Toyota Celica Turbo, in his turbocharged Toyota Tacoma. Other competitors included Steve Beddor in his RUF 911 Turbo as well as Jeffrey Zwart in his 911 Turbo. The competitive turbocharged vehicles at the time included the likes of the Suzuki Escudo along with a heavy precise from Audi.

In the affordable US markets, enthusiasts enjoyed the Diamond Star lineup that included the Mitsubishi Eclipse, the Plymouth Laser, and the Eagle Talon. All would share the Mitsubishi 4G63 turbocharged inline-4 engine with either the FWD or AWD versions. 

Aftermarket companies were incredibly busy pumping out boost controller kits, larger intercoolers, as well as larger downpipes and cat-back exhaust systems. 

 

Today, so much in the world has changed. However, there is still a high demand for turbocharged vehicles and turbocharged performance. The science behind the turbocharger, the formula for more performance, and the overall design of the turbocharger have not really changed. The technology has advanced some in terms of turbochargers having a more efficient power delivery. But the formula remains the same. Less restriction in the intake and the exhaust combined with a good tune and proper fuel makes the turbocharger happy. Whether if you have a 22 WRX, or if you have a brand new off-the-showroom floor 223 WRX, we have a large catalog to satisfy your boosting needs. 

 

• TURBOS: If your factory turbocharger is a little tired or if your bolt-ons have surpassed the flow capacity of your current turbocharger, it is time to upgrade. So many options are available brought to you by the most trusted and familiar brands in the turbo performance industry. If you want a direct bolt-on replacement with similar power levels so you don't have to upgrade your fuel or the internals of your engine we have the right option. If you want to make 35-425 wheel with a turbo made for this power level and want a nice linear power delivery we have several options. And if you want to make more than 5 wheel, we also carry several options to suit your needs. However when upgrading turbochargers and depending on how big you go and how much power you want to make, make sure you have the appropriate fuel system, engine management, and engine components to support your decisions, all of which can be found above. 

 

• BLOW-OFF VALVES: Aside from the technicalities of relieving the intake system of excessive boost pressure when your throttle body closes to reduce compressor surge which can hurt your turbo, all we care about are the cool noises. Here, you can find all the cool noises. After all, it's one of the fun factors when driving a turbocharged vehicle. You can find the infamous bird chirper known as the HKS SSQ, you can find the turkey gobbler also known as the Tial Q, the raging sneezer known as the TurboSmart Dual Port, and the belching drunkard found in any alleyway on a Friday night. We have literal pages of options to suit your performance and sound needs. Vent to the atmosphere blow-off valves will be the loudest, but in some applications will require a tune to keep your ECU from throwing codes or prevent the car from running rich. We have recirculating options that are quiet and will work just like your factory setup and will recirculate back into your intake. And we have hybrid options which will allow the user to adjust the sound accordingly. On a serious note, however, all of the aftermarket options that we carry will feature stronger springs, and some have adjustable spring options. Because after age and mileage your factory blow-off valve, bypass valve, dump valve, or whatever technical term you choose, will become weak and you will not be hitting target boost numbers. When you have a boost leak, sometimes the turbo will work harder to create more boost to compensate for the loss of boost which can cause premature wear if not addressed in a timely manner. Because of these reasons, blow-off valves serve as performance-supporting modifications other than making intoxicating noises. 

 

• TURBO KTIS AND SUPERCHARGER KITS: Here you are either going to find larger turbo setups with the main components to upgrade your OEM setup, and you will find turbo kits and supercharger kits for those of you with a naturally-aspirated engine such as the Subaru BRZ, Scion FR-S, or the Toyota 86. Aside from several Subaru kits, you will find upgraded turbo systems for the BMW N54, or the A9 Supra. With upgraded turbos, the compressor housing design can differ from OEM as they can be larger or have a different charge pipe routing or wastegate setup. Whatever the reason, the kits will include the main components to allow you to bolt onto your engine, and you will need the appropriate tuning or other options to make these kits fully functional. The main purpose is to produce more power, so depending on your power goals, make sure you have enough fuel, and make sure your engine is strong enough to sustain the newfound power levels. 

 

• WASTEGATES: Another major component within your turbo system designed to control the boost. We carry a great selection of internal and external wastegate setups. Most all factory turbocharger systems from a modern standpoint will have an internal wastegate setup. This will have a small actuator attached to an arm that opens an internal flap inside your exhaust housing and will open to relieve excessive pressure to maintain a target boost number. External wastegates are necessary when making boost numbers that exceed the power and flow capacity of an internal wastegate setup, but can also provide better overall boost control. External wastegates also make your car sound like a jet engine taking off as it will scream off excessive exhaust gases. Compared to an internal setup, those excessive exhaust gases get pushed back through your exhaust system as an external wastegate setup is essentially a loud exhaust leak during boost. Also a very intoxicating sound, but there are exhaust options that route external wastegate setups back through your downpipe for a more quiet operation. We have a vast selection of both options to suit your needs from mild setups to wastegates designed to hold all of the boost. All of these are only brought to you by the most familiar brands in the turbocharger aftermarket. 

 

• BOOST CONTROLLERS: From manual boost controllers to electronic boost controllers, to boost controller gauges, we have a great selection to allow you to hit your preferred boost targets. Manual boost controllers are very simple, and boost can be adjusted with a simple twist of a knob, and can be mounted anywhere. Electronic boost controllers are a little more complex but will allow the user to increase the cabin of your vehicle, as long as your tune is safe and if you're running a safe amount of fuel, then increments of boost can be increased to allow you to run more power down the drag strip or on the dyno. We have many examples brought to you by the likes of HKS, GrimmSpeed, Greddy, Halman, and Turbosmart among others. All of these examples will successfully increase the boost in your turbo to make more power and performance. 

 

• BOOST CONTROL SOLENOIDS: These are very convenient, because if not controlled by your factory settings, adjustments can be made through your handheld tuning device such as an Accessport, or they can be controlled by your preferred flash tune. We carry several 3-port examples as well as other examples. All of these react quickly, and accurately to provide you with the exact boost targets you want to hit. Many tuners will have pump gas tunes that hit a certain target, and then there are other maps for ethanol or race has that will increase the boost targets. The examples that we carry are from the best brands in the industry that include GrimmSpeed, PERRIN Performance, and COBB Tuning just to name a few. These are highly durable to sustain those hot engine bay temperatures, and the majority of these units are application-specific to be plug-and-play upgrades to your boost control system.  

 

OKAY, WHAT ABOUT SUPERCHARGERS? WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?

SUPERCHARGERS are the other form of forced induction. Turbochargers use exhaust gases to force air into the cylinder through the compressor and turbine wheels. Superchargers are belt-driven by the engine and compress air into the cylinders. Superchargers will react faster in terms of lag when compared to a turbocharger, but because superchargers are belt-driven they have a power ceiling. Now superchargers are more common in large displacement V8 engines because it gives the V8 a little extra push as a single or twin turbo setup on a V8 or any other naturally-aspirated engine can only handle so much boost due to the nature of their higher compression pistons. You can run a turbocharged setup on a naturally-aspirated engine such as the Subaru BRZ, Scion FR-S, or Toyota 86, but you will need the fuel and tuning to run a turbo kit safely. A supercharger will hit peak boost much sooner than a turbocharger whereas a turbo will hit peak boost from 3-5K RPM depending on the size of the turbo, and the powerband will keep climbing where a supercharger will hit peak power levels sooner. Superchargers can also hit boost sooner with a smaller drive pulley. But like a larger turbo, you will need the right tune, and the right amount of fuel as smaller supercharger pulleys make more boost. 

Superchargers make a very distinct whining noise which is a common feature found on vehicles such as the 3-4 Ford Mustang Cobra aka Terminator, as well as all of the Dodge HellCat models. Superchargers also benefit from an intake and exhaust just like a turbo, but again because it is belt-driven, it will hit peak boost sooner where the powerband of a turbo continues to climb. 

Superchargers are great fun. Especially on pre-7 Mini Cooper S models. However, if they break they will need to be either replaced or professionally rebuilt depending on what type of supercharger it is. 

Nonetheless, a great means of forced induction. A little more complex than a turbocharger regarding the installation where the turbo installs on the exhaust side of the head and the supercharger will install on the intake side. Typically aftermarket manufacturers produce supercharger kits that are safe to run across all elevation levels and with safe boost levels. Make sure you get a proper tune still, to maximize the efficiency of your supercharger system while still maintaining safe timing levels, and safe air/fuel ratios.