i understand what they do, ie forced inducion but what is the main difference between a turbo and supercharger. Superchargers have a pulley and turbo's don't. How do they work specifically. Always wanted to get a definative answer but most people i have asked have been a little vague about it. Thanks in advance.

Cheers

Aaron

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Difference between turbo and super chargers:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/question122.htm

how a turbocharger works:

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


Very good explinations of them both.. with lots of pictures

well I'll try,

A supercharger is driven from the crank so at low revs it is providing boost.

The turbo uses the exhaust gasses to spin an impellor which then provides the boost.

How this works out in practice is that the supercharger has boost and therfore torque available from low revs where as with the turbo if there is little or no gas flow through the exhaust then there is insufficient gasses to spin the turbo up to a level where it provides effective boost. So a turbo's power comes in at high revs.

The downside to the supercharger is as the engines revs increase the supercharger will tend to run out of puff so you will loose boost as tthe revs rise, turbo is the other way round That's why there are cars with both turbo kicks in as the supercharger starts to fade.

heres a good article:
http://auto.howstuffworks.com/turbo.htm

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Roads need more corners
A Deluxe(CG13DE), 2 Clubbies(998 and 1275) and 2 Morris 1100Ss

basically supechargers run of the motor, thru pulleys.

Turbo's run of your exhaust gas flow and heat.

The turbocharger is bolted to the exhaust manifold of the engine. The exhaust from the cylinders spins the turbine, which works like a gas turbine engine. The turbine is connected by a shaft to the compressor, which is located between the air filter and the intake manifold. The compressor pressurizes the air going into the pistons.

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1974 Moke - 998cc
76 Clubman B16a2 Vtec AWD Turbo 12.9@105mph
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9PW49e1hYs

in simple terms

SUPERCHARGER: a compressor driven by engine power (either by belt or gear driven) used to increase the charge (intake air) capacity of an engine.
TURBOCHARGER: a compressor driven by a small turbine driven by exhaust pressure used to increase the charge (intake air) capacity of an engine. More correctly known as turbo supercharging

Broadly speaking, a supercharger is easier for a home mechanic to fit to a mini (kit avail), and gives good low/mid range torque/power for a street car.
Turbo generally gives higher peak power & is more efficient, but you need to know what you're doing (like kazjim). My personal preference

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Too many cars, and too little time.

DAMN ! Too slow again

Somebody posts anything with the word "turbo" and an alert automatically pops up on Brad's screen

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Too many cars, and too little time.

supercharger will provide boost through out the rev range. no loss no matter of rpm.
but a supercharger uses engine power to run.

Turbos use the waste gases more efficiently. The hot gas is still expanding when it leaves the heads and the turbo uses this energy to give boost. A good turbo design places the turbo as close to the exhaust ports as possible, where it is hottest for the gases, this is the greatest expansion of gases occour.

as for effiency, depends on how the motor is made.

haha yeh i love me turbos

Also dont be fooled to think that turbos solely rely on just exhaust flow to make power, HEAT is also a massive part of a turbo system creating energy.

If you rev a turbo car in neutral to redline you will see that not much boost if any boost will be produced, but once a load is placed on the engine (driving up a hill with foot flat) heat energy and flow combine to create boost.

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1974 Moke - 998cc
76 Clubman B16a2 Vtec AWD Turbo 12.9@105mph
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9PW49e1hYs

thanks guys thats cleared it up for me, i know understand why turbo's need intercoolers, now does a supercharger need an intercooler type of setup?
Top fuelers run superchargers right? so why do the street based cars all run turbo's? is it because of the hp drain that you get from adding a pulley, but that doesn't make sense?! i don't know tell me guys?

Cheers

Aaron

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super chargers need alot of power to make alot of power...Top fuelers make something like ~8000hp but needs 1000hp to just get the supercharger to make boost.

IN a street car supercharging has it limits, most jap superchargers will not handle over 12-14psi without self destructing, but these do not require alot of power to run.

If its all out power you want turbo will always be the way to go on small displacment engines, but i have to say for streetability a supercharger is great, but once you have felt the power of boost, you will always wont more, hence why supercharged engines are alot of the time changed to turbo with small engines

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1974 Moke - 998cc
76 Clubman B16a2 Vtec AWD Turbo 12.9@105mph
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9PW49e1hYs

Superchargers (or turbos for that matter) do not need an intercooler if using a low boost pressure, but both will always benefit from it.
Due to operating speed, compressor type & heat soak from the exhaust, the charge air from a turbo will be hotter than from a supercharger for the same boost pressure.

Turbos are generally cheaper to manufacture, much smaller, & far more fuel efficient (the drain from the pulley driving a supercharger is lost energy = more fuel).

Special $$$ superchargers are needed to get boost above 12-16 psi.

That's why they are so much more common.

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Too many cars, and too little time.

pipped again !

I fold Brad

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Too many cars, and too little time.

I go all in mate

Turbos are getting faster and faster every year, take for example in the USA, TITAN motorsports supra, running a 3 Litre block, yes only 3L.....SINGLE turbo on the weekend they ran a 6.44@218mph, now that is only two 10th's of victor brays best time in his 7Litre 3000hp funny car

Video of the fastest compact drag car today:

http://www.dragracingonline.com/agent13 ... /scion.wmv

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1974 Moke - 998cc
76 Clubman B16a2 Vtec AWD Turbo 12.9@105mph
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V9PW49e1hYs

compressing air will always increase its temp. The idea of an intercooler is to reduce the temp of the air.............. hot air rises because it is less dense............. so if you cool your charge you get more in, by decreasing the density.

But when you compress in an air compressor it get colder? that is odd?! time to pull out the physics ext books i think.

Cheers

Aaron

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