I am currently working on a '76 Skylark, and will be recieving a 350 v-8 out of a '78 LeSabre. With gas prices going up, as well as my want for more horses, I am seriously considering on either turbocharging or Supercharging that beast. Now my question is, which one, how much boost, and what do I need to change in the engine to make sure it wont blow up after 6-months of being 'charged in a certain way. Any suggestions? :3gears:
huffed Well that depends on what you plan to do with the car. Turbo charging will be more complicated but will let you use octane from 93 to 114 depending on your boost level which you can alter from the driver's seat if you choose to. You can set your power level wherever you want provided you have enough bottom end to handle it. Turbo cars for the street like 8-1 compression ratios so if your compression is higher than that your boost will be limited as your cylinder pressure will get too high. Supercharged cars cannot alter boost so easily and that limits your octane requirements. You can set either to run on 93 octane and probably produce about the same power level but a supercharged car has far less lag time for playing on the street. If you plan on it being a pump gas street car go with the supercharger. My two cents. Mikey
Depends on what the limits of your fabrication skills are. If your good making headers / pipes, I'd say turbo. If not go the charger route. Both ways are great for making streatable cars run like race cars. :3gears:
Hmmm...interesting to say the least. I plan on keeping it street legal, but unfortunately, I have had no experience with creating headers/turbo pipes, but since I am going to Wyotech, I might just learn that. So if I get a supercharger, will I need to go with dish cyllinder heads to keep the compression low? How much boost would be ok without it severely hampering the engine life?
I have a turbocharged 455 in a 72 Skylark. It runs good now, but it took about two years of tuning, changing turbine housings, carb changes etc. I think a blower would be more "bolt on". I have over 40 hours in fabrication just on the pass header for the turbo to go on. If you want a learning experience the turbo would good, but it will be alot of one off stuff and fabrication. Either way is definatly worth the trouble though, mine makes just over 600ftlbs of tourqe at the flywheel, idles like stock, pulls like a diesel at low end, and uses pump gas. Pretty cool setup. Thanks Brent
The Buick 350 your talking about using has a low comp ratio, so that is fiine. Throw some boost on it and see what happens!!
A friend of mine is a senior engineering student, and part of his senior project was turbocharging a SBO in a '64 Cutlass. Check out his cardomain link below for videos, pictures and the entire build up process. Its still a WIP, and its ugly, but its a GREAT example for you to look at. http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2243340/1 :Comp:
Superchargers are cool. Turbo's have (for me) that ricer image. Or, lets put it this way. My brother is an attorney, and he bragged about having a turbo in his Saab.
Been running mine with 31 degree's and 10 to 12 psi... a little alky goes along way with allowing you to keep timing in.
I've been thinking about this for years, and now there is no question in my mind that a supercharger is the way to go. My reasoning: - Either will create boost - The setup exists for a supercharger (www.xsperformance.net) no custom headers or that stuff - With a turbo, you have to get into the engine's oiling system, and probably change to a HV pump. This is risky because if either part fails, it will take the other with it (i.e. metal shards will travel through the oil). The Supercharger is self-contained, and a failure will not ruin the engine. - On my car, I can disconnect the belt from the supercharger easily and just change programs in my fuel injection's computer. Turbos would always be there. - Boost creates heat either way, but I am afraid of the extra heat from turbos since they have the hot exhaust going through them. - I got a quote for a turbo setup (including intercoolers) for about $9,000 complete. The supercharger is a bit more than 1/2 of that. - I've had a hard time finding turbos for 4 - 6 PSI. The Grand National turbos, for example, start at 14 PSI and go up easily. 14 PSI on a Buick Block would be destruction (although the 350 is a bit beefier/CI from what I understand) Having said all of that, turbos have about 10-times the "coolness factor" of superchargers. They sound awesome and people are more impressed. If a turbo system fell in my lap, I would certainly use it! -Bob Cunningham
yes, that's a fair amount of boost,12psi.and alky can certainly have it's advanages. :TU: It's just nice to have a timing controller at your fingertips so you can run any type of fuell.A BTM has no downsides except the price of purchase.
Turbo 455 Hi, I have a 75 455 for a 65 special. For my next project I was thinking of jerry rigging a turbocharger to it. Does anyone know how this works on old big blocks or if there are problems. All I have seen is the supercharged ones and I don't want to go that way. I want to be slow off the line and then bam, there goes a civic. Sort of the sleeper aproach.
if you want to go sleeper, supercharge it, because superchargers make no turbine noise (most of them, blowers, on the other hand do.) You want to beat a civic? I'm suprised you haven't, but like the guys have said to me, you have to have knowledge of how to do the piping bends and such. Plus, why be slow off the line when you can be fast all the time?
yes, i'm intrested as well, because now that I have the v8 in, I actually have MORE space for an intercooler and such than I did with the v6. Imagine that! :shock:
