Turbo conversions

Batf1nk · 23 Dec 2002 at 22:26

Is turbo'ing an n/a car as easy as I think it is, or am I missing something.

Is it just a case of fitting a turbo, intercooler, piping, lowering the compression ratio, and adjusting the fueling/rechipping?? Or am I missing something?

Im not gonna do it to my current car, I've just been thinking about potential projects for the future/my next car etc..

So, is that all there is to it?

Slime101 · 23 Dec 2002 at 22:29

If you call all that mechanical work easy then yes - oh and you need deep pockets, to the tune of approx £1500min i think! :eek:

Simon · 23 Dec 2002 at 22:31

The engine also needs to be capable of handling the extra power.

Guest · 23 Dec 2002 at 23:16

i like the way you make it sound soooooo easy m8.

just adding an oil feed and return for the turbo can end up being a nightmare. not to mention getting the fuelling set perfectly through out the rev range.

I wish you all the luck in the world m8.

when you do it, we need piccies :cool:

Batf1nk · 23 Dec 2002 at 23:43

lol. So its not as easy as it looks then.

It just looks pretty imo. Plus I gathered the fueling/rechipping would need to be done by a pro.

I had these plans of finding a rear ended scooby or something and transplanting the good bits. That way it'll cost a fair bit less than someone else doing it.

Looks like i'll have to dream up another plan now

IainB · 23 Dec 2002 at 23:58

Originally posted by Batf1nk
I had these plans of finding a rear ended scooby or something and transplanting the good bits. That way it'll cost a fair bit less than someone else doing it.

If your thinking of getting something thats rear ended, then it would be a lot easier to transfer the complete engine, ECU, harness etc etc, than taking bits and bolting these to a N/A engine.

Malt_Vinegar · 24 Dec 2002 at 00:41

If you 3 want easy power, NOS is the way to do it!! Requires only a tiny bit of under-bonnet fiddling

Can be done by anyone with the right tools, and a bit of know how!

Dogbreath · 24 Dec 2002 at 07:29

Originally posted by Batf1nk
Is it just a case of fitting a turbo, intercooler, piping, lowering the compression ratio, and adjusting the fueling/rechipping?? Or am I missing something?

You can't just bolt a turbo to your existsing manifold, you need one designed for the job or you will have to fabrictae your own if it's a one off design.

Intercooler fitting and plumbing isn't too hard if there is plenty of room under the bonnet, otherwise you have to start moving things around to make space.

Lowering the CR is not as easy as it sounds. You can use the bodgers method of a thicker head gasket, but this destroys any squish the combsution chamber might have. Squish helps prevents detonation and is almost essential if you want to use a decent amount of boost. To do the job properly requires machining the combsution chamber, the pistons or both. Turbo'd engines often use sodium cooled exhaust valves to get rid of the huge amount of heat.

The standard ECU is unlikely to be suitable for pressures above atmospheric. The sensor will likely not have the required range and the mapping certainly won't. You may need larger injectors to cope with the amout of fuel required at WOT with high boost.

Then you have to consider the rest of the drivetrain. Is the bottom end of the engine up to the job? Turbos produce a lot of torque, the standard clutch and gearbox might not last long. And then of course the handling and brakes need to be sorted to cope with the extra power.

Still think it's easy?

gambitt · 24 Dec 2002 at 08:34

Originally posted by Malt_Vinegar
If you 3 want easy power, NOS is the way to do it!! Requires only a tiny bit of under-bonnet fiddling

Can be done by anyone with the right tools, and a bit of know how!

agreed. n2o is the easy way to go. I haven't used it myself but have done extensive research into how to install it and what it will give you etc. with a week of reading up on the web and asking the pros a few questions you should be able to install your own n2o system. And what I like about it is you don't race everywhere... you have a normal car, then when you want some more power, flick the arm switch and engage n2o mode

. The recommended setup is to not to have a button to spray (fast & furious style) but to have your accelerator pedal rigged up so that when you hit 4000rpm the n2o sprays and stops spraying just before the redline/rev limit (i think to prevent blowing your engine! :eek:

)

I'm still looking into this for my car. I think you can get a kit for £500ish and install it youself

does anyone know the laws on n2o? I've heard it's legal if it's not connected, but not sure how accurate this is.

sorry for going slightly off topic!

L Plate · 24 Dec 2002 at 09:03

most N02 systems these days are designed for Wide open throttle, i.e when you floor it, as far as legality is concerned i am pretty sure it is legal to use the biggest problem is finding an insurance company that will touch you with it fitted

gambitt · 24 Dec 2002 at 09:08

Originally posted by L Plate
most N02 systems these days are designed for Wide open throttle, i.e when you floor it, as far as legality is concerned i am pretty sure it is legal to use the biggest problem is finding an insurance company that will touch you with it fitted

surely you can just "forget" to mention it to them

Mr_Sukebe · 24 Dec 2002 at 09:35

Wouldn't it be easier to just buy a car that's already a turbo?

You could get an old 5 for bugger all, or how about something considerably faster, i.e. a Nissan 200SX. They have similar straight line performance to a BM330, but can be bought for a couple of grand in total.

walsherz · 24 Dec 2002 at 10:11

Originally posted by gambitt
surely you can just "forget" to mention it to them

Thats not a very good attitude to have, even if it was in jest :rolleyes:

Yeah ok so they come out easy but what happens if you have an accident or have to make a claim. Quickly and sneakly take it out ?
Then what happens if you cant, say you get taken to hospital and your car gets towed !!
The crash might not have been your fault and you could require medical help which the insurance would normaly pay for (not forgeting the car), this way you get knack all except maybe trouble with the law.

If you cant afford the insurance then dont buy the car.

/ scurries back to dark little corner

gambitt · 24 Dec 2002 at 11:38

Originally posted by walsherz
Thats not a very good attitude to have, even if it was in jest

Yeah ok so they come out easy but what happens if you have an accident or have to make a claim. Quickly and sneakly take it out ?
Then what happens if you cant, say you get taken to hospital and your car gets towed !!
The crash might not have been your fault and you could require medical help which the insurance would normaly pay for (not forgeting the car), this way you get knack all except maybe trouble with the law.

If you cant afford the insurance then dont buy the car.

/ scurries back to dark little corner

hence the reason why I haven't got n2o... yet

edit: what about the very few people who use n2o on track days only? do they have to remove it everytime they go back on the road? This is actually what I'd like to do.

L Plate · 24 Dec 2002 at 13:09

taking the kit out isnt such a difficult job and to be fair most people who actually use the stuff can afford to, at around £50 for bottle of the stuff that lasts most people around 3 minutes at full belt it aint cheap

walsherz · 24 Dec 2002 at 13:49

Originally posted by gambitt
hence the reason why I haven't got n2o... yet

edit: what about the very few people who use n2o on track days only? do they have to remove it everytime they go back on the road? This is actually what I'd like to do.

There shouldnt be anything wrong with that the way i see it but insurance companys probably wont see it the same way

They'll do anything to not pay out on a claim or bump up your premium.

You could just disconect the bottle for road use but its still a mod so i reckon you would have to sort out a special policy (if they would do that) but then how do you prove you have'nt been using it for road use ?
Its a bit like buying a powerful car and then saying that you'll only drive it at half throttle, no insurance company would believe that.

The only way round it would be to totaly strip it off the car and then refit it at the race track as your insurance is void there anyway. bit of a pain tho'

Ev0 · 24 Dec 2002 at 13:51

BB tunign are finishing off their turbo conversion for teh clio/19 16 valve engine.

So far its up to about 300bhp, they reckon for small bursts higher boosts are very well possible giving even more power for short periods of time.

They reckoned the internals were very strong in the engine.

And the price?

£4500ish for the low boost setup, and someone mentioned £7000 for the high boost???!!!

Or pop along to www.fastchip.nl and theyll send you the parts for 3300 euros (garret t25 turbo, FMIC, manifold, thicker head gasket setup mind you, chip etc).

Dead and Gone · 24 Dec 2002 at 22:21

forget NOS get a turbo car and stick a bigger turbo on it... more power and the fact it doesn't cast you £50 for a few mins of fun

Mr_Sukebe · 2 Jan 2003 at 08:49

Originally posted by Ev0
BB tunign are finishing off their turbo conversion for teh clio/19 16 valve engine.

So far its up to about 300bhp, they reckon for small bursts higher boosts are very well possible giving even more power for short periods of time.

They reckoned the internals were very strong in the engine.

And the price?

£4500ish for the low boost setup, and someone mentioned £7000 for the high boost???!!!

Or pop along to www.fastchip.nl and theyll send you the parts for 3300 euros (garret t25 turbo, FMIC, manifold, thicker head gasket setup mind you, chip etc).

I've got to ask, would you rather have a fast, yet still scrabbly fwd hot hatch, or something seriously quick?
Please try to justify why it makes more sense to spend 7k on converting a Clio (which is after all a shopping trolley), rather than just buying a Supra turbo, which even without any mods would be quicker.

Lopéz · 2 Jan 2003 at 09:22

Originally posted by Mr_Sukebe
I've got to ask, would you rather have a fast, yet still scrabbly fwd hot hatch, or something seriously quick?
Please try to justify why it makes more sense to spend 7k on converting a Clio (which is after all a shopping trolley), rather than just buying a Supra turbo, which even without any mods would be quicker.

You don't have to justify it to anyone at all m8.

I think people are very silly forking out £30,000 ona brand new Beemer which loses £5k minimum within a year. They could have gone and bought something lots cheaper, just as reliable and equally fast/good handling/good-looking instead of getting something new. Their choice.

If someone wants to spend 7 grand on doing up a Clio, then best of luck to them. At least it would be something a bit different.

Turbo conversions

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