Superchargers and turbos are little devices that give a lot of power. A turbo for sale or a supercharger is used to suck extra air into the car’s engine to increase the efficiency of the combustion process that takes place inside your vehicle.
These wondrous car spares have changed the motoring world forever as they give anyone the ability to turn an average engine into a fire breathing monster of forward motion. Let’s take a closer look at both the turbo as well as the supercharger for sale.
What is a turbocharger?
As we mentioned above, a turbo is a device that pushes extra air into the combustion process to create more power and speed. It is made up of a turbine and a compressor that are linked together so when one of them spins, the other will spin too.
As you drive your car, fuel is burnt and exhaust gasses from this reaction are pushes out of the engine at very high speeds. When these car parts are used, these gasses are channelled back into the turbo’s turbine at speeds around 250,000rpm. This makes the compressor spin which sucks more air into the engine.
Cars without turbo kits would not get this added power from a conventional setup. Some cars have more than one and this is called a twin turbo vehicle.
The advantages to using turbos are that you get a lot more power from your ride and they can also produce the same power but with less fuel consumption. As an example, a 1.6 liter engine will have the same power as a 1.0 liter engine with a turbo attached to it but because the engine is much smaller, less fuel is used.
The one downside is that a turbo kit can add extra complexity to an engine and it’s just another part that can fail and create issues. Turbo repairs can also be costly and very time consuming.
Different types of Turbochargers
As with most technology and hardware today, there are variations in the way turbos can be designed and used in a car.
Single-Turbo
Single turbo kits are very diverse pieces of machinery. If you differentiate the wheel size and turbine then you can achieve completely different torque. Bigger turbos will give high top end and smaller turbos will give more torque.
They are cost effective, simple and can give even a small engine a massive boost. On the other hand they have narrow RPM ranges so sizing matters and there might be some lag which is when there is a delay from when you put your foot on the pedal to when the power is given by the turbo.
Twin-Turbo
A twin turbo is essentially when you use two turbos at the same time. You can either have a turbocharger on each cylinder or you can use one turbo for the lower end torque and another for the high RPM boost. These can be configured in many different ways to achieve the best performance boost.
The advantages here are the same as with single turbos but they will make the car even more complex and there are more efficient ways of achieving a twin turbo type boost (see below).
Twin-Scroll Turbo
This refers to the way this turbo for sale is shaped. The scroll shape causes more pressure inside the chamber and are more efficient. These types of turbos use two single scroll turbos like the twin turbo configuration above except the scroll shape actually isolates and divides the pressure which in turn creates even more pressure.
Variable Geometry Turbocharger (VGT)
These turbos are hard to find in petrol engines purely because of the exotic materials of the car spares. This works by using internal passengers or veins within the turbo that alter the area to radius ratio which will match the cars current RPM. If the RPM is low then the VGT will increase the exhaust velocity and cause it to spool faster. At high RPM the area to radius ratio increases so there is more airflow and therefore more power. What this does is reduce lag.
The disadvantages to using a VTG is that they are subjected to a lot of heat and pressure so they are only really found on diesel engines where the temperatures are lower. You do get VTG’s that are designed for petrol motors but a VTG has to be made from very expensive materials so they can withstand the heat.
Variable Twin-Scroll Turbocharger
This is the latest technology in turbochargers and they use all of the above technologies at the same time.
Electric Turbochargers
Electric turbos are also a relatively new technology and they are mainly used in formula one racing. These work by attaching an electric motor directly to the compressor wheel so it’s not just powered by the exhaust gasses from the car. What this electric motor does is completely eliminate lag, produces amazing low end torque and essentially fixed all of the drawbacks of using a turbo.
There are some issues though or these would be used on every car. Electric turbos are very expensive and complex because now you have an electric motor you have to cool and maintain. They make the car heavier and there are other turbochargers that can give the same performance (with the lag and low end issues).
What is a supercharger?
Supercharger for sale and a turbo both do exactly the same thing, they force more air into the combustion process. The difference is that the turbo charger for sale works off of the exhaust gasses from the vehicle and a supercharger works mechanically off of the car’s crankshaft. This connection eliminates the lag that we have been discussing above. The issue with a these car parts is they pull some power from the engine as the engine has to move the turbine. So drivers prefer a turbo as it will give them that little bit of extra power.
Different types of Superchargers
Roots
These superchargers are the oldest types but are always being updated so they are still relevant today. These work by forcing air into the engine by using rotators that move in opposite directions to trap air in pockets that are forced into the compression chamber. This is compressed and pushed into the engine.
Roots type superchargers are simple and reliable.
Screw
Screw superchargers use screws instead of rotators that give a very different effect from the rotators. They are very good at channelling air and lose little power during this process. The issues are that screw super chargers don’t give as much power when compared to other superchargers.
Centrifugal
This type of supercharger for sale works off an impeller that pull air into the intake. It is moved through progressively smaller areas to build up pressure. They have few moving parts and a are very efficient but they actually generate less pressure than other superchargers.
Turbo cars for sale on Auto Mart
If you don’t really want to go through the hassles of sourcing and installing your own turbo of supercharger then why not simply buy a car with them already installed. Here are some great value for money turbocharged cars on Auto Mart.
Opel Astra hatch 1.4 Turbo Enjoy 2010
With 132 663 kilometres on the clock, this Opel Astra for sale in Gezina, Gauteng, has a full service history and includes stunning features such as bucket seats, aluminium mags, power steering, EBD, ABS and so much more.
Nissan Juke 1.6 TURBO TEKNA 2011
Having a full service history, this Nissan Juke for sale has 99 900 kilometres on the clock and stunning features that range to include alloy wheels, power steering, ABS and even electric windows.
Opel Kadett 2.0 1990
Priced at R 39 990, this 1990 Opel is for sale in Gauteng.
Now that you know what a turbo can do for your car you are probably now interested in turbo kits or maybe even in finding a supercharger for sale.
Whether you are looking for superchargers or a turbo for sale, remember that Junk Mail has the widest selection of car spares and parts. Browse through our sister site’s amazing motoring categories to find the best car parts in town, or visit www.AutoMart.co.za for the best deals on turbo cars for sale!
