Turbo vs Supercharger

[jamesdtuttle]

Originally Posted by marnepup

Superchargers are cheaper, hurt your fuel efficiency, and require a lot more maintenance. Did I mention cheaper? Yeah, that's the primary reason people use them instead of turbos...oh, there is the argument about turbo lag, but that one's about as outdated as the argument that an average driver can outshift an automatic transmission. Maybe the first few generations of them, but not recently. Turbo lag is far less problematic than it used to be (especially if you get a high stall TC, to get in the powerband muchly more quicklier), so it really comes down to price. Turbos cost a lot more, but they actually ADD fuel efficiency, and they require less maintenance. You'll get good gains from either one. So the question isn't "how fast do you want to go," it's "how cheap do you want to go fast," and "can you be relied on to perform routine maintenance on a supercharger?"

Actually, the prices for turbo kits and supercharger kits are comparable. Turbos require more engineering to use them properly.

I've been interested in turbos since the 60s, when some guys put two AiResearch turbos on a 426 Hemi and called it the "Twin Turbo Honker". It ran on straight methanol and was quite a learning curve, like when they twisted the tailshaft off their 727 Torqueflite at 30 psi boost.

Our cars, with the "speed-density" fuel injection, are a much greater tuning challenge than mass airflow Fords & GMs.

Thus I'm partial to the Vortec, not because it's slightly cheaper, but because they've done their engineering homework. You can bolt it on a stock block hemi and get reliable results. Of course, as a centrifugal, boost goes up as rpm increases.

Kenne Bell has a fully engineered late model Challenger kit, but unfortunately had no comparable kit for a 2006 300C SRT8 like mine. Wish they did.

Price ? Kenne Bell's kit is within $500 of an STS rear turbo kit. And with a screw type positive displacement blower, there's no "spooling up", just instant torque at any rpm. Constant available boost across the rpm range.

[Someguys300c]

Originally Posted by UK CHRYSLER 300C

what about the part throttle issues with the vortech I've heard about? have they cured it?

this is an issue with every form of FI. since the predator is the only tuning option for us. and they havent figured out part throttle tunning yet. but they build the canned tune very safe, for this particular reason. i havent heard of anyone who had a problem with the canned tune. only people who went with a custom tune, and/or upgraded pulley.

[LuckyAce]

Personal rule I always thought applied was the higher the base torque, the more you lean to turbo.

[UK CHRYSLER 300C]

Originally Posted by Someguys300c

this is an issue with every form of FI. since the predator is the only tuning option for us. and they havent figured out part throttle tunning yet. but they build the canned tune very safe, for this particular reason. i havent heard of anyone who had a problem with the canned tune. only people who went with a custom tune, and/or upgraded pulley.

so to get a canned tune for my car would I have to fit the vortech drive it and datalog it,send the log of to a "tuner"they would then write a tune to siut my car?.Or am I completely wrong?

[xsivtork]

We install both at our shop, and really the price difference is not that much, if any...And yes superchargers are mostly self contained nowm, but they require fairly frequent oil changes, not every few years. But really thats nothing. And they do improve fuel economy when installed and not driven hard. But so does a turbo(s) A turbo takes no horsepower to drive it, so there for its more effiecient, but turbo's are alot hotter running then s/c's.. A supercharger takes power to drive it, so your taking away to gain??? But no excess heat build up. Theres pro's and con's to both, and you could argue that forever. Bottom line. Choose what you like and live with the consiquences... Either way the car is gonna fly.

[UK CHRYSLER 300C]

but a turbo uses the oil from the engine and if it gets contaminated due to incorrect procedures it can lunch the engine,I know very little about the ins and outs of S/C's but I know about turbo's(we have loads of turbo motors over here,albeit small engines but not many S/C engines).I personally want a S/C for my 5.7 hemi but I need to know all the pitfalls before I fit one and I need advice

[cymbrk]

so its all up to me...UGH.... i just want to reach low 11's is that too much to ask!!!!! i cant make up my mind....well i got till spring to think it over...thanks everyone

[cymbrk]

a lot of you guys seem to be praising vortech..it was difficult to find a performance garage that has worked on these cars near CT..i finally tracked one down and they praise procharger..prob cuz they have been working with them for 15years...anybody got any info on procharger..goood or bad

thanks again

[SRT8 970]

i have the procharger system and have 520 rwhp safe and its fun at all and is not high matience at all i change the supercharger oil when i cahnge my car oil so dont worry in the end its all up to you and your wallet good luck

[SRT8 970]

procharger got the most gains on hemi