Wow ...

A) I was joking .... note the Smiley Face holding a J/K sign
B) You DID, by your own admission, recommend a Turbonator before. So don't say never ... and they are widely known as a gimmick and junk -- so thus this "again crap"
C) For starters the difference between a Turbo and Supercharger are minimal, they are both "forced induction" power-adders (and yes I realize one is exhaust driven, and the other belt driven); I never said Paxton Made a turbonator AND if you thought about it at all a TURBOnator is no more TURBO than a flippin' Hair-Dryer!

Don't be so sensative, I was just yankin' your chain ... geez... [sm=icon_guiness.gif]

 

Actually there is a little more than minimal difference in the two. A supercharger is actually designed to give most power at full throttle. The turbo's are designed to give power all the way through acceleration. Didn't see J/K smile, had html's turned off. I do agree the Turbonator is a gimmick/junk for power, but I do have one for another reason. It gave my truck a 3mpg gain and that to me was worth the "gimmick". No hard feelings, everyone is entitled to there own opinion.

 

I don't have any documented proof of this hypothesis, (So if anyone knows factually one-way or another please chime in) however, I would think the opposite would be true. A supercharger, being belt driven, would start forcing air, and producing power, as soon as the engine is under load. However a Turbo must rely on exhaust gases to build up causing the turbo to spin, then it will begin forcing air and producing power -- thus causing the ever-hated "turbo lag" (the lag being the time it takes the turbo to spool)... So, by my train of logic, an engine at WOT (or full throttle) would produce more exhaust giving the Turbo more power at a later time, where as the supercharger would pull thru the entire powerband as the engine is under load from the time the wheels start spinning.

By 'minimal' difference, I was refering to the fact that they both are forced induction power-adders, giving power to the engine in similar fashion... not necessarily similar in design or function.

[sm=icon_cheers.gif]

 

Maybe the answer can be found in this link Pyro. Check this out....



TURBOS VS SUPERCHARGERS


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"Given equivalent vehicles, the turbo would easily motor away from the centrifugal in an acceleration contest......The turbo offered massive midrange torque production, the only system to exceed 600 lb-ft. Need more convincing? At 4,000 rpm, the turbo was more than 100 lb-ft. stronger than either the Roots or centrifugal." - Battle of the Boost, Hotrod Magazine, August 2003.


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Turbocharging vs. Supercharging


Screw-type Supercharger


Centrifugal Supercharger
Turbocharger

Similarities

Turbochargers and superchargers are similar in that they both compress air to higher than atmospheric pressures. Normal or standard atmospheric pressure is about 14.7 psi (pounds per square inch or "psi"). The job of the compressor common to both turbochargers and superchargers is to increase air pressure so that more air is forced into the cylinders ("forced induction"). This increased air volume ("boost") is mixed with a proportionately increased fuel volume which, when burned in the combustion cycle, results in increased horsepower and torque production. However, this is where the similarities between the two types of systems ends.

Roots Supercharger


Differences

Power Curves

Because they are belt driven from the engine crankshaft, centrifugal and roots superchargers build boost as rpm increases in a linear fashion. As engine rpm increases, the supercharger compressor speed (and boost level) increases to the point of peak boost occurring at peak engine rpm. For example, a centrifugal or roots supercharger designed to produce 8 psi at 6,000 rpm may produce as little as 2.5 lbs. of boost at 3,000 rpm. Screw-type superchargers are more like turbochargers in that they build boost much earlier than a centrifugal or roots-type, but they are also belt-driven. Turbochargers, on the other hand, are exhaust driven, and come up to speed very quickly (almost instantly if properly sized), and will reach the same 8 lb. peak boost level as low as 2,500 rpm. The result is much more horsepower and torque being produced earlier at lower rpm levels with a turbocharger vs a centrifugal or roots supercharger.



Efficiency

Just like the air conditioner compressor on a car, all superchargers, including centrifugal, roots and screw-type, require horsepower to turn them. This "parasitic" drag is always present, even when the car is being driven normally, and can rob 20%-30% of the power being produced by the engine. The result is a significant decrease in fuel economy and less net power produced. Turbochargers, however, are exhaust gas driven and don't require any horsepower to spin the compressor. When driven normally, a turbocharged car will not consume more fuel and, in fact, gas mileage can actually increase. Even when under full throttle, a turbocharger system will produce as much horsepower at 9 psi as a supercharger at 12 psi



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Reliability

Both superchargers and turbochargers require high compressor rpm to compress the air. This ranges from 30,000-65,000 rpm in superchargers and can be even higher with turbos (over 100,000 rpm). In order to achieve the high rpm levels required to compress the air to the psi required, superchargers must have a step-up mechanism (gears, belts, pulleys or a combination thereof) consisting of numerous moving parts, to convert 6,000 engine rpm to the 40,000+ rpm necessary to build boost. Turbochargers need no step-up mechanism and have only one moving part, the compressor/turbine wheel assembly (see Figure 2). The simplicity of the turbocharger is therefore less prone to mechanical problems. Superchargers must have a belt to drive them, and belt slippage or breakage is a common problem. More serious problems include crankshaft, bearing and engine damage caused by belt tension forces on the crankshaft. Turbochargers have no belt and no direct mechanical connection to the crankshaft, thereby eliminating these problems. It is interesting to note that many automobiles and nearly all large over-the-road trucks use turbochargers that regularly log in excess of a million miles of reliable performance.



Maintenance

Some superchargers have a separate lubricating system that must be maintained, but turbochargers are lubricated by the engine oil and require no additional maintenance beyond what is normally required for a naturally aspirated car.

Streetability

Superchargers are always connected to the engine, they are always producing some level of boost and cannot be "turned off". Because turbochargers only produce boost when under load (as in full throttle acceleration), performance under normal driving conditions is no different than if the engine were naturally aspirated. Turbocharged cars exhibit excellent driveability characteristics.

Upgradability and Adjustability

Superchargers are generally not upgradeable. When higher performance is required beyond the capabilities of a specific supercharger system, the entire system must be replaced. Turbocharger systems, however, are usually upgradeable by simply upgrading or installing a larger turbocharger without requiring replacement of the entire system. Further, adjusting the boost levels on a supercharger requires removing and replacing pulleys, idlers and belts. Adjusting the boost levels on a turbocharger may be accomplished with a simple turn of a boost controller **** from the comfort of the inside of the car.

Value

At first glance, turbo systems may appear to cost more. However, if you consider everything that is included in a complete turbo kit that must be purchased in addition to the supercharger kit in order for the supercharger kit to be comparable (not even considering the performance differences), you may find the turbo system is less expensive and a much better horsepower per dollar value.

Conclusion

What does this all mean? Basically, an 8 psi turbo kit will produce more peak power due to the fact that a supercharger is using a fairly large amount of power just to get it spinning. What is more important for a street car is "power under the curve" meaning the average horsepower produced. This is where the turbo really shines since you can have full boost at as little as 2500 rpm! This will make the turbo car feel like it has 50% more cubic inches (or more). The difference in torque at low rpm's can be as much as 100 lb ft in favor of the turbo due to the additional available boost....now that's performance!

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I"ll give ya that turbos have come a long way ... In fact, I offten drive my brother-in-laws Subaru STi and am more than impressed with it's performance. However I had a 97 Regal with a Supercharged 3800 (roots styly supercharger) and that gave full boost, or near full boost, early in the power band and pulled all the way thru. Is there a difference in spool time between, say a 2.0 4-cyl. and a 5.9 V8 or how about a Turbo Diesel? ... without a doubt Turbos make more power - I'm unfamiliar with the characteristics of a Turbo V8 ... Bigger Engine, Bigger Turbo = Bigger Spool Time?

 

ORIGINAL: 28this




P.S.
You mean to tell me your Turbonator spins at speeds anywhere close to this??

 

No, like I said, I didn't get turbonator for power boost, I got it for boost in fuel economy which it does.