Artic Air Twin Turbos vs. BD Twin Turbos
Thread Starter
Joined: Jul 2005
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
Artic Air Twin Turbos vs. BD Twin Turbos
What is the diff...is one better than the other? All i know is that the Artic Air is about 1500.00 cheaper than the BD twins. Do they both make the same power? both have the same spool up times ( very,very little i hope!)? and which one is easier to install by a intermediate do-it-urselfer...?
Captain
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 642
Likes: 0
From:
RE: Artic Air Twin Turbos vs. BD Twin Turbos
I'm not familiar with either system, but I have been super- and turbo-charging engines of more years than I care to relate--street and competition. I've two cars with different brands of superchargers in my garage at the moment and yet a different new system on-the-shelf with nothing to put it on. Also, the 223 mph Salt Flats racer in my avatar is a hand-built twin-turbo (about 1100hp) antique, so...
My suggestion is to get a complete parts list for both setups. Often, one includes more incidentals than the other, or different model turbos, etc. accounting for some price difference, or different intercooler systems. Get the install manuals for both, especially if you plan on installing it yourself; see if either manual is any good and what's involved. Too often manuals are written by "hardware people" and suck... the same way it was with early computer manuals. Get all the other info you can. Sizes of tubing, material, coatings, if any, where the turbos are located (there are reasons regarding heat-loss and potental lag-time that they are typically located as close to the engine as possible). Check any available dyno-sheets and determine other mods to the dynoed engines. Getting the picture? You are trying to see if you are looking at Apples vs. Apples in the two systems, or what. You cannot have too much info.
One further comment about turbos, they can be pieced together in a mind-boggling number of combinations and variations, different housings and impellors on both sides. So, about all the model info will tell you is if they were basically the same units, size-wise, to start with. The performance of all the options on different engines is pretty arcane stuff. It is so easy to get it wrong, which is why some stay with a basic, off-the-shelf turbo.
Hope this gives you somewhere to start, if no one with specific info chimes in.
All the best.
My suggestion is to get a complete parts list for both setups. Often, one includes more incidentals than the other, or different model turbos, etc. accounting for some price difference, or different intercooler systems. Get the install manuals for both, especially if you plan on installing it yourself; see if either manual is any good and what's involved. Too often manuals are written by "hardware people" and suck... the same way it was with early computer manuals. Get all the other info you can. Sizes of tubing, material, coatings, if any, where the turbos are located (there are reasons regarding heat-loss and potental lag-time that they are typically located as close to the engine as possible). Check any available dyno-sheets and determine other mods to the dynoed engines. Getting the picture? You are trying to see if you are looking at Apples vs. Apples in the two systems, or what. You cannot have too much info.
One further comment about turbos, they can be pieced together in a mind-boggling number of combinations and variations, different housings and impellors on both sides. So, about all the model info will tell you is if they were basically the same units, size-wise, to start with. The performance of all the options on different engines is pretty arcane stuff. It is so easy to get it wrong, which is why some stay with a basic, off-the-shelf turbo.
Hope this gives you somewhere to start, if no one with specific info chimes in.
All the best.
