What is a Turbocharger?
Turbochargers have been around for over a hundred years now, making our engines more powerful and more economic at the same time. While turbos were once reserved only for commercial ships, racing cars, and speed boats, they can now be found in even the most mundane of cars. Despite their prevalence in modern vehicles, turbochargers are still not very well understood by owners. Below we'll explain exactly what a turbocharger is, how they work, and its benefits. We'll also touch upon the various turbos available for sale today and where you can buy them.
What is a turbo?
The turbo itself is a handheld sized component that can be recognized by its coiled, snail shell like shape. You'll find one end attached to the exhaust manifold and the other to the air intake of your engine. While not all engines come turbocharged, they can be fitted at a later time by turbo specialists. There are 2 main components to a turbo: a turbine and a compressor. Together, the turbine and the compressor within the turbocharger make use of the waste gases expelled by your engine to force more air back to the cylinders. This creates a lot more power as denser air is fed into the combustion chambers of your engine. The first turbo was invented in 1905 by Swiss engineer Alfred Buchi with early versions used initially in large ship engines. Before Buchi’s invention, the only viable way to generate more power from engines was to simply make them bigger. While this allowed bigger fuel to air ratios to occur it also led to engines growing increasingly larger and heavier, hampering efficiency and negating the power benefits.
How do turbochargers work?
As most people know, combustion engines work by drawing air and fuel in to form a mixture which is then ignited, causing a mini-explosion, generating power as a result. As well as power, this mini-explosion also produces some waste gases that we typically call exhaust fumes or gases. A turbo uses exhaust gases to produce more power. Turbos funnel exhaust gases through their internal turbine causing it to spin extremely fast; a Garrett turbo, for example, can sometimes reach 350,000 RPM. This, in turn, causes the compressor to spin, sucking in larger amounts of air into the engine. More air within the cylinders means engines can use higher concentrations of fuel, delivered more frequently. This greater air and fuel mixture results in bigger combustion explosions, generating more power out of the same engine. Due to the involvement of high pressured gases, turbos get extremely hot. Turbos make use of a heat exchanger called an intercooler to cool the turbo’s expelled gas. They also require an oil cooler to keep the inner lubricant from overheating too.
Benefits of a turbocharged engine
Turbos fall into a rare category of invention where the benefits far surpass any potential downsides. Any turbocharger for sale will offer the following advantages:
1. More power
Turbos can get considerably more power out of an engine than if it were naturally aspirated. Each piston firing within a turbocharged engine produced more power per stroke as the fuel to air mixture is a higher concentration.
2. More economic
The ability to generate more power without increasing the engine size means manufacturers can use smaller engines in their vehicles that output the same power as larger ones. This means lighter cars with engines that are more economical. Owners, therefore, enjoy reduced fuel consumption with turbocharged engines than with naturally aspirated alternatives.
3. Quieter engines
Despite the name implying otherwise, turbos generally make cars run quieter. As intake and exhaust gases are funnelled through more components, the resulting sound is dampened. This means cars fitted with a turbo are generally preferred for the comfort of drivers and passengers.
4. Lower RPM
performance With improved combustion, turbo-fitted engines also enjoy low RPM performance benefits. With the engine producing more torque, cars feel responsive both when the rev needle is sitting on the left or right of the gauge.
Turbo downsides
While there are no real downsides to having a turbo fitted, they do add another failure point to an engine. Despite being highly reliable, “turbo repairs near me” searches are not uncommon. For those transitioning from a naturally aspirated engine, too, turbos also require adjusting their driving style a little. Flooring the accelerator in a car with a turbocharged engine results in improper fuel and air mixtures to occur, reading the efficiency of the engine. Instead, drivers find more refined throttle control is needed with owners learning the sweet spot for their turbo to deliver maximum performance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are turbos expensive?
Stock and OEM turbos are generally considered inexpensive components when the performance and efficiency gains are factored in. Prices vary depending on vehicle and power requirements but new turbochargers start from around £180 with higher end car turbos costing upwards of £1000. Commercial parts such as tractor turbos cost a little more and start around £1450.
What turbos for sale are on the market?
Turbosurgery has an extensive range of brand new turbochargers at competitive prices. If you are in need of a specific product such as a Borg Warner turbo or any other brand, then we can help. We can also advise if you need a turbo gasket kit and which will suit your needs. We also sell remanufactured turbos that offer considerable savings. A remanufactured turbo uses existing parts as well as new components when necessary from companies such as Melett to completely rebuild a turbo. Each component is scientifically checked to ensure they meet specifications and will function correctly. In this sense, they differ from refurbished turbos which are typically just cleaned and resold without extending their working life.
What services does Turbosurgery offer?
Turbosurgery offers a complete range of services for anything related to your turbo. Peterborough customers know Turbosurgery to provide a professional service both selling and repairing turbos and turbo parts. Now with an extensive online catalogue, Turbosurgery is also offering turbocharger services to the wider public with fast shipping.