anybody tried a turbo???

[bryan]

I have been considering building a turbo system, I have a Corvair turbo with a nice side draft weber. I decided to use this because the turbo has very simple intake and exhaust mounts. And that fabricating exhaust for this would be quite easy
I would like to know if any one has tried this idea on a 2.0 motor. Also if their were any major problems if it has been attempted.
So far I have realized that the corvair turbo has no waste gate. It also utilized a boost retarding distributor. And the corvair motor was about 2500cc. And I realize the drawbacks of trying to increase horsepower on any motor.

i have a 73 2.0L 914 and was considering putting a turbo on. i talked to a lot of porsche mechanincs that said it would be EXTREMELY hard to build and mount a turbo system!! you wanna know a hp increase thats a lot more hp and alot less money..............???........nos!!, im putting a 90-120 top shot kit on my 914 for only $450 for everything!!, nos is A LOT better than anything for A LOT cheaper price for anybody wanting 150-200+hp out of a regular engine. true mine isnt stock w/o the nos but it would still produce 150+hp stock with the nos. i hope you consider the nos kits......its the best, cheapest, and fastest to kick in hp that anybody can buy!

[brenckle]

Did you try the turbo? Ive seen some pages with turbos for Type IV VW motors and would like to see how this improves or degrades performance and longevity. The ones online (http://www.cbperformance.com/) are for bugs and the like but could they be modified to fit in a 914?

[Rich Hilgersom]

Ok, I'll share...
I have looked into this for years and here is what I want to try with my motor.
1. Turbos generated too much heat and require to much tubing in the small 914 eng bay.
2. A centerfugial supercharger can do a better job cheaper.
Consider doing what the dealers did for the 914 A/C unit. The A/C compresser sits on a base fixed to the side of the fan cover. The A/C belt was a small thin pully that fit between the crank and the fan.
If you make a 5-7 rib pully fit in the same location you can get the supercharger to spin. The you need the sand or turbo kit from CB performance to get the tube pieces to go from the supercharger to the FI or carbs (its a clamp on kit to keep pressure from a turbo or keep sand out of your buggy)
Add a remote oil cooler for the supercharger and an intercooler if you got the cash and your done. You only would have to make one custom part for the pully.
Maybe Pelican Parts would like to put together a kit! hint hint... If anyone has any other ideas on this let me know.

[michel richard]

Turbos,

Well I've been thinking, but only for a short whille and I certainly don't know if this has real merit, that Subaru had a turbo version of its engine. This would be a flat four, 1800 cc that developped something close to the 914 power, unblown. The turbo and other things must therefore be close to the right size.

In addition, the turbo has a wastegaste.

So maybe there is a way to use that hardware. I believe those engines were fuel injected, but through single port injection.

Still, food for thought ?

[Wayne 962]

In my opinion, Supercharger would be the way to go, if you wanted to take this route. The turbos are so hard to get onto the exhaust, and then the ones made for other cars are tuned for that exhaust. Too much to calculate without designing one yourself.

On the other hand, a super charger would be a bolt on accessory and would increase power simply through higher compression. You would lose some motor life of course...

-Wayne

[mkinne]

I was cleaning up the garage last weekend and kept tripping over the A/C system that I removed from my 914 last year. (The little 1.7L just hated that compressor.) When I searched the Pelican bulletin board to see if there is any interest in A/C systems, this thread showed up.

I have often often thought about exactly what Rich Hilgersom describes; using the A/C pulley and brackets to run a SUPERCHARGER.

Rich, did you ever find more info in this subject? Anyone else have comments along these lines?

If supercharging is a dead end, is anyone interested in a complete 914 A/C system with all components, pulleys, brackets, hoses, electrical, and two compressors?

[Rich Hilgersom]

Yup Im still at it. I am going with a V-5 from Vortech.

[S Schroeder]

In an older issue of European Car there was a yellow 914 in Florida with a supercharger and dual plug heads. I will try and find the issue tonight and post as much as I can. It was built by a company to promote it's supercharger products.
S Schroeder

[mkinne]

Rich,
I would love to see some pictures, if you have.

[Rich Hilgersom]

The company in EC is RPM, they no longer do any 914 stuff...nada.
The other company people always mention is
Dick Landy but they only make kits for type 1s
I dont have any picts yet.. I will post when I have it goin ;-)

[turbo2.0]

I have a turbo 2.0. Some of the posts here crack me up. A 2.0 motor can make about 175 reliable h.p. if set up right. First, limit boost to about 6 psi with low compression pistons or shim the base of the cylinders for about 7.5 to one. second, jet the carburetor rich on the top end. this will help control combustion temperature. Third, limit timing to 25 degrees total advance at 3000 rpm. Fourth, have all exhaust components ceramic coated by jet-hot. This will keep the engine compartment cool. This may sound like a lot of work, but with proper research, it's not that tough. (how easy is a v-8 swap?) Chech out a book called "Turbomania" by Bob Tomlinson. It covers almost every aspect of turbocharging an air cooled v.w.

[mike mueller]

I've tried to find that book "Turbomania" (?)
No luck, I had it ordered though that big big store Barnes & Somebody, but after waiting 6 months for it I gave up.

Turbo2.0 : at about what RPM does it start to spool up at? Do you have pictures? What size turbo ?

Supercharger input: Whipple make a supercharger that would be a nice size for our displacement engines, very small and compact, and effecient, last time I checked into it they where priced at about $1500 for the supercharger itself. ( sounded a little on the cheap side but who knows?)

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Mike Mueller
Antioch, CA
1970 1.8

[turbo2.0]

My turbo comes in low, at around 2900 with 1-2lbs. boost and builds to 6-7 psi at about 4000 rpm before the waste gate takes over. This is due to the relatively small turbo I am using. It is a garrett T-10, with a conservative A/R rating. 1-2 pounds at 2900 might not seem like much, but it definitely puts you back in the seat, and I have to pay attention in second gear or the tach will spool up so fast that it hits 7000 before I can let off. (not good for the motor, especially when the rear tires start spinning at 30 mph). BTW, I seldom use first gear at all. It's not much use except to put the car in the garage. I have experimented with different timing, boost pressures, fuels, and exhaust temperatures and recently came to an expensive conclusion. Turbo's work on type IV motors as long as everything is kept conservative. Control the boost, timing, and combustion temperature and you can have a fun, reliable car. The biggest limiting factors are the poor quality of today's fuels, and the amount of heat the heads can take. Both of these can be worked out. I don't have pictures yet, but I'm hoping that Santa will bring me a digtal camera or a scanner for X-mas. My next plan is to experiment with aftermarket fuel injection. I have almost a complete setup for throttle body injection off a chevy 350. Turbo City in orange, ca. sells a similar kit, and I will rely on them for help and parts. That is, if I can figure out a wat to keep this car registered. California is funny about intake modifications when it comes to smog tests. I may have to sell the car, or put the engine in a 73 or older.

[This message has been edited by turbo2.0 (edited 11-30-1999).]

[turbo2.0]

I forgot one more thing, Turbomania is available from Performance Express in Phoenix (602) 216-2800 mail order hours: Mon-Fri 9-5, Sat 9-noon. I called them and ordered the book and it was delivered three days later by a guy in shorts driving a brown truck. Cost is $22.00 plus shipping. A good value, IMHO. The book is a little dated, but still very relevant. It has alot of information about building a 350 hp drag race motor, but remember to fight the temptation. For the street, a little goes a long way.

[Ian Cubus]

This is great stuff so I can't help but add my two cents. I've heard about several of the company's mentioned. Another company that does alot with turbos is CB Performance which also couples complete setups with their dash tunable F.I. setups which offers the flow of carburetors with the precision of F.I. The reason I mention this stuff is because research goes into developing these kits to insure that you are continuously getting a proper fuel to air (stochiometric) ratio and boost at all engine speeds so that you aren't blowing heads off because of pulled head studs, burning pistons, or dropping valve seats. Before bolting on NOS (a friend of mine uses this and burned a hole through the head where the cylinder seals), supercharging, or a turbo kits I would design the motor for the application (i.e. forged pistons with correct compression ratios built in, heads!!!!! can't say enough about what all the heat from these systems like to do to valve seats!, etc... how much do you want to spend?) Anyway I could go on but this is getting long. I like the NOS because of the price and in moderation it would be great. The turbo idea is nice but then I keep thinking of sealing problems where the jug meets the head. I really like the supercharging idea and if someone wants to develop and market a good kit they will sell me one (good linear power delivery without the lag or heat)! My two cents turned to five! Sorry, Ian

[mike mueller]

Turbo 2.0:
I just got my TURBOCHARGERS book today.
Now for a bunch of reading.
What year was your book published ?
Mines 1984, I'd like to find one a little more up to date.

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Mike Mueller
Antioch, CA
1970 1.8

[Joe Bob]

Turbo dude....16 days until San Diego autocross...going to be there?

[turbo2.0]

I want to go, and unless my wife puts her foot down, I will. Unfortunately, It doesn't look like my car will make it. It will be close, but it's still in a hundred pieces or more. I did some reading on autocross, and it sounds like a blast. The first time you mentioned it, the only thing I knew about it was that it was some kind of racing. From what I read, the driver's skill makes more difference than the car, especially with a novice like myself. How tight are the courses, and how much speed to you get up to? How much does it cost to join scca, and how much are the entry fees?
What class would my car fit into? It's basically a stock 2.0 with a turbo and a weber side draft, the tires are mot much wider than stock, it is lighter than stock but not really enough to make much difference. I'm not sure if it still qualifies as "street modified". Are you going to the swap meet Sunday? I'll be there around 7:00. I'd like to talk to you about this autocross stuff. Sorry everybody for running on so much. Hopefully no one will get mad at me for wasting their time.

[mike mueller]

Topic: supercharger
Ian_C,

I found a supercharger that is designed for our engine size (2.0 and smaller),
it's nice and small (7"W x 5"T x 13"L)
it comes with the bypass valve also.
This is not a kit, it's just the S/C.

I'm still going to investigate the turbo route since the initial cost of the S/C is still out of my price range ($825 for the supercharger alone. With the turbo small parts can be bought easily and cheaper,
I've been looking for a used S/C from a T-bird or Bonnivale (sp?) But the cost is still too high.


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Mike Mueller
Antioch, CA
1970 1.8