Which boost would you use?

[Jon89LE]

Im still contemplating which form of boost to run and the benefits of each one. I was thinking about the turbo but that will require changing pistons again for a lower compression. So can i get some opinions?
1) Centrifugal blower
2) Turbo
3) Nitrous
Im not asking for which type to use (T3 or T4, etc.) Im asking which you think would be best for a pushrod motor. Id really like to get some technical opinions here and not so much, Turbos sound cool so get that, although they do, Nitrous ive heard likes compression but im not sure on the CSC. A roots type blower i guess could be up on that list but ive heard that if i push a lot of power through the roots blower, it would hurt daily driveability. Also, with the CSC, would it cause the same belt issues as do the roots, with belt slipage or chewing the belt depending on which belt you have? Thanks for any opinions.

[StudlyCamaro]

what type of driving/racing do you do?

if its just gonna be for racing (straight line) i would say a bottle hands down , if you like playin around town and just like jumpin on it from a roll every once in a while i'd say a turbo, im not that big of a fan of blowers

there are advantages to all of em.. (personally i wouldnt like to have to fill the bottle a lot... but its all in the name of speed :P )

[Blackrider]

Re: Which boost would you use?

Been pondering boosting and engine next winter. Not just a stock engine, A built one. If I go that way, then i'll probably go turbo. If i go away with the military for my on job training and Port Security (Forced protection) this winter i'll have about 10 grand to play around with, My dream Turbo 5 speed Late gen GAGT with the money I make this spring/first part of summer I should have the coin for it.

Say Boosted 5 Speed GA Colin Owww I can only dream right now.

[Jon89LE]

I dont autocross so id be mainly straight line stuff. I just want something that can make power but still remain driveable. I see what you mean about the bottle. Anyone know if id need to have low compression for the CSC like i would a turbo? And why dont you tend to like blowers? Just curious

[LQ1]

Wether you go turbo or blower, you will get better results with lower compression. IMO, if alls you want is speed right then and there, and other times just want to drive normal go N20. You have speed when you want it, and when you dont want it, probably would be a better power adder on the street than a turbo blower with say a 70shot or something like that.

Turbos will be more efficient when creating power, but blowers the power will always be there, so no waiting for spooling. A turbo will probably be hard to make work on the car though....maybe? I could be wrong on that one.

Overall, if you just looking to cruise on the streets and whip some rice everyonce in a while, go with the bottle.

[dbtk2]

If setup properly a turbo or supercharger isn't going to hurt reliability or driveability any. The only one I can see doing that is the nitrous. However, in your situation I would probably go with a Supercharger, just because it seems like it would be the easiest to get to work, and it gives you instant power ANYWHERE in the powerband, and doesn't hurt driveability or reliability. Stock compression obviously would not be optimal, but it would be fine if you just keep the boost down a little. I am assuming you have the 3.1L. That should have 8.9:1 compression, which is actually pretty low and good for boost. My turbo 3.1 has 8.8:1 compression. My dads GTP has 8.5:1 compression and he runs 15psi boost fine on 93 octane with additional timing. So based on that, your 8.9:1 (assuming thats what it still is) is pretty boost friendly if you don't go overboard with it. Its not worth the $ IMO to lower it.

Shawn

[StudlyCamaro]

the wole lowering the CR in order to safely use forced induction is debated.. if the compressed air is intercooled properly and/or cooled via water/alky injection you shouldnt have issues... especially if you are starting with 8.9:1.. there are plenty of LS1's and LT1's running 6-10 lbs of boost with 10:1 compression

i dont care for superchargers because if they are a bit out of adjustment you will get a slipping belt reducing the boost level , and if a cogged belt wants to slip it will just break.. and they are very parasitic compared to turbochargers... (why not use the heat and velocity of the exhaust to create more power)

and any forced induction engine will wear faster than a n/a car.. they create excess heat and are hell on old gaskets

and lets not figure the installation into the equation... adding a turbo or supercharger is a lot harder/time consuming than strapping on a lil wet kit..

ive ridden in both sprayed cars and turboed cars... while the turbo is fun for driving (and listening).. hittin a button and gettin thrown back in your seat is a wonderful feeling

[Anonymous]

Find a TGP and swap the engine. Got all your parts right there, probably the most cost effective over a SCer. Nitrous is cool but I'd only get it if you want to go fast at the track.

[Jon89LE]

Either way id need to lower compression since im at around 9.75 now. The motor isnt stock if your wondering. With the LS1 and LT1 motors i definitely know what you mean. The way those motors gets cooled is different than others which is why they can boost with high CRs. Theres another thread on here "Max Power" which im going to follow to see what these motors can do. If i use some aftermarket rods with ARP bolts and can get this pushrod to rev to 7000 then it may help out. Is there a way to change boost output with a CSC like can be done with a roots blower or turbo via pulley or wastegate?

[LQ1]

Find a TGP and swap the engine. Got all your parts right there, probably the most cost effective over a SCer. Nitrous is cool but I'd only get it if you want to go fast at the track.

Go ahead, take an engine out of a rare car, then i will hunt you down you bastard


J/k i wont hunt you down, but i hate when people take motors out of rare cars to make there normal version of the car faster.


Id much rather spend more money getting a totaled TGP back to excellent condition than swapping the motor into a regular GP.

[dbtk2]

Either way id need to lower compression since im at around 9.75 now. The motor isnt stock if your wondering. With the LS1 and LT1 motors i definitely know what you mean. The way those motors gets cooled is different than others which is why they can boost with high CRs. Theres another thread on here "Max Power" which im going to follow to see what these motors can do. If i use some aftermarket rods with ARP bolts and can get this pushrod to rev to 7000 then it may help out. Is there a way to change boost output with a CSC like can be done with a roots blower or turbo via pulley or wastegate?

Just out of curiosity, what is done to your engine for mods, and what did you do to get that compression ratio?

CSC's use pullies just like roots blowers, so you just change to a smaller pulley for more boost or a larger pulley for less boost.

Shawn

[Jon89LE]

To get my compression i had the heads slightly milled, just enough to ensure flatness, and new high ratio forged pistons pistons were used. Other than that it was a mild build up. Crane 2030 cam, 1.5s Comp rockers, and 1piece Smith Bros pushrods. I guess ill go the turbo route then. Im just confused as to why i believe its curtis has only broken high 12s with his setup and damn new GTPs nail low 13s with just a few bolt ons

[StudlyCamaro]

a 2030 cam would be much more suited for a bottle than any form of forced induction. it has what 10* more duration on the exhaust side than the intake. generally for a forced induction car you want more duration on the intake side.. food for thought

[Jon89LE]

Your saying a FI car wants more duration on the intake rather than the exhaust which makes sense, dont want all the boost going out. But why would my cam which has more exhaust duration be more suited for nitrous? Nitrous is just another type of forced induction basically, isnt it?

[Anonymous]

Nitrous is much harder on a motor than a blower or turbo. The supercharger does not need to be intercooled btw. About belts slipping. I have driven numerous blown cars, and we have a 55 bel air with a blown 400. It's blower runs off of a typical serpentine belt, and it doesn't slip at all, even near redline. If your belt is slipping, it is due to a bad tensioner. The SC would also be easier to install as you do ot have to deal with exhaust. I liek roots blowers better.

Nitrous is also illegal to use on city streets. And it is like drugs or sex, you hit it once, you can't stay off it. A buddy of mine is spraying a cavalier, and sure it is cool to hit that 50 shot and just go, but he went through his factory 2.4L with only 68k on it after his 4th spray at the track. 4 runs, blown motor. I don't know why it blew or what it did, but I am sure the N20 didn't help any.