Supercharger vs turbocharger

September 21, 2016

One of the biggest debates in the automotive world.

The argument to which is better, the turbocharger or supercharger. A turbocharger is a devise mounted on the exhaust that uses exhaust gases to turn a turbine, which in turn turns a compressor mounted on the opposite side to produce boost. Where as a supercharger is mounted on top of the engine powered by a belt and pulls to directly turn a compressor to produce boost. Totally different methods and some say totally different applications.

The turbocharger

The turbocharger is a method of producing power from otherwise wasted energy, exhaust gas.  Producing usable power from otherwise lost power seems excellent right? Turbochargers are in fact the most efficient way to boost your engine, however with that comes a drawback. The engine must be making power on its own before it can “spool” the turbo into producing boost.

Engine exhaust changes in flow rate as the engine changes in rpm. Depending on the size of the turbo, and the engine it’s mounted on, turbo specifications it can take as long as 2500 to 3000 rpm for a turbo to produce usable power and not be a lug on the engine. That said Turbochargers utilize the principle of free power, making them a good choice for anyone going for power in the top end while sacrificing bottom end torque until peak boost is achieved.

The supercharger

The supercharger provides a power adder to the engine in a simular way to a turbocharger, except with a supercharger you turn a compressor with a belt and pully rather than exhaust gas. Superchargers excel where Turbochargers fail, in the bottom end. Superchargers can produce boost instantly providing that off the line push that Turbochargers lack. 

The belt operated design makes the supercharger a good choice for those needing “power now.” Instant boost and instant power means you have power on demand. On the downside you usually have limited airflow limiting top end gain.

Turbochargers vs Superchargers

This debate ends the same way it always does. It’s the decision of the consumer to decide what’s best for their applications. Turbochargers can excel where Superchargers fail and vise versa. Hope this helped clarify on some key differences

And as always,

Thanks for reading.

Automotive mythbusting

September 20, 2016

Hello short post today, I’d like to start a new series called automotive mythbusting.  It would be about determining whether or not products for vehicles work as claimed. Increasing fuel mileage, reducing tire wear, reducing engine coolant temperature ect. 

I won’t be endorsing these products, only find out for the consumer if they work as they claim.  False advertising in the automotive world and the world in general is huge black market scam.  My hope here is to better off the consumer with insight knowledge into some of these products and hopefully make your next automotive purchase easier on your mind.

As always,

Thanks for reading.

How to make your engine run long and healthy 

September 16, 2016

Having a healthy engine can come down to a couple simple things. Keeping your oil fresh, maintaining your air filter, and making sure you have sufficient coolant. 

Making sure your engine has the lubrication it needs is vital to its function in getting you from point a to b. Changing your oil regularly reduces engine sludge buildup and keeps parts freshly lubricated. With normal oils you should change your oil and oil filter every 5000 miles or so. With synthetic you can go as far as 10000 miles, some oil manufactures claim 15000, but I’d stick to 10000. Make sure in between oil changes that your car does use or burn any oil by checking the dipstick.

Maintaining your air filter in your car is simple, there are usually clips on a box with a lid that comes off. Inside lays an air filter that can then be removed and blown out with compressed air, or if you don’t have access to an air compressor. A can of duster from a department store will work as well. It’s recommended to clean and blow out the air filter with every oil change.

You don’t want to be driving mid July and all of a sudden you look down, your car is over heating! There are steps we can take to prevent this luckily. Caution hot coolant is dangerous and will burn you, take precaution when working with the coolant system. When and only when the vehicle is cool you may open the radiator cap. Add coolant to the engine only when it is cold. Adding 70 degree water to a 200 degree engine may cause failure. So with adding coolant only when cool you rule out the chance of cracking the engine block or head. Another reason for this is coolant expands when it gets hot creating more pressure and less space inside of the cooling system.

Here are a few tips to keep your car running smooth and fast

Til next time!


Intro

September 15, 2016

Welcome to general mechanics where we will host topics tips and tricks to working on your automobile.  Our aim is to give you the knowledge and a level of comfort in working on your vehicle. All topics will be driven toward the complete beginner. Most topics will be a generalized application meant to fit most vehicles. What this means for you is that vehicle specific information such as torque specs, degrees of timing ect will have to be looked up according to manufacture specifications.

 

We look forward to jump starting your automotive career (no pun intended)

Maintaining your tires

September 15, 2016

 

Tires are expensive save your tires with two simple steps



Check your tire pressure, Low tire pressure causes uneven wear on tires and may cause damage or failure. It also causes more drag reducing handling and reducing fuel efficiency. You can find the recommended pressure in your unit of choice on the side wall of the tire. You can check your tire pressure with a Tire pressure gauge, seen below. You should check your tire pressure once a week. Maintaining your tire pressure is imperative to a long life of your tires.

Rotate your tires, Along with maintaining the proper tire pressure, rotating your tires will also help reduce uneven tread wear. You can rotate in a number of different ways the most common being the cross method. Switch your front left with rear right and vise versa, in a clockwise manner ensuring even wear across the tires. It is recommended to rotate your tires every 5000 miles.