Is there really a difference between supercharger and a turbo. If there is which one is better.

 

Its belt driven vs. fan driven. im sure more members here have a better knowledge. but i prefer a supercharger since its constantly working.

 

well there are two types of superchargers. Centrifugal and roots. The roots is what the SS has. Where there are two rotors spinning creating boost. The Centrifigal is just like a turbo, but instead of the turbine housing (exhaust half) there is a pulley.

If you get a properly sized turbo then i would choose a turbo over the SC. The Grand Prix Comminity finally got turbo kits this past year and are coming out with some impressive numbers. A complely stock 04 compg with just a turbo kit and a PCM programer put down 400 whp while the highest m90 car puts down 410 to the ground.

Turbos are usually more efficient than roots style SCs. Im not sure on the centrifugal SCs but it should be pretty close to the turbo, maybe a little less. I prefer turbos over SCs, but i dont like the BOV sound. Just not my thing.

Just little tidbits of info for you. I dont have a big engineering description of each, but if you have any specific questions i can try and help you out.

 

To add, a supercharger is always working, but its output still increases with RPM, just like a turbocharger. A turbo will always be more powerful then a super by design, but if you don't want anything more then a few pounds of boost, then the super is cheaper.

 

Turbo output does not increase with rpm it increases with ''load''.

 

Well both have their advantages and disadvantages; and yes, they are very different in terms of how they work. Both systems work more efficiently with intercoolers, which lower the tempurature of the intake air for more power.

Turbos: The benefit of turbochargers is that they will usually make more power than a comparable supercharger. If you drive conservatively and keep the engine out of boost (below a certain RPM) you can many times make a whole trip without even boosting, which in turn gives better fuel mileage. Of course that can be a disadvantage when racing, because below certain RPM, there is not much power available - this is known as "turbo lag". Turbos are usually more complex than Superchargers, since they feed off of the engine's oil and are integrated into both the exhaust and intake systems. Turbo's also have to be tuned just right - otherwise they can run rich, lean out, or have driveability problems. Boost spikes can also ocur, which are dangerous to the engine. After running a turbocharged car hard, you have to let it idle for a couple minutes in order to let the turbo cool down, or else the bearings can be damaged. A turbo timer can be installed to get around this, which keeps the car running for a few minuted after you remove the key. Upgradeing a Turbocharged car usually involves tweaking the computer; there's not much you can do mechanically.

Superchargers: Overall, much simpler than turbos. Yet they still have most of the benefits, and can provide almost as much power as a Turbo on a similar engine. Relatively easy to maintain, no cool down period, no oil feed lines, no boost spikes, no driveability issues. They are ready to run right out of the box. A major advantage that they have over turbos is that there is no 'lag". The supercharger is always spinning, so when you hit the gas, the power is rigth there. Many Superchargers come equipped with "bypass valves", which allow the Supercharger to spin without generating boost to improve fuel economy while cruising. Supercharger mods include ECU upgrades and pulley changes to increase boost pressure.

Hope that helps with your understanding

 

WELL!!!! Centrifugal S/C use oil lines!!! And you can do an alcohol injection kit for increased power (cooler charge) thought i'd add!!!!

 

Yea thanks for the addition, when I wrote the original post I was mostly thinking about Roots Type Superchargers. Forgot to take into account the hybrid-cross between a Turbo and a Roots; the Centrifugal

 

Even though the roots style may have instant power, it usually dies off in the top end (like GTPs), but turbos have a much better top end than roots supercharger. You also left out that it is much easier to change the boost on a turbo than a supercharger. On the SC you have to take off the pulley with a pulley puller and put the new one back on while you can just push some buttons with a boost controller. Although the modular pulley systems have made pulley swaps much easier, turbos will always have the advantage off easy boost change.

Also, with centrifugal superchargers, peak hp is made at the shift point. This is just with experience with grand prixes, but people with novi 2000 csc's make peak power at their highest rpm. Also with csc's, but rises with rpm so you cant have just 10 psi across the board like you can with roots style and turbos.

 

Superchargers are usually meant for cars with high torque because it'll accent that flat torque curve. Turbos are usuallly used on 4 bangers where they only make power up top where turbos are usually known for making the most power at.