Turbo or Supercharger

[95viper08]

in the quest for more power the question is always turbos or superchargers. A friend of mine has done some research and was able to build a "kit" to do a twin turbo installation to my 4.0. we have also found superchargers that we could get to fit (i dont remember brands off hand so please dont ask) now of course i gotta change rods, rings, etc, etc for doing either

so the question is which is a better choice to go with? Turbo or Supercharge?

 

[Naasau]

The question is, what do you want to do with it? and what performance aspects do you find to be more attractive?

For me, I decided to wait till I can afford a 281 small block v8, then put in a dual turbo kit (one 4 inch powering an 8 inch) to give me all the power I need throughout the engine range. It'll increase fuel economy, power, and give my ride a nice rich sound. A few of my friends have supercharged off-roaders... and while the performance is nice, the parasitic drag is a nightmare, the sounds aren't great... and the fuel economy seems to be pretty poor. So overall I'm pretty underwhelmed.

My vote would be for a Turbo, but to be fair, I know that I"m a good year or two away from making that decision myself and I haven't done as much research as I feel is necessary to make a complete decision.

~There is a guy that I know in Strasburg, CO who runs his own performance auto shop who would probably have all the answers that you'd need. Scott Patten, of P-Performance. (303)956-8734. I've talked to him a couple of times about what I intend to do to my Beast, and he seems to be pretty knowledgeable. I hope that some of this helps.

 

[deamon3]

For the price of a turbo or super charger you could just buy an entire engine or car with more horse power. If you turbo or supercharge the old 4.0l 150hp engine you'll end up with slightly less horse power then what normal 3.0l v6's today produce.

 

[Naasau]

Daemon has a good point, that's why I'm waiting until I can afford an engine swap to do anything crazy with my powertrain. IMHO, it would be better for you to wait till then as well.

 

[explorerguy89]

2011 mustang 5.0l swap in? cough cough

 

[zoso1030]

2011 mustang 5.0l swap in? cough cough

haha yeah that bolts right in

 

[95viper08]

yeah a 5.0 is the dream engine for any explorer, they got the best of both worlds and parts are everywhere. im just trying to do things most people wouldnt - to a point - personally im all about the engine, id rather have a built engine for brute power with no turbo or supercharger. im kinda oldschool. my explorer is set up as a sleeper and thats what im trying to keep

 

[jd4242]

3 letters NOS!!!

 

[95viper08]

3 letters NOS!!!

hell ya. drop in a couple 300 shots in the bed and light up the frickin road. my explore is gonna get side pipes with 3" outlets and is gonna sound sick so having dual flames shootin would look badass

 

[jd4242]

Hahah $300 can get you 150hp

 

[95viper08]

Hahah $300 can get you 150hp

go big or go home. i ran dual 300 shots in a 240sx i used to race and it would pull the front end up off launch if u timed it right

 

[glfredrick]

I agree with some of the other guys -- both options are WAY expensive and you'll end up with a lot of headaches. Engine swap is the better way to go, and if that seems sort of daunting, then you probably haven't considered what you'll have to do with engine management to fuel and spark a turbo or super charger. Neither are simple and require a lot of reprogramming.

Otherwise, if you are committed to doing this project (and that is fine as long as you understand that it will be pure hot-rodding -- no easy or cheap answers!) then you have to decide before hand your intended use. Turbo charging is probably preferred for street use and supercharging for off-road use, because the supercharger will make torque lower in the RPM range than the turbo, plus it is not as susceptible to the shock of a hot turbo getting doused with cold water or mud. Of course, a supercharger also works on the street, but it is not quite as much "free" horsepower as a turbo setup, as it takes HP to drive the charger, hence my recommendation to turbo for street use. Most efficient way.

 

[Turdle]

You might be able to get 300 ft lbs at the expense of being on the edge of parts blowing up, expensive parts I might add


or
just get a stock v8, for less money and have 300 reliableft lbs of torque out of common off the shelf parts.

The 4.0 OHV is no "builder" motor IMO

 

[jd4242]

You might be able to get 300 ft lbs at the expense of being on the edge of parts blowing up, expensive parts I might add


or
just get a stock v8, for less money and have 300 reliableft lbs of torque out of common off the shelf parts.

The 4.0 OHV is no "builder" motor IMO

Wooo wooo the ohv motor is a beast,just is all custom and cost ALOT!!I'm pretty sure I'm close to 300tq with out my nos but will know soon as dyno is coming after the break in of the 488s!! Now with that said a 302 block is awaiting to be stroked out for my next project,347 supercharged carb ranger!! and yes wish I would have done that to the ex in the first place!!

 

[Willard]

I think the biggest problem with the 4.0 is the transmissions behind it. An A4LD or an M5OD will not stand up to big HP. The 4.0 might be able to produce it under the right modifications, but the transmission will never hold up in a 4000+ lb. vehicle.

 

[jd4242]

The a4ld can be made to be very strong just takes money and there is always the 700r.its all about money and how custom you really want to get.

 

[95viper08]

The a4ld can be made to be very strong just takes money and there is always the 700r.its all about money and how custom you really want to get.

exactly

 

[95viper08]

everyone else you need to realize, when you modify an enigine for more hp you have to beef up the tranny with it. NO ONE!!!! can be that stupid to say a stock tranny will hold up to whatever you put it through, every part has a weakness and everyone fails to realize that. and turdle where did the 300 ft lb of torque come from, nobody said anything about torque, we were talking about NOS (nitrous oxide)

 

[jd4242]

willard and turdle are very wise people and I think they are just trying to say that there is a lot more to making power than just throwing big power makers on a motor.witch a lot of people don't take into consideration.just keep us posted on what way you decide to go.

 

[backfrmcolorado]

Ya im in the need of a new engine for my sploder and was looking to do some performance mods to it but after hearing its takes a lot of money and work i think im just going to look for a chip. My a4ld is shot and its going to get a rebuilt and beefed up.

Just a side note: Ive had the crazy idea of buying a wrecked new V8 X and droping my 1st gen on a new platform. Not sure if all would line up but with a lil bit of modification and a crazy dream who know what will happen...