Turbocharging my Explorer

[Cupric]

ok I need some cool people to teach me some stuff here. I'm not cool so I don't know about these things, and I looked for a longass time on the internet but couldn't find any definitive answers.
So here's the thing. I've been driving a 1996 Explorer for some time now, and was wondering if it's even possible to put a turbo charger on it. I tow a lot of stuff with it, and I live in a very hilly area, so the extra performance would be wonderful! What kind of performance increases, or changes, can I expect? Will I lose fuel ecomony? About how much (installation included) would this cost me? Can I buy JUST the turbocharger or do I need a buttload of accessories to go with it too? If so, how much do they cost? Is there really any point to turbocharging a car that's not a stick? (mine isn't). Someone (who doesn't know much about cars) told me that turbos break down a lot, is this true? Do I need to get one of those ugly mufflers for extra flow if I get a turbo? It's not going to burn out my engine sooner, is it? What else should I know?
Specs about my car: 1996 Ford Explorer. 4L V6 160HP (I think) and it's got 120,000 miles. I don't really know anything else about it (tech wise anyway, er, I could tell you it's green but that doesn't to much), I"m not much of a grease monkey, but I'll try to look it up if you need it. Any and all information about this would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!
-C

Edit: And what's an intercooler? I saw that a lot too when looking up turbo's. It's also on Gran Turismo...

 

[Alec]

Welcome!

Sounds like you need to do some more research, bud This site has some info on turbos and superchargers. Only very few 4.0 OHVs and SOHCs have been turboed, but one is in the works right now by a member. There are no turbo kits available. There are, however, some supercharger kits. I have a BBK supercharger on mine. Plenty of threads on my install and experiences. I suggest you search around this site. Use the search feature to look for turbo threads, and I think most of my main supercharger threads are in the projects forum and/or the need for speed forum.

Good luck, and welcome again.

Oh, one last thing: before you even think about forced induction, you should probably get a motor rebuild, as forced induction will really stress your 120k mile motor.

 

[jimbo74]

well if you have a 4.0 ohv 160 hp engine you can get a bolt on supercharger.... no turbos are currently made for explorers and turbos can be a pain in the butt..... most any modification you make to a vehicle to increase its output will shorten the engines life to some extent..... do a searh for alec... he has a supercharger and the 4.0 160 hp engine... (well, it isnt 160 hp anymore )

 

[Xplodor]

Well I think Kenne Bell also makes a SC for the Explorers.

Dude, I came from the import scene. I think you should go with a supercharger, expecially if you tow stuff. The problem with an aftermarket turbo charger that you will slap on is space for plumming, you have to get a front mount intercooler, it runs hot, and spooling. Most of the time when you tow will be at low speeds. Turbo's suck at low speeds and RPM (unless you change clips n' stuff), so I would thing the SC is better in X's then a turbo charger. Just my opinion. If you were racing, I think the Turbo would be cool, but for a daily driver and towing, i'd go with the cheaper, easier, less things to go wrong, super charger. Plus there are a few people here that have done it, so they might be able to help you out.

 

[Cupric]

ok I got all my information about turbo/super chargers from my aviation class when we talked about them in airplanes. It almost seems like they're differant when it comes to cars, by the way people are talking about them. I learned that a turbo charger compresses the air and forces more fuel/air mixture into the engine using the exhaust gasses as a power source. And a supercharger is just a powerful turbo charger. Is this wrong? It sounds like it's wrong according to what I've been reading.

 

[jimbo74]

yess, a sc is not a turbo.... a turbo uses the exhuast gas as its driving force.... an sc uses an engine accessory monuted device to force feed air into the engine..... they are similar in the force feed induction, but very different in how they function

 

[Howard]

Both units increase the intake pressure and blow air in rather than rely on the down stroke of the piston. The real difference is how you get the power to the pump.

Turbos, as you said, get thier power from the exhaust gases.

Superchargers get thier power directly from the crankshaft, usually by a belt.

Niether system will help at low revs much but the supercharger will more than the turbo. Superchargers are much easier to fit because there is not so much plumbing and you only have to deal with the intake side. There are a number of kits! available use the search to see what others have done and how much it cost them (lots of $$$$$). All the best.

 

[Magicfan25]

for towing I would lean more to a positive displacement supercharger like an eaton or autorotor (KB).

A supercharger is NOT a more powerful turbo. A properly sized turbo will make more power throughout the curve then a centrifugal SC will. A properly sized turbo with a good exhaust setup will not have spooling problems.

 

[liquidx9]

turbos will create the most bang for the buck.... problem is that it takes a lot (A LOT) of bucks... turbos spool up from exhaust gases, so the higher your engine is revving, the more boost youll produce... not that great for lower RPM's... id go with the SC, talk to alec, i know someone mentioned it before, but ive seen that monster, and for any OHV 6 to make 300hp at the crank, youve gotta respect that

 

[92ExplorerNate]

Well, it seems everyone just gave a opinion and no help were to find one. Search here under "Superchargers". There spendy as F*ck but increase of about 50% Horsepower. http://www.truckperformance.com/products/?brandname=MOMO

Not sure how reliable this dealer is either, I got the link a long time ago and bookmarked it on my computer. Still lacking funds to order stuff .



Nate

 

[Alec]

i got mine from truckperformance.com great folks!

 

[Majisto]

Turbos and Superchargers, called Forced Induction, work by increasing the amount of air sent into the engine. This coupled with fuel injectors that are tuned to deal with the extra air, increases horsepower because there is more air/fuel mixture being ignited at one time in the cylinder. They are great fun on cars, but can be VERY dangerous.

First off, you don't just put a turbocharger or supercharge on your car. You have to make sure your engine can accept the increased load put onto it by a super/turbo. You have to look at the compression ratio of the engine. A high compression ratio like the SOHC V-6 in my truck (10.0:1) would be a very bad candidate because that is exactly what the super/turbo is doing. Increasing the air/fuel ratio. Having a high compression ratio and then putting forced induction can cause a thing called "detonation" and trust me, you do NOT want this. The OHV V-6 like you have would be better since I think the ratio is 9.3:1 or something like that. That's still a bit high, but better.

Turbochargers are generally better in every way then a supercharger because superchargers get their "power" from the main serpentine belt that runs your engine. This pulls power from your engine. Every supercharger pulls horsepower away from your engine, so make sure at least your supercharger is making more power than it's taking away Turbochargers are "spooled" up, meaning the exhaust gases turn an impeller blade that sucks in air and compresses it. This compressed air can hold more fuel per cubic centimeter. (It's more dense).

The benefit of a supercharger is that it's easy to install because no piping work is needed, and generally they are safer than turbos. I prefer a nice turbo setup, but they are NOT for low-end torque like towing. You want a roots type blower like an Eaton that is on the F-150 Ligthning. Eaton may actually make a setup for the OHV engine. Who knows...

As for an intercooler...All it does is cool the compressed air from a turbocharger. Again, the goal is more dense air. Colder air is more dense than warmer air. They work great with a turbo, but again, require more work, and more space in the engine compartment. Most cars don't have a lot of extra room, so lots of fabrication is needed.

Good luck with this route man! I'd love to see a really well done turbo-charged Explorer, but there ain't nothing wrong with a good supercharger setup. They still give you a huge horsepower/torque boost, and if you get an Eaton, you gotta love that sound

 

[Alec]

Um, the BBK kit uses an MP62 Eaton-Roots blower unit. Thanks for all the info so I didn't have to type it out; but you missed that key fact

Again, if y'all want to read more about this kit, read my installation and tuning threads.

 

[Majisto]

Originally posted by Alec
Um, the BBK kit uses an MP62 Eaton-Roots blower unit. Thanks for all the info so I didn't have to type it out; but you missed that key fact

Again, if y'all want to read more about this kit, read my installation and tuning threads.

Oh it does? Well there you have it. Get that kit. Eatons rock! The Cobra and the Lightning sure ain't losing a lot of street races.

 

[Alec]

And neither is my truck. I could roast stock sized tires all day As it is I can peel out my 33"s if I want to!