Motorists have many options when it comes to upgrading their vehicles and improving efficiency and performance.
Are you considering installing a single turbo engine? There are many advantages of boosting your machine with a single turbo. Today, we'll examine some of the benefits of converting to a single turbo engine and how it will benefit your lifestyle.
What Is a Turbocharger?
A turbocharger is essentially a device placed inside a vehicle's internal combustion engine to increase the vehicle's performance. Many of the newer vehicle models now come equipped with a turbocharger pre-installed to improve power and refinement. Some vehicles include:
- 2022 VW Golf GTI
- 2022 Honda Civic
- 2022 Audi A3
- 2022 Hyundai Sonata
- 2022 Subaru Legacy
Many of these vehicles offer turbochargers in order to provide a winning combination of aesthetics and impressive performance.
Turbocharger vs. Supercharger
Many people use the terms turbocharger and supercharger interchangeably because they confuse the two, assuming they're the same thing. However, they're far from!
A supercharger is simply an air compressor that many drivers use to increase the air pressure entering an engine to provide more oxygen to burn fuel. In contrast, a turbocharger gives power to the engine using the turbine in the exhaust flow.
The Creation of the Turbocharger
In the early 20th century, Swiss engineer Alfred Buchi first introduced a prototype of a device that could increase a diesel engine's power. This product would then go on to be called a turbocharger.
Turbochargers proved challenging to manufacture throughout time due to their vibration-induced stresses on engines. However, due to modern computation techniques, rotordynamic analysis has significantly improved, enabling manufacturers to develop powerfully anchored turbochargers to become what we now know as our current engine devices.
How Do Turbochargers Work?
Essentially, turbochargers utilize your vehicle's exhaust to spin a turbine and constrict air coming into the engine.
Once the exhaust courses past the turbine, the turbocharger device continues to spin the compressor. The compressor then creates a boost that pushes the compressed air through the vehicle's intake system.
One of the many benefits of turbochargers is that it doesn't require the engine's power to activate, which could be helpful in many cases.
Benefits of Single Turbo Engine
Let's analyze the different benefits of a single turbo engine to understand how it can help power your vehicle and bring it to maximum drive.
Improves Gas Milage
When a vehicle is too "heavy," the engine requires more energy to keep it moving, resulting in increased fuel consumption.
Turbochargers help decrease the weight of your engine because it enables the engine to operate more efficiently and powerfully, improving gas mileage. This is perhaps why many of today's newer vehicles offer lower gas mileage, as turbochargers are now becoming mainstream in the public auto industry.
Reduces Costs of Maintenance
Turbochargers not only improve your gas mileage but can also help to reduce maintenance costs. This is because a single turbo conversion can instantly enhance your vehicle's engine by building a more durable, high-performing exhaust manifold.
Turbochargers naturally put less stress on the engine and allow vehicles to drive longer without trips to the mechanic. Fewer trips to the repair shop automatically mean reduced maintenance costs, helping you save for more vehicle enhancements.
Increases Performance
With a single turbo engine, your engine produces more power in the same machine, naturally increasing its performance in the long run. Furthermore, turbochargers promote more refined energy at higher speeds, like highways or rural roads.
Modern vehicles are now utilizing smaller, more efficient turbocharged engines that are quickly replacing older, less economically smart cars.
Encourages Quiet Engine
Since single turbo engines improve the efficiency of your engine, the process in which your engine produces power is naturally quieter than cars without turbocharged engines.
When the compressed air is filtered through specific components, the exhaust noise is reduced, helping the engine to run smoother.
Single vs. Twin
Single and twin turbo engines differ in many ways. Let's discuss the main differences and which one can benefit your vehicle, depending on your goals.
A single turbo engine offers almost unlimited variability. Many single turbos require all eight cylinders to be active in order to provide an optimal boost. Many people can utilize a single turbo for drag racing, as it produces a large amount of power.
Twin turbo engines might be more efficient in relation to v-type engines. A twin turbo uses four cylinders to provide lag reduction and ensures a smoother engine function. This type of engine is an excellent option for daily driving routines or city driving.
Advantages of Single
There are many pros to installing a single turbo engine in your vehicle, such as:
- Cost-effective way to improve vehicle's performance
- Easy to install
- Works well with smaller engines to produce the same great power
Disadvantages of Twin
As with many things, it's essential to consider the downsides. Some cons include:
- Twin turbos take up more space
- Costly installation
- Requires nearly double the turbo components
How To Choose the Right Turbo
In order to pick the right turbo engine for your vehicle, you'll want to examine your vehicle and determine your automotive goals.
Do you want to focus on price, or is your focus on racing? How much space do you have under the hood? Be sure to ask yourself these essential questions when converting to a single turbo engine.
What You Need for Installation
When looking to convert to a single turbo engine, you'll need a cat c15 turbo rebuild kit to ensure you get the job done right. ATL Diesel offers quality rebuild kits for a great price—just give us your engine serial number to confirm your part numbers.
How To Maintain a Single Engine
As with any vehicle, maintenance is of the utmost importance. In order to properly maintain your turbo engine, you'll want to complete these steps regularly:
- Oil change
- Warm-up engine in the winter
- Don't exceed turbo limits when cruising
- Allow engine to cool after a drive (don't turn off engine right away)
These benefits of converting to a single turbo engine will ensure you're prepared to drive a more efficient vehicle the next time you find yourself in a race, or even heading to your child's soccer practice!
