New to all this. What exactly is the difference between a turbo and an SC? Is one "better" than the other? Is one preferred in an F150? Cost to have installed? Lastly, Any warrenty issues if I install? I know about the Magnuson-Moss Act relating to warrenty but concerned that factory parts might not be up to the "stress" Could I achieve the same by installing a built motor?

 

i just ask this question the other day. a turbo uses the exhaust gases coming out of your engine to turn a turbine, which in turns forces more air into the engine(correct if wrong). a s/c uses the hp from the motor to drive a belt attached to the s/c, but im not sure exactly how this result in more power, other than the s/c turning the crankshaft faster on the engine....basically a turbo is "free horsepower" as tj03f150 would say, and a s/c has to given hp to make hp. it depend on what you want to do. turbo;s require a lot of plumbing, while s/c kits are fairly easy to install.

but i would ask for more opinions, cuz i only have a 4.2 with bolt-ons....

 

basically yes, but i think you need to get past the fact that superchargers take hp to make hp. yes you are right but the gains far out weight the loss. the hp they lose is power you would not have anyway if you didnt have a supercharger. so in reality all you see is the gains. a superchargers shaft is turned by a belt hooked to the crank shaft, theres blades inside connected to this which compress the air into the engine... the gains far out weight the minor loss in my opinion

 

I know a little about turbos. I have installed a kit on a non turbo car. I have also had to build the motor after breaking the ring lands on the stock pistons (basically blowing the motor from high HP on stock pistons). I am not sure what kind of internals our F150's have but most motors can handle about 5-6 psi with very little added stress on the internal parts of the motor. I wouldnt run any more than this unless you get forged pistons which would handle the load much better.

Most SC'ers are on V8's and most turbo systems are on 4 cyl'ers. As with any forced induction system wether it be turbo or SC your going to break stuff. Parts will be under more stress and boost is VERY addictive. Your going to want more and more and its never going stop until you decide your spending too much money on your "toy".

 

He's right, the gains are much more noticeable than any "loss" would be.. because your not going to really lose anything.

especially on a v8.....

on a v6 there so weak to begin with...

 

The Cliff Notes answer is that a positive displacement (a roots style blower - those on a Lightning) SCs make more average power off idle to ~6K RPM where Turbos make more total power but the peak is very sharp and does not start until around 3-3.5K RPM. Centrifugal superchargers are just belt driven turbos, they preform like turbos but with less peak power as they loose some power to the crank to drive themselves. Additionally, a roots SC will always make more torque, espically off idle, than a turbo.

Torque is what gets you going Hp only means top speed. Case in point, an electric car out ran a Ferrari (Mythbusters). The Ferrari had much more Hp but much less torque. The Ecar won even though its trap speed was ~30 MPH slower than the Ferrari.

Roots SCs are easier to drive quickly in traffic, Turbos are for the open road.

Just my $0.02

 

In Europe, many models are offered with both Gas and Diesel engines. Comparing gas & diesel siblings of similar HP, the diesels obviously always make significantly more torque, and slightly less HP. In virtually every case, the gas cars accelerate to standard benchmarks (0 - 60, 1/4 mile, standing and flying kilometer) faster than the diesels.

Even in the US, the E350 gasser is faster than the E320 diesel. They both weigh within 100 lb. of each other.
Here are the specs:
E350 gas:
- 268 hp
- 258 lb-ft. torque
- 0 - 60 in 6.5 seconds

E320 diesel
- 210 hp
- 400 lb-ft. torque
- 0 - 60 in 6.6 seconds

The diesels definitely shine during in-gear acceleration (no downshifting), and have massive advantage in fuel efficiency and most emissions as well (when considering clean-diesel technology). And it's much easier to extract max performance from a diesel because of the "lazy" power delivery.

Don't get me wrong...I love diesels. And I sold my blown Expy to get a diesel truck. And they're fast...and they feel *really* fast, but it takes HP to accelerate quickly. And torque to accelerate effortlessly. Best bet is a healthy combination of the two.


BTW - properly designed turbo motors have extremely flat torque peaks that start low and taper off slowly. Extreme performance turbos can be peaky, though.

 

i was just stating what tj03f150 told me about s/c and turbos. im over the fact that it take hp to make hp.

 

 

basically, the supercharger works off the engine's crankshaft to yield power. that is where the very little parasitic "loss" is. however, the power is available at all rpm ranges, whereas the turbo has a general more top end style curve.

 

To the original poster for warranty purposes, ease of install (quick plug and play bolt on) the roush supercharger is a great option.
Turbo you'll be more on the custom side and alot more work needed.

Also for those who are thinking turbo's are 100% free hp is false.
When bolting on a turbo system it significantly increases exhaust back pressure which increases pumping loses with in the engine. The turbo it self is a restriction and most turbo kits come with a crude log manifold for reliability purposes. In a perfect world with a perfect turbo kit boost pressure would be equal to exhaust back pressure.

Now don't get me wrong you still loose alot less hp to power a turbo than supercharger.

 

Dependant on HP required. Turbo's require a lot more Buck per HP.

For real big gain's you have to drop the Comp down. Changing to forged Pistons, Uprated bottom end and trick Chips to run the system.

Dam: If you can get 400 - 500 HP from a 2.0 16v Cosworth engine imagine what a proper set twin turbo 5.4 could produce?

Ross

 

I would buy a TC over a SC if anyone made a decent kit. Most TC's though are an afterthought, a hodge podge, a plumbers nightmare. The last TC kit I looked at had over 40 hose clamps, come on! The SC's sell because they are a neat, well put together kit that gets the job done. However if someone made a kit for the F150 that looks something like the picture below, I would purchase it before an SC.

 

^ STS has a turbo kit for the 5.4. i wish i could find someone that has one on thier truck so i could hear a review.

 

Dont kno much, but for the 4.2Ls, the turbo is the better bet, but if I had a 4.6 or 5.4, I'd get a Whipple, Keene-Bell or Eaton anyday over a turbo!