Indecisive between supercharging and turbo charging

[Pho3niX90]

Hey guys.

So I want to do a FI conversion on the 330, but can't decide between turbo'ing the car or supercharging the car.

Let's take the price out of the equation and say whatever I go with, I will only be boosting between 8psi and 15psi.

What is the best option and why?

Thanks in advance.

 

[moranor@axis]

supercharger for that boost level... instant response and clean exhaust sound :rollsmile: once you start boosting higher than 15psi the turbo come into its own...

 

[Crash_Nemesis]

Supercharging is easier.

Turbo is much harder and requires big modifications to the BMW 6 pot engine bay. You lose your aircon for one, and unless you are doing an entire engine rebuild with forged rods, pistons etc, you not going to be able to boost 8psi and up safely.

So, supercharger will be better.

Its pretty much bolt on and can be installed in a day if you know what you are doing, actually... even if you dont, its still damn easy.

Turbo will give you more power, after the lag that is, but at a price, and as I mentioned, goodbye aircon.

My advice is always to go supercharged. Not because its better but because it makes more sense.

If you building a drag queen, TURBO is what you want.

 

[Josh-ZN]

^^ good advice from the guys above.

bmwfanatics FTW

:joy:

 

[Pho3niX90]

Supercharging is easier.

Turbo is much harder and requires big modifications to the BMW 6 pot engine bay. You lose your aircon for one, and unless you are doing an entire engine rebuild with forged rods, pistons etc, you not going to be able to boost 8psi and up safely.

So, supercharger will be better.

Its pretty much bolt on and can be installed in a day if you know what you are doing, actually... even if you dont, its still damn easy.

Turbo will give you more power, after the lag that is, but at a price, and as I mentioned, goodbye aircon.

My advice is always to go supercharged. Not because its better but because it makes more sense.

If you building a drag queen, TURBO is what you want.

I have found a kit that saves the aircon and power-steering, and doesn't require modification to the body itself. The Turbo is a T3/T4 hybrid (incly headers, intercooler ect ect),

The supercharger is from promotec, a Gpower supercharger.

Does the supercharger still make more sense when taking that into account? I have always been a supercharger fan, but just need to take everything into account before taking the plundge.

 

[Josh-ZN]

if you getting it from promotec, why not ask Rolf for his advice.

also, just look at the e90/92 m3. supercharger is the way to go, especially for reliability.

i would follow the advice of the guys above.

 

[SP33DYV]

S/C :=):
Bolt-on and easy to remove if you need to. Almost no lag and you keep the same exhaust note.

http://www.g-power.de/952.html?L=1&carid=7000&artgr=7001#Produkt_Start

http://store.activeautowerke.com/active-autowerke-e46-330-supercharger-kit-level-2-complete-p38.aspx

 

[UpNcOmiNg!]

Supercharge. Done. Boom. Nuff said! :thumbs:

 

[Crash_Nemesis]

Believe me... I have supercharged my 323i, it was easy, and power was instant, no lag.

it was fun as hell.

I have since sold the 323i, bought myself an e46 M3, took the supercharger out the 323i in a few hours, and car was back to stock, no sign of it even being supercharged. I am now putting the same supercharger into my M3. MORE POWER!!

Car will be 570hp. More than enough power.

I went from a 125kw 323i engine to a 200kw 323i engine. 155kw on the wheels with 0% ambient correction, about 170kw with 28% correction. Stage 1, no intercooler, no exhaust mods. Just simple bolt on and custom tune.

We could have got loads more out of the car. Was only boosting 0.4 bar, and kept stock injectors. Could keep up with stock M3's and even outran an M3 on Feb Midnight run last year --

Watch at 4 min 30 seconds.

The only negative thing the car suffered from was heat soak due to no inter cooler or charge cooler. This only happened on long runs as the charger got much hotter. I loved the stealth look of the car. Caught many people by surprise. Had a few stock 335i owners asking me what the hell is in that car as they were unable to pass me on various occasions. By no means did the supercharger make my 323i the fastest car in the world, but I was able to keep up with some of the big boys and give them surprised every now and then.

Hope this helps your decision. In the 330i, the supercharger kit will be amazing. I can tell you this for damn sure.

 

[boost3d]

In the long run , I would vote for the turbo conversion. If you go about it the right way and do some internals , then its easier to up the boost because there will be a stage when you are going to get use to the power of the supercharger and will be left wanting more.......

It all depends on your "long term" needs

 

[MultiPower]

Personally suggest Turbo, as it is better. However, it depends on your requirement for your auto:idea:

 

[tcal69]

Or just get a 335:fencelook:

 

[Sabretooth tiger]

I am with Crash on this one, SC is easier, and will fit your needs perfectly.

 

[Pho3niX90]

Believe me... I have supercharged my 323i, it was easy, and power was instant, no lag.

it was fun as hell.

I have since sold the 323i, bought myself an e46 M3, took the supercharger out the 323i in a few hours, and car was back to stock, no sign of it even being supercharged. I am now putting the same supercharger into my M3. MORE POWER!!

Car will be 570hp. More than enough power.

I went from a 125kw 323i engine to a 200kw 323i engine. 155kw on the wheels with 0% ambient correction, about 170kw with 28% correction. Stage 1, no intercooler, no exhaust mods. Just simple bolt on and custom tune.

We could have got loads more out of the car. Was only boosting 0.4 bar, and kept stock injectors. Could keep up with stock M3's and even outran an M3 on Feb Midnight run last year --

Watch at 4 min 30 seconds.

The only negative thing the car suffered from was heat soak due to no inter cooler or charge cooler. This only happened on long runs as the charger got much hotter. I loved the stealth look of the car. Caught many people by surprise. Had a few stock 335i owners asking me what the hell is in that car as they were unable to pass me on various occasions. By no means did the supercharger make my 323i the fastest car in the world, but I was able to keep up with some of the big boys and give them surprised every now and then.

Hope this helps your decision. In the 330i, the supercharger kit will be amazing. I can tell you this for damn sure.

I think I might just go with the supercharger then.

One question though, will be fitting a inter-cooler just as easy or will it take longer?

 

[NavZ]

I want to SC my E90 330i

 

[monster]

What management you gonna use?
How are you going to reduce compresion to safely run either?

 

[bac]

Smoothness go SC, you want to make more power later, SC not gonna happen. If you at altitude you not gonna get full potential on SC. If im you go relatively small turbo, you'll get just as good spool, look at a 335/135 powerband/response, and you'll be impressed with the figures, and you got tons of potential when you ready as to being limited, as boost is addictive!. Also for some reason SC kits always tend to be more expensive than doing a turbo kit. Scrap the stupid charger and go proper boost!

 

[LukeS2K]

In the long run , I would vote for the turbo conversion. If you go about it the right way and do some internals , then its easier to up the boost because there will be a stage when you are going to get use to the power of the supercharger and will be left wanting more.......

It all depends on your "long term" needs

Spot on. A sc is great up to a level.After that its Turbo all the way.

Also what are you going to be using the car for...If its going to spend most of the time on the street or on a track then go SC.

If its going to be spending alot of time on the drag strip chasng 1/4 mile times than go Turbo.

 

[BillyBob]

Depends on the Supercharger kit you're planning to use and what driving characteristics you desire..

A Centrifugal charger is all good and well, but its power delivery is biased towards the higher end of the rev range, spinning faster (and thus generating more boost) as the revs go higher - meaning your car has to be flogged hard to get the best out of it - go drive an E46 M3 to understanding the feel of a centrifugal charger - it doesn't feel as quick as the performance figures suggest lower in the rev range - but once it gets revving, it just pulls harder and harder.

The alternative would be a twinscrew blower like the ESS TS2, TS2+ or TS3 kits - which give you a positive displacement kick with full boost as low as 2500 RPM, making for loads more torque - around 450 Nm at 3500 RPM on a 330i - and a car that doesn't have to be wrung as hard to get it to go... The bypass valve also makes for minimal parasitic losses when at cruising speeds.

If you're after outright power though, then a turbo would be your best bet... That being said, anybody that advocates a T3/T4 on a 3-litre motor should be shot... this sounds like either an E-bay kit, or a Oom-Kallie-se-backyard-tuning recommendation.

A word of caution - you gotta pay to play.. DO NOT cheap out on a backyard mechanic conversion - you WILL break stuff, and you will spend more getting it fixed, than it would've cost you just to do the conversion properly in the first place.

 

[Pho3niX90]

Hmm.

okay here is another option>


Charge the 330i, or just buy an M3? And maybe charge that in the next 12 monhts :fencelook: