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Old 10-13-2012, 01:09 PM   #14 (permalink)
RobertISaar
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Frank Lee View Post
The reason "they" say turbos can increase fuel economy is for those situations when a much smaller displacement turbocharged engine is fitted instead of a bigger naturally aspirated lump. Sticking a turbo onto whatever is already in there will not result in fuel savings.
and here is the problem with this whole idea....

the turbine housing is actually a significant restriction in the exhaust and causes a considerable jump in backpressure. now you have to overcome that resistance as well, and resistance is about the last thing you want when looking for efficiency increases.

if you're going to gain fuel economy(with a gas engine) with a turbocharger, it's not going to happen compared to an otherwise identical engine without the hairdryer. a lower displacement or otherwise significantly better thermal efficiency is required to see a boost in MPG.
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