turbo vs supercharger

[Wonderjava]

which one is the best to get the most mpg and hp out of it? for a 2001 pt?

[gone-ot]

TURBOCHARGER takes its "driving" power from the waste heat-energy of the exhaust, ie: basically "free" power.

SUPERCHARGER gets its "driving" power directly from the engine crankshaft, usually via an under-driven belt ratio, ie: it's a not "free" power but rather is a "load" on the engine at all times.

[UFO]

Turbocharger is one of the most efficient "power-adders". In fact most diesel engines increase fuel efficiency when matched with the proper turbocharger. Gasoline engines may respond similarly.

[Neen]

If your 2001 PT is currently NA...don't bother. That engine isn't designed for boost. Sell it and get a PT GT that already has the Turbo and beefier engine. Avoid the auto trans at all costs.

Certain superchargers can make HUGE boost numbers and start making boost at all RPM levels so they do have their advantages.

[turbovr41991]

I know many people adding turbos and only running 5 psi on them on NA engines. Most cars can take that without an issue if you are just looking to boost MPG. It is when you are doing it for power, redlining the engine and beating on it you run into issues. Turbo is the way to go though. I supercharged my 350Z (originally an NA car) and was getting 20 mpg on it. I switched to a twin turbo setup and instantly went to 28 mpg.

[NoD~]

The money spent to turbo a car properly can usually get you a used car that will get better mileage than your current one you are trying to boost. I have charged N/A engines before... using primarily used parts at the best price I could fine, I was near $1,000 still. The power gains were amazing, but it wasn't anything built for economy, so I never did get to see numbers from it.

[turbovr41991]

I did not supercharge or turbo my 350Z with fuel economy in mind. It was built to put down 500 hp to the wheels and have a blast. I just happened to take it on a few road trips and recorded its gas mileage supercharged vs turbo.

I guess it depends on the car. I was going to turbo my 86 MR2 which was running a 20V engine (4AGE) with a 6 speed manual transmission (C160) fo better gas milage and power. I bought a used turbo setup for $400. That car is the prime example of power, fun, and fuel efficeincy. 200 HP and a 14 second quarter mile time, could out handle anything, and got 42 mpg if you kept your foot out of it. A turbocharger running low boost increase the mpg and hp.

I am sure I could turbo my 97 Civic CX for next to nothing... Parts for D series hondas are a dime a dosen and the have exhaust manifolds to make nearly anything work. I will probably go with a TD04 mitusbishi turbo as I have a few 15g's laying around. Very small turbos but purfectly good for improving MPG.

In the end it comes down to style and what people want to do with their time and money. If they are into fast cars and fuel economy they might build a car capable of both... they might buy a fast car gas guzzling for nice days and a fuel efficent car for everyday driving...

I was one of those people with a bended car, until I needed a back seat. Now I have an everyday gas saving car and a few fast plessure vehicles.

[NoD~]

The turbo itself can be had fairly cheap, if you shop well enough. The problem is, you are likely to need a new fuel pump, fuel injectors, all the hoses and fittings, a method of controlling fuel pressure, exhaust modifications, intercooler (optional), intake piping, colder plugs, something to integrate your current computer to accept the new boost levels OR a new computer all together... it's a big list.

Though, this is assuming you want to do it "right". By "right", I mean keep it reliable and able to take a decent amount of boost (when needed). There might be quite a bit you can skip if the ultimate goal is only 3-5psi.

I have a 89 turbo van. I bought the van for $400. I have well over $3K into it, just to make it reliably fast. But if I get 20MPG+ out of it, I probably didn't have fun on that last tank...

Not trying to rain on anybodies parade, I just hate to see somebody try and invest in a turbo setup, only to find that it won't ever pay for itself... versus putting the money towards something else that will.

[vrmilionzx]

I'm with NoD, mostly.
My "fun car" is my s14, it's fully built, mid size turbo, and puts down some solid numbers. It's pretty efficient on the highway, gets me a little over 30mpg, which is solid when I'm driving normally (65-75mph, occasional boost to pass), and around town is still just about what the epa estimated, though that depends on how heavy my foot gets.
More than anything, you have to take into account what kind of personality you have - because it's a hell of a lot of fun to stomp the pedal down when it results in feeling like you're taking off in an airplane. It's terribly addictive.

Doing a build "right" means you're making it more efficient, ideally across the board, so there's room for gain (mpg) there. Thing is, you'll spend a lot more money than you'll save in any reasonable amount of time, like NoD said. Doing it right means, bare minimum (assuming you want modest power gains with reliability), a manifold, turbo, way to mount exhaust to turbo, small intercooler, tune (this can get costly), potentially bigger injectors, wideband to monitor, oil delivery to turbo, method of monitoring and controlling boost, potentially a new fuel pump...... and then, it REALLY is addictive and fun.
It can be done, but as the saying goes: Fast, Reliable, Cheap - pick two.
I also think your money will be better spent on aero mods, or making it run more efficiently. If you're looking to do fun mods, lightweight flywheel, take out those back seats if you don't use em, lighter wheels, stuff like that.
I'm not a fan of PT's, but that's just my personal taste, so I don't know too much about them.

But this is working under the assumption you want better mpg, not loads of power. If you want anything more than modest power gains, consider building the motor, and going all out. Do it right, or do it twice.

[oil pan 4]

Ever hear of a combind cycle power plant?
Well they are more efficient because you have 2 thermodynamic cycles running off one heat source.
Same idea behind a turbodiesel.
You are combinding a diesel cycle with a brayton cycle.

A supercharger is just a big old pump strapped to the engine.