turbocharger good or bad?
 

i just got a 94 corolla and i have it really fixed up, i got everything from intake, stainless steel catalytic converter, custom exhaust, etc. i wanted to know about a turbocharger. is it good to put one in your car? are the implications sensible. how does it work exactly? does it ruin your engine? let me know please

Re: turbocharger good or bad?
 

www.howstuffworks.com and search button.

Then ask questions.

Turbo setups are an excellent way to make more power. Some motors are more responsive to the addition of a turbo, and will have more power potential for less $, but anything is possible. If this car is your daily driver, I would avoid a custom turbo setup. If you want a daily driven turbo car, I would suggest something that comes from the factory with a turbo.

Turbos don't ruin engines, but any improperly built or tuned engine can ruin itself, with or without a turbo. If you want some basic information about how turbos work:

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/turbo.htm

I wouldn't doubt that there is someone out there with a turbo corolla, do some searching on the net, and in some toyota forums to find more specific information.

keep in mind also, if the compression ratio on the engine is too high, you will ruin an engine. you need low compression to run boost. the lower the compression the more boost you can run. the turbo will force in more air into the chamber so you will need more fuel to compensate for the extra air, so you will probably need a better fuel system. this system includes, but not limited to, fuel pressure regulator, larger injectors, fuel rails, fuel pump, ect.

if you really wanted to turbo charge your carolla, why not just swap out the engine with a mr2? im not much of a toyota guy but instead of turbocharging an engine that is not meant to be turbo, just swap out with a mr2 engine that is already turbo. im sure that there will be need for custom fabrication for the engine mounts and driveshafts and all that crap, but if you really want it id do that. this way you kno that your engine wont take a giant turd on you if you decide to gun it due to a crappy internal set up.

my 2 cents.
china

I agree, the time you would need to make the turbo work properly is the same time you could spend swaping a engine.

well put +1
The first thing you should realize is that turbocharging your car is not going to be cheap. Doing it right is gonna cost anywhere from 2k-3k depending on if you want knew or used parts. And just like you said, its a daily driver and you don't wanna ruin your motor, which means you can't cut corners.

+1 for not flaming the shit out of him