help: turbo or supercharge
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Ahhh.... the old question: Turbo or supercharger? Pro's and con's for both. I havent' done a turbo add since the 70's and haven't tried a supercharger, but I have thought about adding one to my burb. I guess it comes down to your budget and level of experience. At least you have a tuneable PCM so whichever way you decide to go, you should be able to alter fuel/ignition to keep up with the performance mod. Let us know which way you go and don't be afraid to post pics.
OK, back on topic.... I would suggest the supercharger, as they tend to work better with big-displacement engines. If the engine was smaller, the turbo would work better.
Essentially, what you have to remember is that a Turbo is most effective when the RPM's are high, and the Supercharger is more effective in the lower RPM band. Because the turbo has to spool up, it doesn't give you off the line grunt, where as the SC will start from the line, and will loose effectiveness as the speed mounts.
The biggest downside to the SC is parasitic loss, which is essentially the HP required to turn the belt. With a turbo, the downside is the lag between asking for the increased power and getting it.
For a Suburban, you aren't going to be traveling at very high speeds or RPM's, so the Turbo would be wasted for the most part. I think the SC would be more effective for the power band on the 5.7L.
Yea, but IMHO, drag racing a suburban is like towing trailers with a Geo, you can do it, but why would you? If you want to go to the drags, there are eleventy billion different options that would be better than a suburban.
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6,660 Posts
A Supercharger would be the best choice for your Suburban.
The best reason is the weight. Most turbos dont start running useable boost until the engines in the neighborhood of 3500-4000 rpms, power drops off around 7500rpms. A supercharger brings boost from idle up, it tapers off around 5000rpms, but how often will you be running your Suburban at that kind of rpms.
STS turbos are pretty good but they do have issues.
They take longer for boost because of the longer inlet feeder pipe.
They're more prone to leakage.
They have water issues (unless you purchase the upgraded intake system).
On the good side.
Due to location they keep the engine compartment uncluttered and keep the heat down.
I've had two STS turbo's. One on a 91 Firebird, it was supercharged, I put an early STS turbo on it then removed it and went back to the supercharger, the turbo had to many leakage issues.
The other was a 91 Toyota truck (22R) I removed the turbo and engine to make way for Diesel power.
Both vehicles ran good with the turbo but were constantly needing tuneing and the truck was a 4x4 so the turbo inlet area was a source of constant worry about sucking in water.
The STS/Texas Rear Turbo shop in Kennedale Tx. is working on a prototype twin turbo system right now. At this time they have one installed on a Toyota Tacoma S Runner, the stock 3.4 is running 21lbs of boost and pushing 472hp (factory is 196hp).
The best reason is the weight. Most turbos dont start running useable boost until the engines in the neighborhood of 3500-4000 rpms, power drops off around 7500rpms. A supercharger brings boost from idle up, it tapers off around 5000rpms, but how often will you be running your Suburban at that kind of rpms.
STS turbos are pretty good but they do have issues.
They take longer for boost because of the longer inlet feeder pipe.
They're more prone to leakage.
They have water issues (unless you purchase the upgraded intake system).
On the good side.
Due to location they keep the engine compartment uncluttered and keep the heat down.
I've had two STS turbo's. One on a 91 Firebird, it was supercharged, I put an early STS turbo on it then removed it and went back to the supercharger, the turbo had to many leakage issues.
The other was a 91 Toyota truck (22R) I removed the turbo and engine to make way for Diesel power.
Both vehicles ran good with the turbo but were constantly needing tuneing and the truck was a 4x4 so the turbo inlet area was a source of constant worry about sucking in water.
The STS/Texas Rear Turbo shop in Kennedale Tx. is working on a prototype twin turbo system right now. At this time they have one installed on a Toyota Tacoma S Runner, the stock 3.4 is running 21lbs of boost and pushing 472hp (factory is 196hp).
Definately supercharger for pull and haul applications. I know Vortech is probably the most popular brand, but there are others out there. The supercharger kits iwll usually be cheaper than turbos as well, and are easier to rebuild down the road.
My advice: Don't skimp on the accessories. The pressure regulation when you let off throttle is critical to the longeviety of the system, so get good parts that have a long track record. If you decide to build your own kit, which will help you save a little money, let me know, I can help with sourcing some of the parts.
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3,521 Posts
what is an acceptable price for a supercharger kit? I can't seem to find one for a resonable price, which leaves me to wonder how these little ricers and such can afford turbos and supers.....then again, they also somehow afford rims and stuff... :neutral:
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85 Posts
As soon as you see a reasonable priced SC let me know. I'm finding them for 4-5k, although probably reasonable, just not cheap.
What motors are we looking for here, and I can look around. Most of my sources are Euro cars, but I might be able to find something.
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85 Posts
5.3 Chevy Silverado Motors
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