Turbo or Supercharger ?

Dbeckwith · 09-24-2015, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luisch88

Hello, Noob here... so please pardon my ignorance....Not sure if someone already asked these questions... so i'll ask..

Trying to decide between Turbo vs Supercharger for my stock 370z.

Looking for a break down in relation to Performance, Maintenance between the 2.

I am not a track person. Never will be...so looking to see which option i should go with... I simply just want to add a little vroom vroom to my Z.

Any info would be appreciated.

thanks

Question for you, have you ever driven a forced induction vehicle? It's definitely a different feel between the two. (Granted, there's also a difference between a 2.0L Turbo 4, and a 3.7L supercharged 6).

I've got both a turbocharged VW and supercharged Z. The VW turbo takes a second to kick in when you hit the throttle and hits peak boost around 4,500-5,000 rpm. The supercharger is a more linear delivery of the power, but doesn't hit peak boost till the top of the band.

Along with the posts people have brought up around costs and maintenance/supporting add-ons, you'll need to consider what you are really looking for.

There we go, back on topic.

Sent from my A0001 using Tapatalk

Zbrah · 09-24-2015, 11:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SwissCheese

What exactly is the sprint booster?

( Click to show/hide )

jwick · 09-24-2015, 11:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TopgunZ

So BP is the only kit provider for the 370?

I asked if there was any possible refund. Ignored for a month till response.

I'm glad there was one the same hour after taking it public.

That's all.

Aaron you know I don't have a problem with you but just quit complaining.

You didn't buy a kit. You bought an untested part. You copied the design of what was supposed to be an improvement to a poorly designed kit and had an issue. Bud, that's what we call R&D. Be happy that you found a solution and produced awesome power above what the original kit designer, Stillen, didn't do from the factory.

Trips · 09-24-2015, 11:29 PM

I would appreciate it IF you guys could contain yourselfs to sticking to the TOPIC!

There's NO need to derail this members thread who's asking basic questions.

If you have an issue or sidebar discussion with a vendor or member?

Please sort it out via PM or in your own thread.

For everyone else who tried to help? Thank You!

Op,

Please do alot of research on FI as it's NOT something you would want to take lightly as NOT doing it right will be a VERY expensive mistake.

Try to at least get the most out of the NA before thinking of putting on some real serious HP.

Both setups are good and bad as you'll find different groups of guys from both camps.

Whatever way you go just make sure you save EXTRA $$ for the one day IF something does go wrong.

Please look into the two threads at the top of this FI section for general info.

370z Forced Induction for Noobs...

Forced Induction for Noobs...

Good Luck!

zephyrzone · 09-26-2015, 12:05 AM

I second the Sprint Booster (sprintbooster).

My last two cars were Audi TTs, 1.8 turbos and I had an APR Stage 1 tune done to my second TT which made a noticeable difference. There was still turbo lag though.

The Nissan NA VQ engine is one of the best engines on the planet and it outputs a ton of useable power all through the band. I honestly can't imagine going FI just to get a bit more of a powerful feel. The initial outlay of cash is very high, you need someone very skilled to do the work and you open quite the can of worms.

If money is no issue and, for whatever reason, you need the car to be quicker and faster, then sure, go for it. You'll most likely want to go with a SC because the character of the car remains largely intact and you won't have any lag. Some folks prefer a turbo because they like the nice kick in the pants once it spools up. I can understand that, it's an addictive feel and if feel is what you're going for, that might be a better option for you. Keep doing what you're doing and research it, just be sure you really want to go FI. I think it's a bit silly on the Z as the VQ is a monster already but many owners are hobbyists or are coming from a bigger engine (say a Corvette), or they want to go to the drag strip frequently.

When I test drove the Z that I ended up buying I loved it but it felt slower than I was expecting. I did some research and found that the throttle response on the car is "tame". There's also a delay. No biggie, you just have to "reach" for the extra power and the response is progressive which is arguable better for cruising around town.

I came to this forum and read about the Sprint Booster so I bought it and just installed it literally 2 hours ago. It ***DRAMATICALLY*** changes the Z's throttle response. It's very simple in practice, the unit just amplifies the signal the accelerator pedal is sending to the ECU. Let me tell you absolute certainty the car feels much, much quicker. It's not. But the feeling is so significantly different that it feels like a different, more powerful car. The SB comes with a switch so you can turn if off, turn it on but have it be only a moderate difference or "turn it to 11" and have fun trying to keep the wheels from squealing from a dead stop. I actually like the first setting.

It's a world of difference and it'll be the best $300 you ever spend on a so called performance mod. For what you're looking for I absolutely suggest you try this first. If you don't like it, then look into FI, but I doubt you'll remain interested after the SB install.

bartly · 09-26-2015, 11:20 AM

I'm new here two and have been looking at 370s for over a year now thinking that this will be my next car. First thing I noticed is the cost of turbo or supercharger kits, yikes. I have been driving and modifying my Jeep TJ for the last 12 years and was surprised to see how much more stuff costs for these cars. It took a long time for turbo and supercharger kits to come out for the jeeps 4.0 engine, bigger companies are doing them and the cost seems to be less than half of the cost of the z stuff.

From my last few months of searching I get the feeling that adding a supercharger or turbo means you might not have a reliable z any more. Just from my internet searching just seems like something is not working right when guys finally get all the stuff installed then sell them. Of course I know nothing more than what I read on the internet.

SouthArk370Z · 09-26-2015, 12:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bartly

... From my last few months of searching I get the feeling that adding a supercharger or turbo means you might not have a reliable z any more. Just from my internet searching just seems like something is not working right when guys finally get all the stuff installed then sell them. Of course I know nothing more than what I read on the internet.

The 370Z engine is not weak it's just that, in sports car applications, people are more likely to push things to the limit and beyond. Keep the boost reasonable and the engine should be safe.

jwick · 09-26-2015, 12:45 PM

If you boost it properly, maintain it, have a quality tune and keep the power reasonable there is no reason it can't be a reliable DD. I DDed mine until I bought a truck. Never had an issue. Car cranks everytime, runs great, makes good power and is a joy. If you want to boost just do your research and ask questions. There are a bunch of us that are more than willing to help you along the way.

EVOHUNTER · 09-26-2015, 06:26 PM

2 words.

Boosted Performance.

You'll never look back.

Although the Stillen supercharger kit is pretty reliable at 8psi, with stock cats and a Proper tune. Hell, i bagged on mine for 3 years. But also had a lot of issues with little things over the years. this is part of owning a Factory NA car that is boosted, maintenance has to be done. We all know the flaws in the stillen kit and I'm not going to get into it.

If i was going to do my build all over again, I would go turbo, no question.

But thats me.

I wouldn't worry about the strength of the the Vhr37, people are running 500whp all day long

bartly · 09-26-2015, 11:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SouthArk370Z

The 370Z engine is not weak it's just that, in sports car applications, people are more likely to push things to the limit and beyond. Keep the boost reasonable and the engine should be safe.

I get that it is a good strong engine. I've just been wondering what the average # of small issues introducing FI gets you into that leaving it stock doesn't. You know the kind of issues that become nuisances over time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jwick

If you boost it properly, maintain it, have a quality tune and keep the power reasonable there is no reason it can't be a reliable DD. I DDed mine until I bought a truck. Never had an issue. Car cranks everytime, runs great, makes good power and is a joy. If you want to boost just do your research and ask questions. There are a bunch of us that are more than willing to help you along the way.

I guess "properly" is the key word here. That's great news on never having an issue, I guess time will tell if I ever really get the bug. But it sure sounds fun. Good to have guys out there that know the details. Still have sticker shock on the prices compared to jeep turbos, you know the kind that will make a Jeep get 9.6 second 0-60mph times, lol.

Quote:

Originally Posted by EVOHUNTER

2 words.

Boosted Performance.

You'll never look back.

Although the Stillen supercharger kit is pretty reliable at 8psi, with stock cats and a Proper tune. Hell, i bagged on mine for 3 years. But also had a lot of issues with little things over the years. this is part of owning a Factory NA car that is boosted, maintenance has to be done. We all know the flaws in the stillen kit and I'm not going to get into it.

If i was going to do my build all over again, I would go turbo, no question.

But thats me.

I wouldn't worry about the strength of the the Vhr37, people are running 500whp all day long

It's the "issues with little things" you mention. Wondering if these were related to introducing FI to the car. If so I'd assume you got them all worked out, if not related, then that is cool to hear. If they were related did they ever wear on you, and make you say "jeez, what now". Sincerely curious.

Sorry to crash into this thread, but I suppose it's at least on topic.

BOLIO 671 · 09-28-2015, 05:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EVOHUNTER

2 words.

Boosted Performance.

You'll never look back.

Although the Stillen supercharger kit is pretty reliable at 8psi, with stock cats and a Proper tune. Hell, i bagged on mine for 3 years. But also had a lot of issues with little things over the years. this is part of owning a Factory NA car that is boosted, maintenance has to be done. We all know the flaws in the stillen kit and I'm not going to get into it.

If i was going to do my build all over again, I would go turbo, no question.

But thats me.

I wouldn't worry about the strength of the the Vhr37, people are running 500whp all day long

Can U or any former/current Stillen Kit owners pls Chime in on what the flaws of the kit are.....I have read about the Stillen Kit on the forums and found issues about people being very dissatisfied with the box tune and the kit not producing enough power for the amount of money they paid for it.....From what I have read the Stillen Tune is conservative to day the least....I have read some issues about owners such as Swiss370 blowing his stock cats from the increased ETH associated with going F.I. I also noticed that a lot of guys that did have issues with the kit were those that started doing upgrades to impellers/pulleys etc.....

So is the Stillen Kit at its "straight our of the box" form really unreliable even with a proper tune? Any information on what exactly is unreliable on the Stillen Kit straight out of the box is greatly appreciated.

Seb@SZ · 09-28-2015, 01:08 PM

I have a little write up on our blog showing you the difference in power and torque with some information to add.

370Z Forced Induction: Boost is not created equal |

TopgunZ · 09-28-2015, 03:24 PM

I had the Boosted Performance Kit and I opted to switch to a supercharged kit.

Now, that's mostly because I enjoy "tinkering" on my car and spending time in the garage drinking beer and listening to music.

I also have roughly the same amount of horsepower from my stillen kit as I did my BP kit. However, had I wanted to crank up the boost on the BP kit it would have been as simple as turning a knob and getting a retune. I have pretty much maxed out the stillen kit since I am already overspinning the SC per Vortechs calculator.

The BP kit is a torque monster though and will kick you in your pants when she hits 3200rpms. However it does taper off up top and feels like it does not pull as hard. The SC pulls harder and harder and obviously hardest up top where the most boost is made. Its a completely different feel.

My Positive Displacement roots SC fell on its face due to heat after 5200K because it was way undersized for the VQ35DE engine. Supposedly Gamma Motorsports is coming to the market with a new design but we will see.

I have a very interesting dyno graph for you guys at home of my pulls. Ill snap a pic of it and post it here. It does some comparisons.

jwick · 09-28-2015, 03:38 PM

I wonder if the feeling the turbo dropped off up top was due to your elevation?

Mine pulls all the way to redline.

TopgunZ · 09-28-2015, 04:24 PM

That could be. I think its more to just the fact that once the boost ramps in it is a rocket ship from all that power hitting at once and it just seems to fade away even though it holds boost all the way up. I mean, looking at the graph it is obvious what happens. Torque drops but HP rises.

Isn't it torque that gives that punch in the chest?

09-24-2015, 11:29 PM	#49 (permalink)
Trips Administrator Join Date: May 2009 Location: Disneyland, Ca Posts: 8,730 Drives: 🔰 Rep Power: 10	I would appreciate it IF you guys could contain yourselfs to sticking to the TOPIC! There's NO need to derail this members thread who's asking basic questions. If you have an issue or sidebar discussion with a vendor or member? Please sort it out via PM or in your own thread. For everyone else who tried to help? Thank You! Op, Please do alot of research on FI as it's NOT something you would want to take lightly as NOT doing it right will be a VERY expensive mistake. Try to at least get the most out of the NA before thinking of putting on some real serious HP. Both setups are good and bad as you'll find different groups of guys from both camps. Whatever way you go just make sure you save EXTRA $$ for the one day IF something does go wrong. Please look into the two threads at the top of this FI section for general info. 370z Forced Induction for Noobs... Forced Induction for Noobs... Good Luck! JARblue, ANMVQ, GaleForce and 5 others like this. __________________ Last edited by Trips; 09-25-2015 at 12:06 AM.

09-26-2015, 12:05 AM	#50 (permalink)
zephyrzone Base Member Join Date: Aug 2015 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 10 Drives: 12 Nissan 370Z MB A7 Rep Power: 10	I second the Sprint Booster (sprintbooster). My last two cars were Audi TTs, 1.8 turbos and I had an APR Stage 1 tune done to my second TT which made a noticeable difference. There was still turbo lag though. The Nissan NA VQ engine is one of the best engines on the planet and it outputs a ton of useable power all through the band. I honestly can't imagine going FI just to get a bit more of a powerful feel. The initial outlay of cash is very high, you need someone very skilled to do the work and you open quite the can of worms. If money is no issue and, for whatever reason, you need the car to be quicker and faster, then sure, go for it. You'll most likely want to go with a SC because the character of the car remains largely intact and you won't have any lag. Some folks prefer a turbo because they like the nice kick in the pants once it spools up. I can understand that, it's an addictive feel and if feel is what you're going for, that might be a better option for you. Keep doing what you're doing and research it, just be sure you really want to go FI. I think it's a bit silly on the Z as the VQ is a monster already but many owners are hobbyists or are coming from a bigger engine (say a Corvette), or they want to go to the drag strip frequently. When I test drove the Z that I ended up buying I loved it but it felt slower than I was expecting. I did some research and found that the throttle response on the car is "tame". There's also a delay. No biggie, you just have to "reach" for the extra power and the response is progressive which is arguable better for cruising around town. I came to this forum and read about the Sprint Booster so I bought it and just installed it literally 2 hours ago. It *DRAMATICALLY* changes the Z's throttle response. It's very simple in practice, the unit just amplifies the signal the accelerator pedal is sending to the ECU. Let me tell you absolute certainty the car feels much, much quicker. It's not. But the feeling is so significantly different that it feels like a different, more powerful car. The SB comes with a switch so you can turn if off, turn it on but have it be only a moderate difference or "turn it to 11" and have fun trying to keep the wheels from squealing from a dead stop. I actually like the first setting. It's a world of difference and it'll be the best $300 you ever spend on a so called performance mod. For what you're looking for I absolutely suggest you try this first. If you don't like it, then look into FI, but I doubt you'll remain interested after the SB install. luisch88 likes this.

09-26-2015, 12:45 PM	#53 (permalink)
jwick A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Houston Posts: 14,532 Drives: '10 G37 6MT Rep Power: 2465056	If you boost it properly, maintain it, have a quality tune and keep the power reasonable there is no reason it can't be a reliable DD. I DDed mine until I bought a truck. Never had an issue. Car cranks everytime, runs great, makes good power and is a joy. If you want to boost just do your research and ask questions. There are a bunch of us that are more than willing to help you along the way. Hotrodz and zephyrzone like this. __________________ '10 G37T 6MT Graphite/Graphite - BP - G37T Build

09-26-2015, 06:26 PM	#54 (permalink)
EVOHUNTER Track Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Edmonton, Canada Posts: 681 Drives: BOOSTED3-7-0 Rep Power: 15	2 words. Boosted Performance. You'll never look back. Although the Stillen supercharger kit is pretty reliable at 8psi, with stock cats and a Proper tune. Hell, i bagged on mine for 3 years. But also had a lot of issues with little things over the years. this is part of owning a Factory NA car that is boosted, maintenance has to be done. We all know the flaws in the stillen kit and I'm not going to get into it. If i was going to do my build all over again, I would go turbo, no question. But thats me. I wouldn't worry about the strength of the the Vhr37, people are running 500whp all day long jwick likes this. __________________

09-28-2015, 01:08 PM	#57 (permalink)
Seb@SZ Enthusiast Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: Chatsworth Posts: 277 Drives: Zs Rep Power: 24	I have a little write up on our blog showing you the difference in power and torque with some information to add. 370Z Forced Induction: Boost is not created equal \| GaleForce, Hotrodz, Zbrah and 2 others like this. __________________ Z Car Specialists www.specialtyz.com Blog http://specialtyz.com/blog/

09-26-2015, 11:20 AM	#51 (permalink)
bartly Base Member Join Date: Nov 2014 Location: Out West Posts: 5 Drives: Jeep Rep Power: 11	I'm new here two and have been looking at 370s for over a year now thinking that this will be my next car. First thing I noticed is the cost of turbo or supercharger kits, yikes. I have been driving and modifying my Jeep TJ for the last 12 years and was surprised to see how much more stuff costs for these cars. It took a long time for turbo and supercharger kits to come out for the jeeps 4.0 engine, bigger companies are doing them and the cost seems to be less than half of the cost of the z stuff. From my last few months of searching I get the feeling that adding a supercharger or turbo means you might not have a reliable z any more. Just from my internet searching just seems like something is not working right when guys finally get all the stuff installed then sell them. Of course I know nothing more than what I read on the internet.

09-28-2015, 03:24 PM	#58 (permalink)
TopgunZ A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 2,651 Drives: 06 350Z , 09 370Z MT Rep Power: 6834	I had the Boosted Performance Kit and I opted to switch to a supercharged kit. Now, that's mostly because I enjoy "tinkering" on my car and spending time in the garage drinking beer and listening to music. I also have roughly the same amount of horsepower from my stillen kit as I did my BP kit. However, had I wanted to crank up the boost on the BP kit it would have been as simple as turning a knob and getting a retune. I have pretty much maxed out the stillen kit since I am already overspinning the SC per Vortechs calculator. The BP kit is a torque monster though and will kick you in your pants when she hits 3200rpms. However it does taper off up top and feels like it does not pull as hard. The SC pulls harder and harder and obviously hardest up top where the most boost is made. Its a completely different feel. My Positive Displacement roots SC fell on its face due to heat after 5200K because it was way undersized for the VQ35DE engine. Supposedly Gamma Motorsports is coming to the market with a new design but we will see. I have a very interesting dyno graph for you guys at home of my pulls. Ill snap a pic of it and post it here. It does some comparisons. Wonka2581 likes this. __________________ ROTREX SUPERCHARGER TUNER KITS - $6799/ CUSTOM STILLEN AIR TO AIR KITS -$2100/ 700+ WHP!! WWW.TOPGUNSPEEDWORKS.COM

09-28-2015, 03:38 PM	#59 (permalink)
jwick A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Houston Posts: 14,532 Drives: '10 G37 6MT Rep Power: 2465056	I wonder if the feeling the turbo dropped off up top was due to your elevation? Mine pulls all the way to redline. GaleForce and Hotrodz like this. __________________ '10 G37T 6MT Graphite/Graphite - BP - G37T Build

09-28-2015, 04:24 PM	#60 (permalink)
TopgunZ A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 2,651 Drives: 06 350Z , 09 370Z MT Rep Power: 6834	That could be. I think its more to just the fact that once the boost ramps in it is a rocket ship from all that power hitting at once and it just seems to fade away even though it holds boost all the way up. I mean, looking at the graph it is obvious what happens. Torque drops but HP rises. Isn't it torque that gives that punch in the chest? GaleForce likes this. __________________ ROTREX SUPERCHARGER TUNER KITS - $6799/ CUSTOM STILLEN AIR TO AIR KITS -$2100/ 700+ WHP!! WWW.TOPGUNSPEEDWORKS.COM

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