Why do turbos spin so fast?

Turbocharger Design

The compressor pressurizes the air going into the pistons. The exhaust from the cylinders passes through the turbine blades, causing the turbine to spin. The more exhaust that goes through the blades, the faster they spin.

What happens if a turbo spins too fast?

Overspeeding can push the turbo beyond its safe operating parameters, causing it to fail by damaging the turbine or compressor wheels and bearings. If the turbo continues to overspeed, it can overboost the engine, resulting in serious damage to the internal components and potentially complete engine failure.

How fast should a turbo spin?

You Spin Me Right Round (Like a Turbo, Baby): The turbine in a typical car turbocharger has to spin incredibly quickly. While your car's engine revs, at cruise, at around 2,000 rpm, a turbo's turbine can reach rotational speeds of more than 280,000 rpm.

How fast do turbos spin at idle?

While engines usually have an rpm limit of 5,000 - 7,000 rpm, turbos spin at up to 150,000 rpm! In turbo-charged cars without intercoolers, temperatures can shoot over 150 degrees C. Did you know that inertia keeps the turbo spinning even after you switch the engine off?

What makes a turbo spool faster?

A turbo can be tuned with a smaller exhaust housing that will spool the turbo quicker, and an exhaust wastegate can then be added to bleed off excess exhaust pressure at high engine rpm.

How does a turbocharger work?

Why do turbo engines not rev as high?

It is simply much more expensive to make high reving Turbo petrols. Need much better balanced rotating components, lighter & stronger internals. NA engines may rev to much higher rpms but they aren't making much torque at those RPMs, high horsepower is simply coming from more revs( hence more bangs per minute).

Can you over spool a turbo?

If the turbo continues to over speed, it can over boost the engine, resulting in serious damage to the internal components and potentially complete engine failure !

Should you rev a turbo?

Cold engine revving

It does not matter if the engine is naturally aspirated or turbocharged, a cold engine should not be revved hard. In turbocharged engines, the damage can be much more. The engine oil lubricates the engine and keeps it safe from any wear and tear.

What is the 1 minute turbo idling rule?

The reason you have to idle for a minute is NOT cooling down, but lubrication. Turbos get their lubrication from the engine oil, and spin at a much higher rpm than the engine does.

Are turbos hard on engines?

No. today's turbochargers are designed to last the lifespan of the vehicle. The truth is, boosted engines require the same amount of maintenance and care that a naturally aspirated engine does. Does a turbocharger decrease the life of an engine?

How long should you break in turbo for?

Allow the vehicle to idle for 10-15 minutes without applying any throttle. Even at idle, the turbo can be spinning at as much as 28,000 RPM's on certain models. Use this time to check for any loose fittings, hoses, exhaust leaks, and to bleed the cooling system of any trapped air.

Can a turbo spin backwards?

There is a common belief that compressor surge can cause the turbo to “stall” (i.e. stop spinning), or even spin backwards. It's worth clearing the air and saying that this is incorrect – the turbo will never stop dead or reverse direction because of compressor surge.

What rpm does turbo open?

The turbine in the turbocharger usually spins at speeds between 80,000 and 200,000 rotations per minute (rpm) — that's up to 30 times faster than most car engines can go.

What kills a turbo?

Extreme exhaust heat is what powers the turbine side of the turbocharger, and over time, 2000° temps will take a toll. Prolonged exposure to that kind of heat will eventually kill anything, guaranteed.

What is turbo creep?

World renowned turbo manufacturer Garrett defines boost creep as “a condition of rising boost levels past what the predetermined level has been set at.” Ideally a turbocharged engine will spool up, achieve target boost and match the per RPM boost targets set in the engine mapping all the way to redline.

Can a blown turbo destroy engine?

Although the car will move with a blown turbo, it would be far more preferable to stop driving it and have the car taken to the garage to have the turbo repaired or a replacement installed. The longer the blown turbo is left without repair, the more damage can be caused to the car's engine.

What not to do with a turbo car?

What happens if you don't put premium gas in a turbo car?

Using regular gas in an engine that requires premium could void your warranty. That is most likely to happen if using regular causes severe engine knock or pinging (premature ignition of the fuel, also known as detonation) that damages the pistons or other engine parts.

Is idling for 2 hours bad?

You can waste almost a gallon of gas if you leave your car idling for more than an hour. Burns up oil. Longer time leaving your engine running causes more motor oil to be circulated and burned up. This will cost you more money due to more frequent oil changes.

Is premium gas better for turbo engines?

The trade-off is that turbocharged engines have a higher compression ratio than non-turbo engines. That means they're more prone to detonation and more likely to need premium gas. Pro tip: You can easily calculate the difference in running costs for a vehicle that requires premium gas.

Is turbo flutter bad for your turbo?

Turbo Flutter is Harmless

In short, flutter is the sound of a turbocharger trying to push air. However, failing due to closed throttle. Therefore, it dramatically increases the load on the bearings of the turbo. If it occurs at higher engine loads or boost levels, it can cause premature wear to your turbo.

Does having a turbo waste more gas?

Fuel efficiency: Because turbochargers give your car extra power without increasing the size of the engine, they're typically more fuel-efficient than larger engines. Sound: Turbos muffle engine sounds, making cars with turbo engines quieter to drive.

What is a turbo blowout?

A blowoff valve (also called dump valve or compressor bypass valve) is a pressure release system present in most petrol turbocharged engines. Blowoff valves are used to reduce pressure in the intake system as the throttle is closed, thus preventing compressor surge.

What makes the whistle sound on a turbo?

What causes turbo whistle? Turbo whistle is the sound of the compressor inside the turbocharger speeding up (also known as 'spooling up', which is why it kicks in at the boost threshold (when the turbo starts to kick in) as you accelerate up the rev range.

Can you just bolt on a turbo?

In short, although you can theoretically add a turbocharger to almost any naturally-aspirated engine, it's not a plug-and-play process. There are a lot of parts that require careful consideration. Luckily, some tuning companies have taken some of the guesswork out of the process.