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A turbocharged engine can produce more power, and for this reason alone, a lot of car enthusiasts switch to turbocharged engines. However, there are different sizes of turbochargers today because you can install them on any engine.

Whether you want to turbocharge your car or upgrade the existing one, keep in mind that the bigger isn’t always better when it comes to turbocharging. You might also be tempted to get the smallest turbocharger that meets your horsepower goals, but that’s not also the right solution.

So, the question is, how do you get the right size of turbocharger for your engine? Here are some tips:

Budget

It all begins with how much you’re willing to spend on it. If you don’t have enough funds, then there’s no point getting one and putting yourself in debt, right? That’s why before you buy a turbocharger for your engine, you need to assess your budget first.

Building a turbocharged engine doesn’t just involve the cost of the turbocharger itself. Other things come with it, such as the things that you will need for the installation.

Airflow

Engines operate an air/fuel ratio while gasoline contains a specific amount of energy, which means that you can make a direct correlation between airflow in CFM and horsepower. That said, you will be able to come up with the required airflow in cubic feet of air per minute because, in turbochargers, it’s not just about the boost.

Non-Turbo Airflow

Next, you need to calculate your engine’s non-turbo airflow in CFM. There are different ways to do this:

• Use an online CFM-to-horsepower calculator
• Take the engine to a dyno room and check its non-turbo airflow.

Boost Pressure Ratio

When you finally have your required airflow, it’s time that you divide it by your engine’s stock airflow to get the needed boost pressure ratio.

Turbo Map

A turbo map is a graph that contains airflow indexes to pressure ratio. It will give you a visual representation of turbo efficiency at a given pressure ratio and CFM. You can find this on a manufacturer’s selection of turbo maps.

Target Airflow/Pressure Point

Compare the required pressure ratio of your engine and airflow in CFM to compressor maps. Find one that puts your target airflow/pressure point in the center-to-upper-right-hand corner of your compressor’s maximum efficiency range.

Conclusion

The above steps will help you find the right turbocharger for your engine. It’s crucial that you search until you find a turbo that is spooled up at your torque-peak airflow and can maintain that PR through the horsepower-peak airflow of your engine.

Finding turbochargers can be tedious, but it’s an adventure for car enthusiasts who are looking to build their own engines. The search itself is a flurry of challenges that will keep you busy, along with the trial and errors that come with it. Even so, these will make the search worth it when you finally find the turbocharger that is right for your engine.

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