thedonz

that's the kinds of things I wanted to hear!!

lucky strike

iTrader: (1)

We have B & M 174. 3 lbs of boost. Great blowers.

Clay Washington

Whipple it!

mcollinstn

John inNY,

I remember reading about your stang. Cool run, I bet.

Diesel turbos are indeed a different animal. While roots blowers have been used to scavenge, or assist a turbo in scavenging a diesel, they are added mechanical componentry and they have proven to be more maintenance intensive than a simple exhaust compressor. And since marine diesels consider maintenance intervals in terms of so many THOUSAND operating hours, it is easy to see that added mechanical doodads are a bad thing. Marine diesel turbos are designed for reliable operation over lag considerations. While modern turbo diesels have minimal lag compared to older motors, they still have more than you'd need in an offshore motor (lots more). Main reason is that they are sized for proper airflow at a copressor rpm that will deliver long service. Another reason is that they are waterjacketed to reduce engine room heat levels. We all know that turbos are powered by heat energy, but the necesary jacketing compromises their ultimate efficiency and trades it for heat safety. Combine that with a diesel being an engine that flows tremendous amounts of airflow at all engine speeds versus a gas application and you will see how a turbo is so well suited to a diesel.

The "in and out" of offshore operation requires power to resume in linear response to the throttle lever movement. Turbos cannot do this unless you rig a bypass to allow the compressor to freewheel when the throttle plates are closed. Can't do this in an enclosed engine compartment because it opens up the intake tract to the atmosphere which is a no no, specially if the turbo loses an oil seal which would have it spraying oil mist inside the engine compartment. And you'd still have to have a good way for it to open and snap shut to match your requirements.

for less money, effort, and trauma you can bolt big inefficient roots blowers on the motors and make great responsive power. Just doesn't give a good balance to the effort/reward level.

Can it be one? Of course. There's guys on this forum running turbos. Yellowcat is in NY and has a big cat with turbos. Bad mother.

Dragboats? Ski Racers? lots of turbos. Open air engines, though. Motors stuck right out in the open. Changes the rules regarding contained explosion hazard...

Centrifugals? Soft on the bottom, harder hit on top. Not what you want for a dragboat, but works well for most guys running drivetrains that are overtaxed anyhow. A roots or screwcharger slamming 10 pounds of boost right off idle spells a stinky gear oil smelling ruined kind of day. Centrifs give a couple pounds of boost while planing the boat and kind of provide a "safeguard" that keeps you from getting a little too excited on the sticks..

Who makes the best?
The specific application and intended usage change the equation and make that question hard to answer.

Dave F

Mcollinstn is right on the money. It's case sensitive. That being the case, is there such a thing as "best blower"?... Other than Terry Buzzelli?

If the blower does what you want, or need, for your app. then thats the best blower for you. There are different blower manufacturers out there that will accomplish the same end result at which time you need to compare total dollars to be spent on one system vs. the other to accomplish that goal.

All those that are listed have a proven history. Each type of blower reacts/acts differently than the other type. You need to know what type of action you want.

The only reason you add a blower is for more speed, right? So the only thing that counts is when you bang the sticks, who ever is in front at the end is the winner.

DAVE

R Addiction

Hey DaveF......I don't see any blowers here!!!!

R Addiction

OOOPS...I mean here...........

Dave F

I thought you were gonna keep that a secret!!!!!!!!!!!

Notice it's set up and ready though. So if anyone out there wants to make me a hatch cover to fit over top of it all, let me know.

DAVE

Cignificant

I'm on my 3rd year with a set (35' Cigarette). They're the minimum for a roots-style blower on a 502, but they work. My boat came with 174s - I picked up 15mph by switching to the 250s. Long and short of it - they're inexpensive (you can probably get a used one for $1500), I know how to work on them, and they're reliable. But, if I had the bucks right now, I'd go to 420s.

OkieTunnel

Who make the best blower/supercharger ENGINE. Mercruiser. SC's baby! Nobody wants to pay the money but they stay together and run...