What Most Turbo Kits Include

Turbo kits are turbochargers that can be purchased in kit form for installation in your vehicle. These are pretty cool! A turbocharger is a performance part that will boost the power of an engine by a whopping 40-45%. It's true that some cars ship with a turbo already installed as part of the stock package, but most don't. This means if you want to get the power and efficiency that one of these bad boys will give you, then you need to find a kit that you can install yourself. Of course, you could always buy one and have someone else put it in your car or truck for you. Regardless of who puts it in, it's nice to know that you at least have the option.

Let's talk about some of the different parts that you can expect most turbo kits to include, and some of the details about those parts. This is not an all-inclusive list and there are obvious differences between manufacturers.

First of all is the turbocharger itself. This is the central brain of the whole thing. It's where the magic happens. Basically, these things work by compressing air from the gases that come out of the engine after the fuel and air combust. This air is then directed back into the engine, thus allowing more power to be created by the engine on subsequent combustion cycles. Obviously, different turbo kits are going to have different size chargers. This means, in broad terms anyway, that the larger the turbocharger, the more power is potentially generated. But don't think that larger is always necessarily better. The large turbochargers do take more time to spool up and, therefore, take a bit longer to max out. This means that you shouldn't expect full power to be had until after a bit of lag that is often experienced during throttle-up. Not a big thing for most, but certainly something to note.

Turbo kits almost always include an exhaust manifold. This is a part that directs expelled gas away from the engine after it combusts. Since exhaust has to be routed alternatively from the normal route (through the exhaust pipes), it has to go out an exhaust manifold designed with this purpose in mind. Turbochargers use the exhaust for power so this only makes sense. Right? Right.

Another thing that turbo kits often include is what's referred to as a wastegate and blow-off valve, respectively. These serve to regulate pressure. The wastegate makes sure that the pressure in the exhaust manifold going up to the turbocharger isn't too high, and the blow-off valve makes sure that the pressurized air that leaves the turbocharger isn't too high when it goes back into the engine. Pretty straight forward stuff.

Turbochargers need an oil to keep things lubed up and moving properly. Excessive heat equals bad. So, turbo kits usually have an oil supply and appropriate return lines to help keep things cool.

Finally, better turbo kits will include an intercooler. Again, heat is the enemy. An intercooler works to keep the compressed (and heated) air as cool and dense as possible so that power can be maximized.

Turbo kits open up a whole new world for people interested in performance parts. They boost the power to your vehicle by compressing air. If a little attention is paid to what is included in aftermarket kits then a high degree of satisfaction can be expected. Vroom, vroom!