Diesel Turbo on a Petrol

P

peddy

Veteran
 London
I don't think I would try this one even if it was possible, but I was curious to know if it is?

i had a quick look and on the net and got mixed results, some say yes, some no, but no mention of this on any BMW's.

I believe my 3.0 is the same as the the on the 330 right? so is it possible to use the turbo in 330d and attach it to the petrol version?
 
A turbo is a turbo.

HOWEVER...each turbo will be matched to the characteristics of the engine it needs to boost.

So a turbo for an engine with a 1000-5000rpm rev range will not necessarily suit (or might work inefficiently) on an engine that needs to rev to 7000rpm.

There's also the consideration of ensuring the engine you're putting it on is strong enough to take the extra boost (diesels are very strong engines and that is one of the reasons they can take so much turbo boost).

For a small boost, you'd be better off looking at a supercharger kit - as you'd need a new intake, ECU, injectors, etc., anyway.
 
czechT698 said:
diesel turbos are relatively small compared to petrol turbos :)
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mmm-five said:
There's also the consideration of ensuring the engine you're putting it on is strong enough to take the extra boost (diesels are very strong engines and that is one of the reasons they can take so much turbo boost)
Click to expand...

some contradiction here? that's what i've been seeing all over the net. :)
 
peddy said:
some contradiction here? that's what i've been seeing all over the net. :)
Click to expand...

A standard factory-fitted turbo is the size it needs to be to do a specific job. If you put a huge turbo on a small engine you'll get lots of lag and will use lots of fuel all the time (you could of course have two installed - a small one for quick spooling and a large one for the big numbers with a bypass when you get to the relevant switchover point).

If you want to flow more air to mix with more fuel then you'd need a bigger turbo (assuming you don't just to re-gear the standard turbo to outside it's operating range).

If you take two 2.0 engines without turbo's you'll see that in general the petrol one has more HP and the diesel has more torque. The diesel needs a turbo in this instance to get to the same HP figure. Once you start turbo'ing both, then the diesel will reach it's HP limit earlier (assuming like-for-like upgrades).

There's not really a 'limit' to how big or how powerful you can go (just look at the JCB Dieselmax speed record car for instance), but unless you're very knowledgeable about turbo's in the first place it's not worth the small saving to use a 2nd hand diesel turbo and try to make it fit when you can get a warranted one from some tuning company.

Although once you start tuning, you'll find the warranty will rarely cover any consequential damages/wear (i.e. if your transmission dies two days after fitting the turbo, then most tuners will just tell you to go away). It's up to you to ensure the rest of the powertrain can handle it.
 
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