Re: Crazy Idea #2.

["Janet Scruggs" <scruggs@mbay.net>]

Tony's question about using low boost and relative high CR is not
unprecedented.  October '97 issue of EC has an article about how a Porsche
911 tuner has successfully taken the approach of adding a turbo to an
otherwise stock 3.6 liter engine.  Using a 7psi (0.5bar) boost with the
stock 11.3:1 CR they are seeing a 100hp increase and with a very wide range
40% torque increase.  Clearly this is not the path to mega horsepower as
one quickly goes past octane limits and on to detonation city, but for
significant increases in streetable horsepower, this is one way to go. 
And, yes, you still need both the intercooler and knock sensor(s) as you
want to keep the margins as large as possible. The article goes on to
explain that the low-pressure, high CR conversion will give the same amount
of power as a very highly modified NA engine without the peakiness
considerations and at much less expense.  

Where their approach is to add a turbo to an NA engine, I don't see why one
could not approach the goal from the other direction... take a moderately
boosted turbo engine and increase the CR.

Was thinking the other day about a 2.6 liter engine from that builder in
Gilroy, CA, with a 10:1 compression ratio, a K24 turbo for rapid spool-up
limited to about 8psi, a two-piece EM, Graydon's EFI and exhaust system, a
late model single-pass cooler, ported and polished head.... nice, very
nice.  

Regards, Gross Scruggs