here's a question for you boost guys. if i was to turbocharge my cavalier (2.2 eco) could i use a manual boost controller to put boost pressure to zero (o) psi. and assuming i could, could i use regular 87 octane instead of premium gas while at zero psi?

the reason i ask is bc soon enough i will have to choose between a s/c setup or a t/c setup. and if i CAN periodically use regular gas (ie. for long trips or such like) then i will go turbo, if not i would prefer the reliability of a s/c.

and please dont give me all that junk about "if youre boosting then why do you care about economy" i care about economy on long trips, im not rich-but unfortuneatly i am addicted to going fast. thanx in advance.

If you can't spend an extra $.25 a gallon ($4.00 per fill up or so), then you probably shouldn't be boost ing your car, since the maintainence costs will go way up as well.





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I have run lower octane for long trips. I just don't rev the engine. I have had no knock this way. I do have lower compression. I'm not sure if a blown eco would knock in these conditions. I'm sure plumbing the intercooler would help a great deal.

You'll have to admit Mr.Shifted makes sense. However the GM charger kit seems to add little to no additional maintenance.

so far i have been running 100 octane for a few days.....i just got my setup up and running so i havent really put anything less than that in....i would go 93 if anything

ok. shifted, i know what you are saying and i completely agree, but the question was just that, a question. i know that a sc setup will be more reliable but for long trips i would like to know if i can use the lower grade fuel assuming im running 0 psi of boost. assuming that this is possible i would deal with the maintenance issues of the turbo

i dont get why everybody on this forum has to question someones motives when replying to their question. all i want to know is is it possible. i dont want to hear people telling me (regarding my own economies) that i should or shouldnt be worried about an extra 4.00 a fill up. thats my own problem, and i appreciate you pointing that out to me but

i do a lot of road trips in the summer and i use a lot of gas so it would be nice to know if this is an option.

Personally, I wouldn't consider a lower octane fuel an option. I agree with Shifted, even though he questions your economic situation (as you put it). I'm not one to fill up on 87 for a long trip then after the trip top off with 93..you've still got a lower octane fuel in your tank and lines.



Blown.

luke paxton wrote:ok. shifted, i know what you are saying and i completely agree, but the question was just that, a question. i know that a sc setup will be more reliable but for long trips i would like to know if i can use the lower grade fuel assuming im running 0 psi of boost. assuming that this is possible i would deal with the maintenance issues of the turbo

i dont get why everybody on this forum has to question someones motives when replying to their question. all i want to know is is it possible. i dont want to hear people telling me (regarding my own economies) that i should or shouldnt be worried about an extra 4.00 a fill up. thats my own problem, and i appreciate you pointing that out to me but

i do a lot of road trips in the summer and i use a lot of gas so it would be nice to know if this is an option.

You honestly think you won't hit boost? Pass a car on the highway, give it a little too much gas merging into traffic, would really suck to blow your motor on a road trip if you cheaped out on gas by passing a car, tow trucks to tow your car home aren't cheap.

I'm not attacking you, I'm trying to save your ass, take it from somebody who HAS boost, you will be hitting boost even at times when you don't mean to, do it right, or don't do it, because it will end up costing you more in the end.





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Buy stuff from CarCustoms Ebay! Won't be disappointed!

I think he was wondering about turning the boost down past what the wastegate spring is set at. (0 psi)

No, you can't. A boost controller can only turn the boost up.

You may be able to do it but it will take some good tuning to make it happen. I agree about financial conditions. Spending money at the gas pump if you don't need to is a waste. But you'll need $500 worth of software or $200 to $300 worth of aftermarket electronics to retard timing enough to safely use cheaper fuel. The cost difference for this purpose alone points to using the better fuel.

Marvel Mystery Oil, 4 oz to 10 gallons of fuel, can help increase fuel mileage slightly.

-->Slow

Actually and granted this might not make up the difference but if you don't do anything stupid I drive around my car all the time with out really bossting much. The amount that I gained in power gave me less that I had to use the gas peddle. So now I am getting better gas mileage than I was. It's all a control factor. Especially if you are doing long trips. Where I used to get between 350-400 a tank. I am now see closer to the 400-420 a tank. The cost difference doesn't become much of a factor and I'm not worried about ever having trouble because of the wrong grade of fuel. The only time I complain about gas mileage is at the track. And well that is where I inteded to make more power, and power = efficient combustion of fuel so I can't really complaign much. Good luck with your decision and I think if you do it right either choice will make you happy t/c or s/c.

even the GM supercharger i belive requiers a min of 92 octane? and there is NO way around not getting into boost with a supercharger... its just next to imposible as ther will always be a time your throttle is down just enough to close the by pass valve and build boost... turbo would be the same way...

spend the extra money.. get atleast 92 octane and dont cheap out... like every one has said.... you go cheap with somthing like that on a boosted engine... you might as well turn to the next person you see and just hand them $3000 ... it would probably go to better use the a turbo kit that going to granade your engine...

and dont know if octane boosters were brought up yet.. didnt read all of the posts.. but go for it use them... your going to need a dozen or so to make a difference... i read tests on them and the best one (cant remember the brand) raised the octane 0.6 ...... now add in the cost of one of them... that extra $5 or so a tank doesnt sound so bad now does it?



The First Twin Charged jbody
blue car (R.I.P) - 240whp @7psi..
silver car - 305whp 315lbs.tq @15psi (91 Octane) or 420whp & 425lbs.TQ @20psi (94 octane+Alcohol Injection)
All dynos run on a Mustang dyno

depends on the tune....

How low can your wastegate go as a boost controller can't go lower then that. Boost doesn't have to be zero to use regular. Yes you can do it if you add enough fuel and tune so that you don't knock at the lower boost level.

Josh F wrote:turbo would be the same way...

ummm, wrong. Seeing as a turbo isn't controlled like the GMSC, that was a poor analogy. Many people, even with proper sized turbos can drive around w/o seeing positive pressure, as Encriptor has already stated. Now, if you have an oversized turbo on there (drag racing), you may not even see boost on the freeway.



fortune cookie say:
better a delay than a disaster.

OHV notec wrote:

Josh F wrote:turbo would be the same way...

ummm, wrong. Seeing as a turbo isn't controlled like the GMSC, that was a poor analogy. Many people, even with proper sized turbos can drive around w/o seeing positive pressure, as Encriptor has already stated. Now, if you have an oversized turbo on there (drag racing), you may not even see boost on the freeway.

Yup, thats the main benefit of the turbocharger. You get bigger power when you need it and still get good gas mileage when you don't. I can drive my car around town all day long without making positive boost pressure.


- 93 mph in the 1/8 mile
Member of J-Body Of Michigan.

i never seen a wastegate spring below 3psi, i can drive all the time no prob keeping out of boost but im never stupid enough to run anything below 93.

Skilz10179 wrote:

OHV notec wrote:

Josh F wrote:turbo would be the same way...

ummm, wrong. Seeing as a turbo isn't controlled like the GMSC, that was a poor analogy. Many people, even with proper sized turbos can drive around w/o seeing positive pressure, as Encriptor has already stated. Now, if you have an oversized turbo on there (drag racing), you may not even see boost on the freeway.

Yup, thats the main benefit of the turbocharger. You get bigger power when you need it and still get good gas mileage when you don't. I can drive my car around town all day long without making positive boost pressure.

well then your saying only if the turbo is big and set up for drag racing.. because every single turbo car i have driven gets boost almost all the time... either merging, starting from a light, ect..... none of them were able to keep out of boost at all unless i wanted to drive like a grandma and get a huge a$$ line up going behind me... yes they dont stay in boost but all went into boost for some period of time...



The First Twin Charged jbody
blue car (R.I.P) - 240whp @7psi..
silver car - 305whp 315lbs.tq @15psi (91 Octane) or 420whp & 425lbs.TQ @20psi (94 octane+Alcohol Injection)
All dynos run on a Mustang dyno

Josh F wrote:

Skilz10179 wrote:

OHV notec wrote:

Josh F wrote:turbo would be the same way...

ummm, wrong. Seeing as a turbo isn't controlled like the GMSC, that was a poor analogy. Many people, even with proper sized turbos can drive around w/o seeing positive pressure, as Encriptor has already stated. Now, if you have an oversized turbo on there (drag racing), you may not even see boost on the freeway.

Yup, thats the main benefit of the turbocharger. You get bigger power when you need it and still get good gas mileage when you don't. I can drive my car around town all day long without making positive boost pressure.

well then your saying only if the turbo is big and set up for drag racing.. because every single turbo car i have driven gets boost almost all the time... either merging, starting from a light, ect..... none of them were able to keep out of boost at all unless i wanted to drive like a grandma and get a huge a$$ line up going behind me... yes they dont stay in boost but all went into boost for some period of time...

I can keep mine out of boost no problem...

-Chris-



-Sweetness-
-Turbocharged-
Slowly but surely may some day win this race...