How To Avoid Wrecking Your Engine During Engine Boosting

If you are a car enthusiast, chances are that you have tried to increase the output of your car’s engine by installing a turbocharger or a supercharger. This is a process that many car owners have been obsessed with. In theory, it is possible for you to dramatically increase the output of your car’s engine […]

If you are a car enthusiast, chances are that you have tried to increase the output of your car’s engine by installing a turbocharger or a supercharger. This is a process that many car owners have been obsessed with. In theory, it is possible for you to dramatically increase the output of your car’s engine by installing such devices.

However, it’s important to pay attention to how you do it, particularly if you are doing it as an enthusiast rather than a professional. Forcing the engine to produce too much power has the potential to damage it, and this is something that can cost you more than you might want to pay for.

The logic behind boosting the engine

The turbocharger is a device that forces a lot more air into the pistons in the engine, and this means that the air/fuel mixture in the engine becomes more powerful. When the spark plug ignites this mixture when it’s under such high pressure, the resulting explosion is more powerful than when the engine is running without a turbocharger. As a result, the engine can perform better than before.
 
The danger of overdoing it

Once you start the boosting process, there is a chance that you may overdo it if you are not careful. The commonest problem associated with this is finding that the engine explodes on account of being forced to produce a lot more power than it can handle. The best way to mitigate this effect is by making sure that other components of the engine are also changed so as to be able to handle the extra power delivered by the engine.

Some of the changes you can make

Typically, you will need to ensure that everything is strapped down more securely so that when the engine produces more power, there will be a lower risk of everything coming apart. You may need to fasten your engine block using Hastelloy C276 hex tap bolts which are designed to work under such conditions. Similar fasteners or even Inconel carriage bolts will have to be used for other engine components including the gear box and other parts that are directly associated with the engine.

Of course, simply using new fasteners is not enough to ensure that the engine will be securely held in place when boosted. You also need to ensure that the right fastener sizes are used, and that they are held in place using the correct settings. For instance, the bolts and nuts that are used to secure the engine block often need to be tightened to a specific torque rating depending on the type of engine you have. It’s a good idea to have a torque wrench in hand to make sure that this is achieved.

In summary, it is possible for you to boost a regular engine to get more out of it. However, it’s important that you also check other aspects of the engine to reduce the chances of wrecking the engine. If you are not sure about how to go about it, you can always seek some professional help.