Tag Archives: turbocharger

Ford Mustang 2.3L EcoBoost – 18 PSI Boost Peak w/ Twin Scroll Turbocharger!

http://www.roadandtrack.com/go/first-looks/5-things-learned-2015-ford-mustang-ecoboost-23

The 2.3-liter runs 18 psi of boost (not that you’d know it)

Where the center dash vent would be on a six- or eight-cylinder, the turbo four’s cockpit embeds a pair of blue-over-black dial gauges. Closest to the driver is oil pressure; next over is a boost gauge. We noted a max of 18 psi (a smidge over 1.2 bar) indicated during the test runs; it appeared to taper towards 15 psi at redline.

Torque felt adequate and spool was quick, though we were expecting a little more pep in its step. The soundtrack is in the same spirit as the Focus ST, though with a bit more grunt and sans induction noise—save one section of full-tilt lift into heavy braking, there wasn’t much sneezing and whirling from the 2015 Mustang’s twin-scroll snail.

Still, they seem to be fudging on the peak HP & torque numbers.  I’ve seen 315 – 330 HP and relatively the same in peak torque.  And no, it’s not the same engine as the Lincoln MKC (tune and supporting parts will be totally different).

Turbo Blankets – We Know the Pros, But What About the Cons?

 

A week or so ago, I bought a used Perrin turbo blanket ($50), thinking that I’d use it instead of having to buy an aftermarket heat shield when I install my CNT downpipe.  I did not want to have to modify the stock heat shield (cutting is involved, which would make the heat shield less effective).

So, I’ve been doing a lot of research, trying to determine if there are any real consequences in using a turbo blanket.  The premise of using a turbo blanket is to keep the radiant heat of the turbo inside the hot side of the turbocharger, which would make the heat stream more effective.  A possible consequence would be that the resulting heat would put the heat level outside the normal heat range of the hot side of the turbocharger, which could cause premature failure of the turbocharger.  Another possible consequence would be that the additional heat could cause an engine that was recently stopped to coke any oil that is in the cooling system on the hot side of the turbocharger (this could be debunked due to the fact that modern turbochargers usually are cooled by both oil and water, such is the case for GR/GV Subaru STIs).

My finding is that there is no solid evidence that a turbo blanket will kill your turbocharger.  Turbochargers are built to take very large measurements of heat, so adding a heat blanket should not overburden the turbocharger.  Heat also makes the turbocharging system more efficient (the more heat, the better the turbo reacts to the demand for boost).

The main reason I want to use a heat blanket is so that my IC won’t be heat-soaked, since it is above the turbocharger (it is top-mounted).  A heat-soaked IC would more than likely cause a pull in timing during the hot months of summer or in stop-go traffic, or even at local track events.

There’s a crap-ton of information regarding this topic and I can’t seem to find any solid consequence for using a turbo blanket, so I’m probably going to install my used example when I go to Stage 2.  I’m also going to buy a top-tier heat shield, and I’ve evaluated a couple here.

Also, note that I’m well aware that there are cheaper variants of this style of turbo blanket (PTP).  In doing my research, I also found that Perrin has allowed PTP the right to sell what is essentially a Perrin design (when I find that URL again, I’ll link it here).  As well, there are apparently new versions of these blankets.  They’re essentially made from ground lava rock, which allows these variants to retain heat more efficiently.