turbo or procharger on 5.3?
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Teching In
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Joined: Jul 2011
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From: Kansas City Missouri
turbo or procharger on 5.3? im currently building a 5.3l for my 1991 camaro and i plan on doing a procharger or turbo and im not quite sure which one to go with yet. i have always liked running prochargers because you dont have to worry so much about bearings going out inside like a turbo and all the heat, but i have never ran a turbo before and i see a lot of people running them on ls series motors. what do you think i would be better off with?
These threads will never really help you decide.. People will come in and tell you what they enjoy.
When it comes down to it, how much money do you want to spend? Whats your mechanical skill level? Do you have the space/tools?
I have a APS Twin lsx trans am and a Procharged/Nitrous lsx Camaro in the garage and have more than an earful about both..
Turbo cars and procharged cars are both enjoyable..
The procharged car has had belt slip issues, and that is it.. I can pull the procharger off to change a belt and pulley in about 15 minutes with 5 or 6 tools.. Installation was also easy..
The turbo car... to put it lightly has been a absolute nightmare... when it runs and is spot on it makes all the time and effort worth it. The Cool/Fun factor of a turbo car more than makes up for the complex setup / constant tweaking.. Plus I dont mind working out bugs and problem solving.
When it comes down to it, how much money do you want to spend? Whats your mechanical skill level? Do you have the space/tools?
I have a APS Twin lsx trans am and a Procharged/Nitrous lsx Camaro in the garage and have more than an earful about both..
Turbo cars and procharged cars are both enjoyable..
The procharged car has had belt slip issues, and that is it.. I can pull the procharger off to change a belt and pulley in about 15 minutes with 5 or 6 tools.. Installation was also easy..
The turbo car... to put it lightly has been a absolute nightmare... when it runs and is spot on it makes all the time and effort worth it. The Cool/Fun factor of a turbo car more than makes up for the complex setup / constant tweaking.. Plus I dont mind working out bugs and problem solving.
On The Tree
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 146
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From: Phoenix AZ
they both are plenty capable of good power, it's just a matter of preference i guess you could say.
personally i like turbos because they catch people off guard and also let you drive normal without downing gallons of gas every mile.
personally i like turbos because they catch people off guard and also let you drive normal without downing gallons of gas every mile.
Thread Starter
Teching In
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From: Kansas City Missouri
Very true to all of that, I have PLENTY of space and room to do it at my shop and I'm not to worried about gas at all it won't be my everyday car after this motor swap, but what I'm leaning toward is that the procharger is a lot easier to deal with instead of running all the pipes for the turbo when you don't have very much room and ground clearence
Bob and EPP can vouch that some people have seen an increase in normal out of boost driving condition gas mileage.
When it comes down to it they are both enjoyable.
Very true to all of that, I have PLENTY of space and room to do it at my shop and I'm not to worried about gas at all it won't be my everyday car after this motor swap, but what I'm leaning toward is that the procharger is a lot easier to deal with instead of running all the pipes for the turbo when you don't have very much room and ground clearence
Prochargers will have nearly identical plumbing to a turbo minus the hot side.
Highly recommend if you go the procharger route spend the money on a nice bracket/tensioner setup and avoid belt slip.
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Staging Lane
Joined: Jan 2011
Posts: 55
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From: virginia
have a procharger, what they are saying about gas is absolutely not true. & my supercharger is not noisy & you don't have to listen to waste gates . some people like that. still it's about preference. superchargers easier to install
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Teching In
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Joined: Jul 2011
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From: Kansas City Missouri
there are mixed reviews on gas wise for turbos and superchargers i have people tell me all the time that better gas with a turbo but then again its all in how much boost your running also, but to me a procharger is deffinetly the way to go now for sure
TECH Resident
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 873
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From: oakland, ca
If you want to make power than MPG should be the last thing on your mind. Each kit has there pros and cons. I went with procharger because of ease of maintanence. They moth make big power, they both sound great. Both kits have issues, the question is which ones do you want to deal with. Good luck with your choice...My suggestion find someone local to you that have turbo and blown cars, pick their brain, go for a ride or two and make your decision.
I vote Procharger personally.
Food for thought, and I think the majority of both forms of FI owners would agree, Prochargers have a lot less issues and are much easier to work on
Food for thought, and I think the majority of both forms of FI owners would agree, Prochargers have a lot less issues and are much easier to work on
I built a Procharger bracket for use of a p600b head unit. Plus all of the accessory brackets, anyway. This allowed me to run just wp,alternator and blower off the 6rib belt off stock crank pulley. Went with S10 manual steering box.
U may want to consider a drive minus ps, since 3rd gens can run with manual gear boxes. Frees up some Hp and really gives that nice firm steering
U may want to consider a drive minus ps, since 3rd gens can run with manual gear boxes. Frees up some Hp and really gives that nice firm steering
