The turbocharger pumps a lot of air into the engine of the car and increases the engine power. It can help save on fuel by allowing the car to use a smaller engine while the turbocharger gives the engine a boost for more speed. A disadvantage to using turbos is that they run at very high temperatures and can get hot quickly. The turbocharger requires a higher grade of oil and can be rather costly. It requires additional systems such as a boost regulator and an exhaust manifold specifically for the turbo. Vehicles using deisel fuel and those that are used for racing will almost always have a turbocharger, since the turbo will increase speed.
Determine the kind of turbocharger you will need. This will depend on the type of car in which you plan on installing the turbocharger. You will need to first determine the area and ratio (a/r) of where the turbo will sit. Determine size of the compressor and turbine housing. For example, the most common combination is T3/T04E with a 6.3 a/r and stage 3 wheel with a 50 trim compressor wheel. The Mitsubishi Eclipse and Plymouth Laser used a 14b turbo with these ratios and sizes.
Buy a turbo kit. This will include much of what you will need to install the turbocharger. It will have nuts, bolts, washers, the manifold, piping, clamps, spark plugs, gasket, fitting and block-off plates. A turbo kit offers everything that is needed to install the turbocharger correctly.
Check the oil and plugs and make sure there are no leaks. The oil and oil filter should be changed if you haven't recently done it. Spark plugs should be changed if they haven't been changed in the past six months. Change compressor filters. This will ensure that the oil will flow easier with the turbocharger.
Lubricate the turbocharger. To do this attach the oil drain line to the turbocharger. Use a new gasket to mount the turbocharger. Place a new manifold near the turbo and inspect the exhaust system for any possible interference of air flow.
Install the turbocharger. Attach the oil inlet to the turbocharger. Line up the bearing housing drain hole. Make sure that the drain hole is sitting no more than 30 degrees from the center. Connect the air pipes to the turbo and make sure that all the clamps, nuts and screws are tightened.
