Can a turbo work with a carburetor engine

[Ryan60484]

Hi again, So I have a 1988 Toyota Corolla 4 door sedan with a 4AF carburetor engine. Is it possible to have an aftermarket turbo work with a carburetor engine? I'am pretty sure there is an obvious answer to this but I just want to be sure with myself.

[jondee86]

Sure can... you just have to figure a way to pressurize the carb so that
it doesn't puke fuel out thru the vents.


Twin blow-thru Dell’Orto's on the Lotus Espirt Turbo

Cheers... jondee86

[sirdeuce]

Learn to tune carbs really well. As jondee stated, you have to make sure you don't blow the fuel out of the carb. All fuel circuits have to be pressurized by the turbo. Anything containing fuel has to have the same pressure as the carb inlet. Fuel supply pressure needs to be higher during boost or the needle valve will have difficulty opening. A pressure controlled fuel pressure regulator will be necessary. Not a hard thing to do, I've done a few 'V' engines and a LOT of VWs, and one 20R. Be sure to use clamps on all the manifold vacuum sources. PCV should be eliminated or routed to the turbo inlet from the crankcase. Don't want to blow raw fuel into the crankcase. Change your brakes manual or double up on the check valves. Been a while, these are a few things that come to mind. Your engine needs to be tuned to the tee. One little hiccup can cause some serious damage. A pull through system is easier, just have to tune the carb for it.

[Ryan60484]

okay thank you guys. Since I dont really have any experience with turbos, would a tuning shop or a special mechanic shop be able to do the job if I bring them the whole turbo kit?

[Evo_lucian]

Or make it alot simplier by just putting the carb pre turbo aka draw through turbo system

[sirdeuce]

The blow through system has it's draw backs , that's for sure, but the draw through tends to have a few issues I would rather live without. The main issue being the tendency to go BOOM and then flare up. One little misfire, preignition or bounced valve can set it off. That's why you NEVER intercool a draw through turbo system. The draw through tends to be more sensitive to climate/altitude than an N/A carby engine.
Yeah, the draw through is easier to install, but it's more of a headache. Especially for the street.

[CloudStrife]

I dunno, carbs are very hard to tune properly. Like really tough. Especially at higher HP. I can't even imagine throwing boost in there, but Jondee is pretty smart lol.

[SgtRauksauff]

VW beetle guys have been doing blow-through turbos on the Weber 32/36 for decades. Since I've actually got a weber on my 4AC in my SR5, and a spare manifold, and a small turbo lying around, I've been reading up on it, and have some ideas on doing this myself, for the hell of it.

Lots of guys build a box around the whole carb, but many, including a few who actually race them, don't feel it's necessary, and just have a boost-referenced FPR, and a boost-referencing power valve. and the closed-cell plastic floats, not the hollow brass ones, because the brass ones crush under pressure.

But, this is all specific to the weber 32/36, other carbs will have their own stack of customizations needed....


--sarge

[SgtRauksauff]

good discussion on the 32/36 weber...

https://www.theturboforums.com/threads/ ... ost1860640