Can a turbo work with a carburetor engine

Ryan60484
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Can a turbo work with a carburetor engine

Postby Ryan60484 » Sun Jun 12, 2016 8:08 pm

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.

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jondee86
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Re: Can a turbo work with a carburetor engine

Postby jondee86 » Sun Jun 12, 2016 8:58 pm

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

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Re: Can a turbo work with a carburetor engine

Postby sirdeuce » Sun Jun 12, 2016 9:34 pm

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.
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Ryan60484
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Re: Can a turbo work with a carburetor engine

Postby Ryan60484 » Sun Jun 12, 2016 10:04 pm

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?

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Re: Can a turbo work with a carburetor engine

Postby Evo_lucian » Mon Jun 20, 2016 2:26 pm

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

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Re: Can a turbo work with a carburetor engine

Postby sirdeuce » Mon Jun 20, 2016 4:23 pm

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.
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Re: Can a turbo work with a carburetor engine

Postby CloudStrife » Mon Feb 06, 2017 5:02 pm

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.
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Re: Can a turbo work with a carburetor engine

Postby SgtRauksauff » Fri Feb 24, 2017 6:47 am

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....


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Re: Can a turbo work with a carburetor engine

Postby SgtRauksauff » Fri Feb 24, 2017 8:08 am

good discussion on the 32/36 weber...

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

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Re: Can a turbo work with a carburetor engine

Postby Gino1X1 » Thu Jan 04, 2018 5:15 am

Well, yeah. This file is a relatively well known, a blow-thru turbo'ed "stock" 4AC. Although, it's already more than 6 years old and these things always evolve...... or get thrown away/parted out.


But, same principle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDSSofOipFE

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Re: Can a turbo work with a carburetor engine

Postby Gino1X1 » Thu Jan 04, 2018 5:25 am

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDSSofOipFE

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24milespergallon
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Re: Can a turbo work with a carburetor engine

Postby 24milespergallon » Fri Apr 03, 2020 11:51 pm

drawthrough, you can use your stock carbs

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Re: Can a turbo work with a carburetor engine

Postby Nick94tt » Sat Apr 04, 2020 1:17 pm

Most anyone could bolt it on, tuning is a whole other world.

I would look around for a shop that does sand rails or old school carbed vw drag setups. They're more likely to be well versed in what you're after compared to the average shop.

Still going to come down to tuning and what the stock internals will put up with though.

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Re: Can a turbo work with a carburetor engine

Postby jondee86 » Sat Apr 04, 2020 3:29 pm

Just wondering if this kind of project might be easier to set up with a throttlebody (all ports plugged)
and single port injection after the throttle plate ? Add a Megasquirt, EFI fuel pump and manifold referenced
FPR and you are just about there :) Then all your tuning can be done with a laptop... no fiddling with carbs.

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Re: Can a turbo work with a carburetor engine

Postby Nick94tt » Sat Apr 04, 2020 5:39 pm

Had wondered the same, along with adding stronger pistons, lol.

Generic honda parts tb, tpms, iat, coolant temp, map sensor, and a cheap standalone. Could use on of the 4cyl setups like the AEM EMS4 more common on atvs/utvs/jetskis...

Locally could junkyard most of the above for under $50...

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Re: Can a turbo work with a carburetor engine

Postby jinx » Wed Apr 15, 2020 12:05 am

either blow thru or draw thru proven to work, BUT..... way out of your leage if u asking the question.

here is an article of a simple 4AC draw thru turbo. Lights up tires in 4th gear on dry pavement!
http://www.ae86drivingclub.com.au/forum ... -4ac/page2

4AF will outperform it with equal effort
Better off swapping to the fuel injected 4AF variant imo. Plentiful and wiring not too bad
A mild turbo system (with an FMU) can put a street rolla in the 14 sec 1/4 mile range, reliably = tremendous leap over stock