[DML] Re: roundabout question

[William T Wilson <fluffy@xxxx>]

On Sun, 5 Sep 1999, Ryan Schooling wrote:

> anyway, the question is in one of the letters there was a debate
> weither turbo's or supercharging was better and one response was that
> stick Dak's and turbos don't work together because in between each
> shift you have to re-spool the turbos by plowing the throttle and get
> the pressure up before you can shift are turbo D's this way too?

Turbo cars are that way in general. The trouble is that the engine, as it
slows down with the throttle closed, can no longer accept all the air that
the turbo is blowing. Then pressure builds up and the turbo, fighting
against it, slows down.

This is why blow-off valves exist; when the throttle is released the valve
opens and allows the turbo to blow into the atmosphere. That way no
pressure builds up and the turbos spin freely. Unfortunately the
currently available Island turbo kit (which is the only one I know about)
does not have a blow off valve, to the best of my knowledge. Fortunately,
because most turbo DeLoreans run low boost and the twin turbos spool up
quickly anyway, the effect is not that great.

It's true that automatic transmissions do not have this problem (as much) 
because you do not need to release the throttle when they shift. However
because of the gear ratios involved, you will still have better overall
performance with a 5-speed.