What's the best Turbocharging book?

I did a google search and found a thread from a couple years ago, but there wasn't a lot of detail as to why/when/for whom one book might be better than the next.

So, what's the "best" turbocharging book? For the total novice? (me) For the accomplished GRM'er? For the Mechanical Engineer? What about for tuning a factory turbo car vs. adding a turbo to an NA motor?

I recommend "Maximum Boost" by Corky Bell

I read this yrs ago

http://www.amazon.com/Maximum-Boost-Turbocharger-Engineering-Performance/dp/0837601606/ref=pd_sim_b_2

In reply to bgkast:

OK, why? How does it compare with the other books on the market? What have you done with the book?

bgkast wrote: I recommend "Maximum Boost" by Corky Bell

This.

Just keep in mind that while Corky is entertaining, some of the stuff in the book is not actually correct. Intercooler design, for example. And rising rate FPRs are not exactly state of the art.

There's another book ("Turbo: Real World High-Performance Turbocharger Systems", published by CarTech, written by Jay K Miller) that has some excellent details on the turbocharger itself as well as DIY system design. There's information on failure analysis and rebuilding. The writing style is not as good and it's more diesel-oriented, but I like it. Miller knows turbos very well, having once been VP of Banks and currently working for the largest turbocharger distributor on North America.

I wasn't that impressed with "Maximum Boost". I've got "Street Turbocharging" by Mark Warner when I was toying with the idea of doing a turbocharger project (and hanging around the turbomustangs forum). I'll say in my internet opinion that it's better than Max Boost (that's not saying much though).

Or you could post your questions here.

Moving_Target wrote: I wasn't that impressed with "Maximum Boost". I've got "Street Turbocharging" by Mark Warner when I was toying with the idea of doing a turbocharger project (and hanging around the turbomustangs forum). I'll say in my internet opinion that it's better than Max Boost (that's not saying much though).

Corky Bell's tone is arrogant, and, at times, dismissive (re: water injection, for example). I think that Street Turbocharging is a much better book, more current, and more open-minded (he touches on remote-mount turbos, for example). If you're buying one, buy the latter.

Javelin wrote:

bgkast wrote: I recommend "Maximum Boost" by Corky Bell

This.

x3

Corky's book isn't new by any means, but for a beginner (like I was) its a fantastic book. It explains the nuts and bolts and really gives you a great foundation on which to learn more.

this is the one i read cover to cover dozens of times when i wanted to turbo my 914

it really depends on the application...

Keith wrote: Just keep in mind that while Corky is entertaining, some of the stuff in the book is not actually correct. Intercooler design, for example. And rising rate FPRs are not exactly state of the art.

Agreed. I finally read the book last year after having it on my "to do" list forever...afterwards, I was wondering why I wasted the time. Sure, there were a few "oh, yeah, good idea" moments in there, but generally I found myself questioning the book more than I did learning anything.

Internets are gettin' real good. Sure, there's a lot of BS to filter through, but if you find a place that fits you here on the web, there's a heck of a lot of great information on turbo sizing, build options for every type of budget/package/problem, plumbing ideas, and of course there's no way to find out what the latest and greatest new standard for parts resource than on the web.

Bryce

While forums and internets are fun, there's a lot to be said for well-researched, edited and complete information all in one place. You'll still get opinions, but they'll be opinions usually based on experience instead of on other people's opinions. It's good to have a resource to give you the groundwork so you can properly evaluate what you read online.

I changed the front control arms on my E39 BMW last night. According to the people in the forum I used for a guide, this was a major process full of difficult techniques and careful measurements that took many dozens of hours. Took me 30 minutes to do the second side once I realized how much garbage there was in the information.

Keith wrote: While forums and internets are fun, there's a lot to be said for well-researched, edited and complete information all in one place. You'll still get opinions, but they'll be opinions usually based on experience instead of on other people's opinions. It's good to have a resource to give you the groundwork so you can properly evaluate what you read online. I changed the front control arms on my E39 BMW last night. According to the people in the forum I used for a guide, this was a major process full of difficult techniques and careful measurements that took many dozens of hours. Took me 30 minutes to do the second side once I realized how much garbage there was in the information.

Which is when you go document the better way, and the world is better for it.

Some forums and blogs are an absolute wealth of knowledge...just have to find the right ones on the right topics. Of course, you have to have a good BS detector to know when somebody is speaking from experience instead of regurgitating other people's opinions...but that goes the same the world around, whether it's on the web or not.

Bryce

Exactly - that's where books come in handy. They're centralized, edited and (usually) show the results of experience. That's where the BS filter comes in. You need a basic level of information to get to that point. Some forums just keep telling the members the same "information" over and over until it's viewed as fact. They're not necessarily good forums, but how do you tell at first? You get yourself to a base level.

Am I going to go back to that BMW forum to tell them they're all a bunch of whack jobs who are making life far too difficult for themselves? No. I'm not a member, so I'd just be a random tool coming in as an expert to contradict them. So they'll just have to keep taking precise measurements of the location of their struts when the real answer is "insert the strut until it bottoms out, as designed".

Reading Corky's book (which is a whole lot like sitting down with the guy on a shady back porch, good and bad) may not get you the latest cutting edge information or even 100% correct info. But it'll get you to the point where you understand that Direct Exhaust Injection isn't going to work Or what a wastegate is without getting lost in a discussion of why the only possible way to run a wastegate is a 37mm TiAL going into a dump tube versus a separated gas downpipe.

Keith wrote: Reading Corky's book (which is a whole lot like sitting down with the guy on a shady back porch, good and bad) may not get you the latest cutting edge information or even 100% correct info. But it'll get you to the point where you understand that Direct Exhaust Injection isn't going to work Or what a wastegate is without getting lost in a discussion of why the only possible way to run a wastegate is a 37mm TiAL going into a dump tube versus a separated gas downpipe.

That's a pretty good description of Maximum Boost. Its strongest point is that it's both easy and entertaining to read, compared to most other turbo tech books. It's not quite as in depth for tech information.

Some other turbo books I've read:

A. Graham Bell's Forced Induction Performance Tuning - This one almost reads like a college textbook without the math problems. Very in depth and something I'd recommend for a mechanical engineer or very experienced tuner. It's not quite on the difficulty level of Heywood's Internal Combustion Engine Fundementals, but it's not a beginner book, either.

Hugh MacInnes's Turbochargers - meant to be an accessible book but is rather dated. Still, it's about the only book I've seen with any in depth information about turbos and carbs.

Street Turbocharging - About halfway between the two different Bells mentioned here in terms of accessibility vs depth, and covers more modern tuning options.

Maximum boost?

I can't believe people still recommend that book.

Street turbocharging is a much, much better book.

Don't ask the HotRod/CarCraft guys. Those guys don't always get it. I read, recently, how they dissuaded a guy from turbocharging as they added up a cost of ten thousand (or something equally silly) to upgrade the short block first. Similarly, they bought a kit for a few thousand to get an olds 350 up into something like 300hp and bragged on it,

I'd say ask here - that stuff gets outdated quickly

bgkast wrote: I recommend "Maximum Boost" by Corky Bell

This, again. Having met the man in person, he's extremely friendly and insanely knowledgeable. I'd bet he's forgotten more about turbocharging than I'll ever know. His shop is at an airport. How cool is that?!

As the son of a librarian, I am compelled to point out that your local library will likely have both books, and if not, they can get them easily with an inter-library loan.

Prices are very GRM-friendly...

I liked Maximum Boost just for theory and foundation, but at this point there is very little contained in that book that is going to help you execute a build... i got most of that knowledge from the interwebs... have not read street turbocharging... look for it @ library this week me thinks....

ShadowSix wrote: In reply to bgkast: OK, why? How does it compare with the other books on the market? What have you done with the book?

I used it to get a good basic understanding of designing a turbo system and used it, along with other resources to design a variable geometry turbo system and air/water intercooler for my diesel Mercedes.

a bit dated... but its been part of my library for 20 years

procainestart wrote: As the son of a librarian, I am compelled to point out that your local library will likely have both books, and if not, they can get them easily with an inter-library loan. Prices are very GRM-friendly...

I can't believe I didn't think of that. Borrow everything in this thread, but the one or two I really like

Anyway, thanks everybody! I promise to post a detailed build thread!

I like Mark Warner's "Street Turbocharging" as well. You can get ahold of him pretty easy too- he has interesting comments about his own book. The final version is more "dumbed down" than he would have liked it to be. I personally found it the most practical and applicable book I've read on the subject. He's a regular on locostusa as bugeyebug and has a pretty kickass 13b turbo bugeye build thread.