Hey guys, just wondering if synthetic oil should be used w/ the supercharger. Do superchargers need to have a "cool off" period like turbo chargers I.E. Turbo Timer.

I doubt they need to "cool off" since it's not like turbo... teh SC is running constantly, so the only way to cool it off is to turn off the engine.. at least that's how I see it

and about the oil... I dont know about that one... but I still use BMW synthetic oil in my Corolla :D

-Emo

a turbo builds heat in two ways...

1 - hot gasses are being pumped through it... I have seen turbo diesels glow like the sun after a long hill climb... we're talking 1100 degrees +

2 - compression of air raises its temperature... you know this, you have seen this in action... because we all know that compressed air when blown on your hand feels cold... the expansion works the opposite way.

superchargers only suffer from #2... all types of compression suffer from that... but remember your air intake is constantly bringing in cool air that will carry away some of that heat... will the temperature vary, yes... as bad as a turbo, no...

btw.. a turbo is always running... 100% of the exhaust air is flowing through the impeller, so it spins when the engine spins... it may not be making boost, because the impeller design needs a target RPM to be efficient at pumping, but it still is eating a small number of hp and it is still "running"...

I'm not sure how the TRD SC works, but most after market setups require you to run an oil line to and from the engine, this provides a pressurized, filtered, cooler source of oil... but some setups do have self contained oil baths...

Using synthetics are great for engines that under high stress (high temps, cold temps, towing, racing, etc) but filtration and temperature management are just as important. In my bug I would run the cheapest oil I could find, and I just changed it every Saturday morning...

one of my professors was telling me that 85% of engine wear from motor oil comes in the second half of the oil change interval... english translation = change your oil more often OR filter it better... better filter doesn't mean spend $11 instead of $4 on the filter, it means get a micro mesh after market non-disposable type... this is what 911s use and their oil change interval is approx 10,000 miles... these start at about $100, yes they cost, but you just take them out and wash them... so in the long run it comes out cheaper.

My shop teacher always told us that it didn't matter a whole lot what type of oil you use, so long as you change it regularly (every 3k miles). It was my understanding that synthetic oils would only provide a benifit over conventional oil if you're going beyond the 3k miles, because they don't break down as quickly.......which you shouldn't be doing anyway.

Now as far as superchargers and other things like that, I have no clue. I suppose synthetics would be better for high stress things like mgithens said, but in that situation I would recommend changing your oil more often anyway.

i am using valvoline synthetic blend in my xb i work for a valvoline dist. the synthetic oils are cleaner dont leave deposits in the motor and flow faster upon start up. you can save a lot of wear and tear by using synthetic blends and not spend much more. also alot of the syn blends have additives that you would find in stuff like slick 50.

Hey guys...there's a really good chance that the TC supercharger is vortech's SC just like the one for the Civic SI. The Si's. It Adds 58 horsepower
and 31 ft/lbs of torque and with the charge cooler # Adds 117 horsepower
# Adds 64 ft/lbs of torque. OH MAN I REALLY HAVE MY HOPES UP

I hope the TC's hp is around 210-220

You should be using royal purple synth oil and if your super charger has a oil resivor for the gears use royal purple gear oil.

You should be using royal purple synth oil and if your super charger has a oil resivor for the gears use royal purple gear oil.

royal purple rules

RP is watch i'll be using no matter what. including i think it was the royal purple coolant fluid.

My shop teacher always told us that it didn't matter a whole lot what type of oil you use, so long as you change it regularly (every 3k miles).

changing your oil every 3k miles is a marketing myth. after break in, every 10K is fine. your car isn't going to last longer if you change it every 3K miles. most of you won't believe me, because i know the 3K miles is ingrained in your heads.

i was on trd's webpage and this is a direct quote about their blowers:

"Unlike turbochargers, superchargers do not create a virtual oven in your engine bay, and no external oil lubrication is required. The lubed-for-life supercharger is a sealed unit requiring no additional lubrication."

along with this in their blower faq:

Q: Will my truck require any additional maintenance after a supercharger is installed?
A: TRD recommends changing the oil inside the supercharger unit after 100,000 miles. Other than that, the normal factory recommended maintenance schedule should be followed.

awesome information... that gives a ton of answers...

so the supercharger is a "simpler" bolt on, no tapping for oil or return lines... that's cool...

nice info. that helps

ehhh... kinda ran into a speed bump with some reading...
turns out that the typical trd supercharger is a roots-type blower, and i read the one they'll probably use for the tc is a centrifugal supercharger... so that info may not be as useful as previously thought, only time can tell.

they do make centrifugals that are sealed... so don't lose hope... labor wise for a machinist, the tapping of two lines into the case would only be an hour or so... drilling and tapping a hold into your engine in two spots is a little risky for the shade tree mechanic who has never done that before...

My shop teacher always told us that it didn't matter a whole lot what type of oil you use, so long as you change it regularly (every 3k miles).

changing your oil every 3k miles is a marketing myth. after break in, every 10K is fine. your car isn't going to last longer if you change it every 3K miles. most of you won't believe me, because i know the 3K miles is ingrained in your heads.

i believe you. :D it is those damn jiffy lube commercials. changing the oil every 3k miles is something you on older cars. new cars run more effeciently and don't require the 3k change which is why the owners manual says every 5000 to 7500 miles.

trd will design the supercharger to run with standard oil used at dealerships. the s/c is also not producing a sh!t load of extra power, so it definately won't be necessary.

#1 superchargers do not make horsepower, they compress air and receive their power through a belt, which in turn drives a gear set

#2 this gear set requires lubrication, just like your transmission would... you do not put motor oil in your transmission - you use a gear oil, which is a much thicker oil and it totally different from motor oil...

the secret to long spurts between oil changes isn't pretending to know about oil, it is in filtration... having the cleanest oil in your car is the ultimate setup... you are not gonna get this with a standard $8 spin on filter, so we are forced to change out oil more often... the original Model As and Ts that Ford was making almost 100 years ago had no filtration system on them, but he learned that oil pumps and cylinder walls benefit greatly from having the clean oil, so he came to realize that a filter of some type would help... well fast forward a few decades and every single car is found having a filter on it... now fast forward through the years up until now and the tolerances between parts and quality of engines has progressed to the point where trash in the oil is reduced, engines are maintained better temperaturewise and so now the oil is not seeing the harsh conditions that it did from cars of the past... going 3,000 miles between oil changes used to be a necessity due to the lack of quality engines, but now on modern engines you are starting to see engines that you tighter filtration and have oil change intervals up to 15,000 (my '01 BMW 3series is an example)... but they require synthetic oil and an extremely expensive filter... so once a year oil changes at the dealer run about $140... it is actually cheaper to change your oil every 3000 miles than it is to setup for longer change intervals... so unless you are using HIGH quality parts, then just change it every 3000 to 5000 miles... but always remember that oil does the most damage when it is dirty, so if it is clean at 0 miles and really dirty at 3000 miles, then you are going to have some really nasty stuff at 5000 miles...

also as a side note, once a filter is "full"... then the oil just bypasses the filter and is not filtered at all... is this worth saving $20 / year??

EXACTLY

People can argue it all they want, but the fact of the matter is that it certainly doesn't hurt to change your oil more than you have to, but if you don't change your oil ENOUGH it could cause alot of problems.


Seeing as how this will be my first new car, I'm going to baby it.

EXACTLY

Seeing as how this will be my first new car, I'm going to baby it.

Me to! Only the best for my tC.

EXACTLY

Seeing as how this will be my first new car, I'm going to baby it.

Me to! Only the best for my tC.

ditto!

My shop teacher always told us that it didn't matter a whole lot what type of oil you use, so long as you change it regularly (every 3k miles).

changing your oil every 3k miles is a marketing myth. after break in, every 10K is fine. your car isn't going to last longer if you change it every 3K miles. most of you won't believe me, because i know the 3K miles is ingrained in your heads.
Modern engines can tolerate much longer intervals. I agree that the 3,000 mile requirement is mostly a mixture of marketers trying to get you to spend as much as possible on oil changes and old-thinking. Most manufacturers today recommend 5,000 mile oil changes with a typical driving style. Even that's conservative. Cars with automated oil change lights like BMWs can often go far beyond 5,000 miles before indicated a change is needed.

the secret to long spurts between oil changes isn't pretending to know about oil, it is in filtration... having the cleanest oil in your car is the ultimate setup... you are not gonna get this with a standard $8 spin on filter, so we are forced to change out oil more often... the original Model As and Ts that Ford was making almost 100 years ago had no filtration system on them, but he learned that oil pumps and cylinder walls benefit greatly from having the clean oil, so he came to realize that a filter of some type would help... well fast forward a few decades and every single car is found having a filter on it... now fast forward through the years up until now and the tolerances between parts and quality of engines has progressed to the point where trash in the oil is reduced, engines are maintained better temperaturewise and so now the oil is not seeing the harsh conditions that it did from cars of the past...
You're still assuming that modern engines breakdown as quickly as older ones. This means less particulates in the oil given a mileage. As for the filter, many will argue that changing it too often is not beneficial as it needs a specific amount of debris in it to function optimally.

If the TRD supercharger is anything like the one in the pictures I've seen it will be a roots type blower.

To address your question about oil for the SC, it depends on a lot of things. Some SC have sealed bearings and need no oil lubrication, others have external oiling methods that can be either a stand alone system, or a oiling system that is used in conjuction with the car's own oiling system. The later scenario is pretty rare. If the SC option is the latter type, then I would go synthetic, otherwise your car should be fine with normal oil. The only worry I would have about using synthetic oil in a SC engine would be the break-in period for the vehicle. During the break-in period your valve seats and and cylinder walls will be under serious stress, and the thinner sythetic oil might be troublesome for the rings to set up properly.

Finally, the colling off question... SC do not need a cooling off period like turbos do, because they do not deal with as high temps as turbos and they do not spin as fast so you do not have to worry about the impeller blades on the SC warping because you didn't properly cool them down.

My shop teacher always told us that it didn't matter a whole lot what type of oil you use, so long as you change it regularly (every 3k miles).

changing your oil every 3k miles is a marketing myth. after break in, every 10K is fine. your car isn't going to last longer if you change it every 3K miles. most of you won't believe me, because i know the 3K miles is ingrained in your heads.

Scion (toyota) recommends every 5k since they built the car they should know. Jiffy lube started the every 3k mind set. Of course changing oil every 3k sure doesn't hurt your car in anyway and since the cost is minimal not such a bad idea you do get a slight benefit from it. unlike your air filter which actually works better after it gets a little dirty then when it is brand new. according to the pennizoil reps.