MONITORING

Uprating a turbo and its ancillaries are two aspects of modifying a turbocharging system, but you shouldn’t ignore any data that shows how these components are performing. Equally important is data relating to the engine, including oil pressure and temperature and coolant temperature. The turbo’s boost pressure should be monitored alongside the fuel pressure to help avoid the fuel pressure reaching its optimum before boost pressure. An air-to-fuel ratio meter can be used for this.

Monitoring the exhaust gas temperature (EGT) can help to see if the temperature rating of the turbo’s exhaust turbine housing and the exhaust manifold is suitable.

The speed of rotation of the turbo can be monitored to ensure it doesn’t spin beyond its recommended limit. It can also help to see if it’s suitable for the car’s intended use and, with sufficient data logging, can be used to plot a compressor map showing the relationship between boost and turbo rpm.