# Tuning/Upgrading a 1600cc A/C Engine (Also Turbo vs Supercharger?)



## Nickel Eye (Jul 17, 2011)

Hey there, I'm working on tuning my 1600cc bug engine with the goal of racing it but at the same time keeping it tame enough for street use. I got myself a TD04L turbo from a Subaru WRX and I was planning on holding on to it and saving up for components to make my 1600 a high rev late spooling engine so that I could have a tame engine when not pushing it but still have the oomph when I gun it. Well the components are gonna run a lot of cash to buy the balanced crankshaft, oil cooling components for the turbo, piping, new exhaust system, and not to mention quite a bit of body work to get it all to fit in. 
Well basically I've come across a Powerdyne BD11 Supercharger from a BMW M3 and I'm wondering if I'd be better off going that route as I could keep my exhaust that I've got, it'd be easier to fit all in the engine bay, but I'm not sure if my engine even produces enough torque to spool up the supercharger. Any advice?


Also, I'm kinda new to the whole milking out extra horsepower from an engine and as I've mostly just worked on maintaining stock engines, I'm not really sure what sort of stuff I should be looking at upgrading. It's a pretty much stock 1600cc dual port, single 34pict3 carb, a .009 distributor, stock compression, and stock everything else. I've heard that the 1600s are over engineered and run very low compression so boosting it won't 'nade the engine. I'm not sure if it's true or they're just red neck "Barry" tuners who think that duct tape qualifies as "high performance parts" 

I can use any help or advice that you guys are willing to give. Any tips or tricks you guys know of? (the cheaper the better, I'm on a super tight budget and I'm only aiming for 100-120bhp)


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## Schell R32 (May 31, 2007)

air cooled stock motors do not like to have boost into them...they tend to "lift" the heads under pressure.

chrom moly head stud,better heads,better piston and induction are in order..keep it n/a.

or build a real cc motor and have fun


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## j-dub (Oct 22, 2000)

Here is a good place to start:
http://www.aircooled.net/gnrlsite/resource/articles/mods.htm

FYI my mild 2276 made 151 whp and 171 wtq.


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## callahan. (Nov 22, 2011)

big cc's and big carbs are def preferred over boost in an aircooled engine, but that gets spendy quick. you can however get some nice power out of a 1600 with bolt on stuff such as a small dual carb set up, ratio rockers, header and things of that nature


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## Nickel Eye (Jul 17, 2011)

Thanks guys, you've given me a bit to chew on.


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