Forced induction Alfas

[Eric Storhok <alfa@xxxxxxxxx>]

A week or so ago, a fellow Digester asked why we don't seem to talk about 
any forced induction projects for our Alfas.

Having done one, I think I know the answer- they are hard to do correctly.

Unlike Miatas, or Civics, or you name it in Sport Compact Car, nobody makes 
a kit for any type of forced induction for our lovely Alfas in the US.  The 
closest I can think of were the wonderful Calloway cars that Martin deCampo 
wrote about last year.  But those were closer to a factory effort than 
anything.

A list of what you need:
Turbo/ Supercharger
proper exhaust manifold/ bracket to hold it on
fabricated intake from said booster to rest of intake
optional intercooler
Lower compression pistons, forged would be nice
stronger rods for durability
better head gasket (but you need that for whatever engine build...)
new fuel injection system- any type of after market you like, and make sure 
it handles spark as well.
re-enforce the intake so that it does not blow apart (not explosive, mind 
you, the slip joints are not strong)
appropriate cams (hotter is not always better)

That is most of it, and of the above, you can only get pistons and rods 
already for your engine.  The rest of it, well, nobody makes it.  There are 
a handful of people who have done it themselves- both for turbo and 
supercharging- with excellent results as far as I have heard.

It does make for a fun car- our Spider has done 14.13 in the 1/4 mile, and 
we think its very capable of running in the 13's.  But I don't think our 
car will last very long, since we didn't spend any serious money on it, 
just LOTS of time.

Eric Storhok
Ann Arbor, MI


AROC Detroit Homepage:  http://www-personal.umich.edu/~alfa/index.htm
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