Improve Performance With Turbo Blankets
For performance vehicles, the extreme temperature under the hood can drop engine performance and significantly reduce the life of other engine components. Controlling heat is a major part of optimizing vehicles to produce the greatest horsepower, especially for turbo charged cars.
Turbo chargers can be very costly components to replace in the event of failure. Thankfully, inexpensive turbo shield kits now exist that can help to extend the life of the turbo charger while also increasing the overall engine performance.
Turbo shields function in the same fashion as other wraps. Wrapping the turbo will protect it from heat from the headers and engine block , while permitting the heat generated from the turbo to be properly distributed inside the turbo. Doing this can greatly improve the spooling speed and extend the life of the turbo.
There are quite a few turbo shields available available for purchase. Low end turbo shields tend to have a much lower temperature rating while the more expensive turbo shields are made from pulverized lava and gives the highest thermal protection for turbo chargers currently available.
A T3 turbo shield easy to install without removing the turbo. This turbo shield is designed to slip over the turbo housing and is held on with high temperature stainless steel wire. Most turbo kits also include the required thermal wrap to cover the downpipe for added thermal protection.
Of the turbo shield kits that can be purchased, the most commonly sought after kits include the titanium turbo shield. This shield wraps the turbo and gives the highest rated thermal protection of any flexible shield available on the market. Titanium turbo shields are unique in that they are able to handle direct heat up to 1,800 degrees and are the most durable turbo shields available for purchase.
With good care, a turbo can remain in service a long period of time. Applying a turbo shield can help improve the life of a turbo while also lowering lag time and faster spooling. While turbo shields are not expensive, this is one component that can provide significant cost savings in the years ahead.
Sean Jackson is employed at Weber Power Products. In addition to turbo shields, Sean also offers other high performance engine parts and accessories.