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More than just bolting a turbo onto an engine, the art of tuning a forced induction engine is a labor of love.

Whether it's the world's automakers of today, or passionate DIY tuners, turbochargers are a cost-effective way to transform any engine from a boring slushbox to a peppy power plant. But before forking over a few hundred bucks for a bolt-on kit, there are many facets to consider if the desire is to add power, while maintaining the integrity and lifespan of your engine.

From cooling and fuel system upgrades, to maintaining perfect harmony between the engine and turbo, a tuner must treat each cylinder as if it's its own personal engine. A necessity to ensure perfect balance between how the engine will perform, and more importantly, sound.

This feature is not meant to serve as a comprehensive overview of turbo systems, but more or less a starting point for those interested in adding or updating their current turbocharger. This is a beginner's guide to tuning a turbo engine.

One of the biggest drawbacks of turbocharged forced induction is the increased air temperature as is it forced through the turbine, often two or three times hotter than before it entered the turbo. In terms of performance and power, heat is a killer.

Hotter air means less air density, less air density means a smaller proportion of oxygen content, which in turn means less power. Hotter air also means higher temperature fluids; increasing the chances of detonation (engine knock), warping important components, and even fire. Because the byproduct of friction is heat, engines must be prepped to prolong engine life, and increase performance figure.

The car's main heat exchanger, radiators, are integral to the car's cooling system through its mixture of water and antifreeze. As the coolant is pumped through the channels and pathways in the engine block, the heat generated by the moving parts is absorbed by the mixture. After the heated coolant is pushed to the inlet tank, it is distributed through tubes that transfer the heat from the coolant to the air, thus reducing temperature.

As we know, motor oil is essential to lubricating the metal surfaces that come in contact with one another when an engine is running. Although oil is weighted to provide consumers with the proper viscosity as it relates to engine performance, excessive heat and exposure breaks down the oil itself, and reduces its effectiveness.

To combat the breakdown of oil, tuners utilize aftermarket oil coolers to extend the life of their oil. Pumping oil through the radiator and an individual set of lines, an oil cooler benefits an engine's heat exchanger by displacement of heat. Working in conjunction with the radiator, oil coolers help dramatically reduce the temperature of oil for optimal lubrication, and thus, increased performance.

More than just aesthetically pleasing, intercoolers increase the efficiency of the turbo system by reducing the hot air created during the induction process. As mentioned earlier, the cooler the air, the more dense it is, and the tighter oxygen molecules hold together when air is shoved into the turbo, creating a higher power output.

Related: Check Out This Porsche 964 Turbo's Massive Intercooler And Pipework

Mentioned briefly, in order to create sustainable power, the balance between the engine and turbo must be perfect. Not only is it important to tune an engine after adding forced induction, it's crucial to adjust the settings of a turbo to limit boost pressure, and the possibility of blowing the engine. The implementation of a wastegate, blow-off valve, and/or a boost controller is pertinent.

As a result of the varying range of RPMs of internal combustion engines, wastegates are crucial in controlling the flow of exhaust gases into the turbine. Diversion of these gases regulate the speed at which the turbine operates, thus regulating the speed of the compressor itself. Affecting primarily boost pressure, wastegates can protect the engine and turbocharger, thereby increasing low-end torque, while minimizing boost lag.

Another instance of aesthetics versus functionality, a blow-off valve (BOV) isn't necessary for all turbo builds. It does, however, add a certain panache to the experience as a result of the distinctive sounds it creates. Its key function is to prevent compressor surge, otherwise known as a disruption in the of the airflow in a turbo's compressor. Compressor surge is identified by the "turbo flutter" sound it produces, which can lead to increased stressed on the turbo's bearings.

It's no secret that the key to an engine's power is boost, itself. While there is no such thing as too much boost, there certainly is such a thing as too much boost for your build.

A boost controller is a rudimentary device that manipulates the air pressure delivered to the wastegate, itself. When pressure is allowed to bleed, it takes more boost pressure to actuate the wastegate. A boost controller sends exhaust gas through the turbine and increases the energy transferred to the wheels of the turbocharger. Once optimal boost is reached, a closed loop system will allow more air pressure to reach the wastegate and stop the increase of air pressure to maintain levels, ultimately reducing turbo lag.

Ultimately the difference between building a fast car, and a car that will blow up fast, neglecting the fuel system can be a costly and life-threatening mistake. The fuel system is a large, and complex component as it relates to tuning, however the most important variables to address first are the fuel injection system and fuel pressure.

Engine horsepower is produced in relation with fuel flow, making the fuel injector flow rate one of the most critical components to increased power gains associated with turbo systems. Because engine displacement varies across the automotive industry, it's important to select the correct size of fuel injectors according to the horsepower and low the engine produces.

The proper fuel injectors work in conjunction with the turbocharger to create the perfect air-fuel ratio, allowing the engine to achieve maximum performance.

Fuel pressure is simply known as the pressure in the fuel system being generated by the flow dictated by the fuel pump. This, in turn, has a dramatic effect on how the fuel injectors will operate, as well as how much fuel they can deliver. In order to run correctly, fuel pressure needs to be within a certain parameter; too high and the engine will run rich, allowing for unburned fuel to be pumped. Too low and the engine runs the possibility of being too lean, which can cause misfiring and stalling.

Related: The Forced Induction Fight: Turbocharger Vs Supercharger

The proper engine management system will allow you to manipulate the ECU in order to affect: rev limitations, anti-lag, gear control, ignition timing, and much more. This will undoubtedly be the most time-consuming and frustrating portion of your turbo build, but without the proper tuning to the ECU module, the previous sections of information would be rendered useless.

Because at the end of the day, a turbo build is only as good as the components and diligence displayed by the tuner themselves.

Jacob is a is a writer and gearhead splitting time between Southern California and Phoenix, Arizona. When he's not wrenching on his and his wife's questionable fleet of cars; he's learning DIY repair, researching car culture and history, or casually browsing used cars. Jacob cut his teeth writing for the now defunct, Oppositelock, before the website was blown up.