Variable Compression, Variable Displacement you deside

[Frederic Breitwieser]

> One other thing, about turbo motors that doesn't help there life
>expectancy IMHO is that during gear changes the turbo due to
>it's inertia is still spooled up and immediately after the gear change
>there is a millisecond of uncontrolled boost, once it's shaft speed
>drops things are right again.  In the "lower gears" this isn't as
>much of an issue since the engine still has the toque muliplication
>of the tranny from loading it to much.  Then like in the turbo 
>Buicks it's right after the 2-3 gear change that knock is most 
>likely. 

There is a product to alleviate some of this unused pressure - HKS makes a
blow-off valve, that in between gears, or when there isn't a load on the
engine, it "blows" the extra pressure off.  I don't remember if its on the
exhaust side, or the intake side, I'm guessing its on the intake side,
since the Turbo already has an exhaust wastegate (or should).  And they
make a neat, unique sounding noise when the blow off the excess too :)

>              did Plymouth, he drove away so fast I started to open
>              the door to get out and check under the hood......

And you discovered the squirrel on the wheel under your hood was suffering
from severe malnutrition.  Those little critters like extra nutrasweet in
their coffee.  Gives them a reak boost <smile>.