BOV's
 

Ok, me and my friend are at a disagreement. He says you don't need a BOV if you have a turbo, and I say you do. Who's right, him or me? If you don't have a BOV, how is all the extra air released?

you do.

ya'll are both right ....BUT for the car to run better and smother yes you do need one...my friend drove his car around without a BOV and it ran and work ok but it had some problems...So the best answer is yes you need a BOV or a similar device!

Without some sort of pressure relief when the throttle slams shut your turbo will live a short uphappy life.

Its kinda like saying, you really don't need a radiator for the car to run.

The car WILL run for a while without the radiator, but its lifespan will be decreased (to a matter of minutes).

Like said above your both right.

His thought process will quickly kill the turbo.

The BOV is there to releave the excess boost pressure created from the turbo. When ever you shut the throttle plates that air has no where to go and a shock wave comes back through the intake piping and then hits the turbo.

Think of it as spinning a bicycle tire really fast and then using a hammer to hit it the opposite way it is spinning.

Not very good.

These vibration/shockwaves over time will ruin thre turbo. I am going to assume it would wear out seals pretty quick but I don't know exactly what it ruins.

With a BOV inline the air escapes into the intake track before the turbo or into the atmosphere so it does not shcok the turbo.

Pretty much you try to keep the air going in one direction only.

You guys are so silly.

No, the car does not need a BOV to run in the LEAST. It will simply prolong (by a great deal) the life of the turbo.

In the end we all want happy turbos..

In reality though.

Why the fuck would you not run with one unless you love rebuilding turbos and wasting money?

rx7 = BOV
omni GLH = no BOV
you dont need one, but it is better to have one.

BOV's are great for longevity but they aren't necessary - in fact, many old school turbo cars never had them!! I believe the first series of turbocharged Z's (81-83 280ZX turbo) lacked them completely until the 300ZX turbo. a BOV also becomes less important with an automatic tranny turbo car as the throttle plate never closes during shifts though you should still have one since eventually you will take your foot off the gas during boost at some time or another. running a car without one and how long a turbo will last that way depends on the owner/driver. I have a feeling most of us wouldn't get more than a couple months outta one :)

I think that every car has some form of blow-off or bypass valve, they don't all make sounds but do something, either reciculate or ventilate air to prevent backspin on the turbo. The turbo life would be only a metter of weeks (if your boosting at all)