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1. How do I remove it?
A: All you need is a screwdriver to unclip it. It is not wired so removal will not be difficult. You can look for us for reinstallation later. This also means that if you are not too far from changing your vehicle, or if you do not own the vehicle you intend to put the Surbo in, that you can still install a Surbo and yet be able to retrieve it for later use. And, the Surbo fits almost any car, using a range of adaptors that we will provide.
2. Does it work for diesels?
A: Yes, please see our diesel page about the Surbo's benefits on diesels.
3. Will it harm the engine?
A: No. The engine with Surbo gets to work less hard so it must last longer. The air it compresses does the pushing. The pressure is safely low but sufficient for higher compression. In fact, there is also less combustion heat due to a smaller fuel input (due to a smaller required throttle opening) and greater cooling from increased airflow.
4. What does the Surbo actually do?
A: It draws in more air with greater suction force, resulting in higher compression in the engine. This gives a light "turbocharge" (increasing force) from as low as 2000 rpm, even 1500 rpm in the very torquey first gear. A bonus is often reported extra mileage.
5. Does it replace my air filter?
A: No, most of the time the Surbo setup does not replace any original part of the car. It normally goes into the airhose after the filter, or into a supplied housing which is mounted onto the intake of your air filter casing. Only in cases of modified open, tubeless filters with no pipe to the throttle body for insertion, would we require the original trunk filter, or you can follow our Twin_Surbo-ready pipe design. Note the importance of the side breather, not replaceable by a non-connection or a small additional filter as these will cause a leak from the lower oil breather (which runs from the manifold to the oil chamber and not in this diagram, but is shown in the How It Works section).
6. Does it work for fuel injection cars?
A: Yes, it works for most cars, injected or carbureted.
7. Will I be able to dismantle it prior to servicing?
A: No problem--just use simple tools. Most of the time, the Surbo can be left alone as the installation spot is seldom serviced.
8. What do you need to dismantle or remove before installation?
A: The air intake will be dismantled and the Surbo put in, and most items put back like before. We will brief the customer on the minor changes if any before starting work. If you are far away, you can make a request for emailed model-specific installation details.
9. Is there a switch to turn the Surbo on and off?
A: The only control is the accelerator pedal action under your right foot. See the How It Works section on the front page, and the Boost Gauge page to see how the (optional) air pressure boost gauge can be used for complete command of the system.
10. Does it need electricity?
A: No, there is no wiring.
11. Will it damage the pistons?
A: No, see Q3.
12. Do I have to modify other things to enhance the power?
A: There is no need to, as the Surbo gives significantly more torque than any other product in its price range.
13. Does the Surbo work better on carbureted cars than on fuel injection cars?
A: The Surbo's pressurized air works the same way for any car. For EFI cars the purge can be stopped for full pressure. For carb cars we do not normally stop the purge as the aircon actuator vacuum line is connected.
14. Are there any modifications needed?
A: No, no cutting or mods are done to your car usually, but if there is a need to, we will inform you beforehand.
15. What is the working principle behind the Surbo?
A: Please refer to How It Works.
16. Can I install it on my own?
A: Yes, if there is no dealer nearby (please check the Countries page for your nearest installer); you only have to follow all the emailed instructions upon Surbo purchase. You can also apply to be a Surbo dealer at your location, with training provided.
17. Where is the Surbo made?
A: It was conceptualized and is produced in Singapore, and registered in the UK for originality -- Singapore follows British law on intellectual property.
18. Can the Surbo be used for motorcycles?
A: Yes, though more work must be done than for cars. Due to a lack of space in a 2-wheeler for the Surbo, the traditional flat filter connected to the throttle must be replaced with an elbow, a 6 inch long x 2.5 inch diameter straight channel for the Surbo, and a covered filter fitted before the Surbo. All joints must be perfectly sealed to ensure no leak. This is best done by someone who has tried the Surbo on a car already and know what kind of feel to get to be sure the Surbo is working (perfect sealing).
19. How does the Surbo force more air in, and where does it get the power to do it?
A: Please refer to How It Works.
20. Would I need to use 98 octane, and is it ok to use 92/95 octane?
A: Higher octanes (less spontaneously combustible) are used so that your car will have less pinking (spontaneous firing before the pistons are properly near the top of their travel). With the Surbo on, this knocking tendency is lessened due to a smaller fuel input, the pushing done by extra air which is not combustible spontaneously like fuel. You can therefore switch to lower octanes to save money. Choose the fuel that will give you the most km per dollar, since preignition is no longer a problem.
21. Can the Surbo work on an old car?
A: Yes, as long as the installation is airtight, and the clutch does not slip. The car should be in a good running condition before installing the Surbo. You can send the car for ignition and air-fuel mixture tuning first. Get a CO (exhaust emission reading) that is as low as possible. We have put the Surbo in cars from the sixties without a problem.
22. Is it able to improve the car's motion, ensure a better, smooth sail, and make the car perform better than before?
A: Yes, most cars become more driveable with the Surbo. Cruising is easier and when you make it pick up in 5th, you will get a breathtaking experience.
For a gentler, less sporty feel, just use the Surbo to push your car with light pressure and drive gently, and you may feel that it is smoother, and quieter since the throttle opening is smaller (the easiest way to make your engine roar is to open the throttle wide). In an in-line engine, the engine is vibrating sideways as the pistons take turns to fire, and the intake and exhaust cylinders, being at lower pressure, will be looser and shake more. With the Surbo, there is an even amount of increased pressure in all cylinders, so the vibration tendency is lessened, and vibration-induced noise is less. (As engine vibrations and thus metal-to-metal reactions (harshness) become less, friction is also lessened so it raises the engine efficiency, and can lead to fuel savings.)
For noise reduction, you can look for the holes and gaps in the firewall that may have been made due to aftermarket wiring or loose fittings. Or even holes in the underpan. Seal up these gaps with silicone so that no direct noise gets through from the source. Tie whatever that is shaking and hitting against other objects in the engine. To seal the last (you will know by hearing) gaps, use grease which fills but does not harden. This can be applied at the engine end of the throttle cable, which passes noise between the wire and the sheath, gearbox link seal, and also between the steering stalk and its rubber gasket, for example. Together with the Surbo's pressure balancing, your car can be quieter at cruising speeds. Other ways to a better sonic experience will be using the more muted Twin Surbo, as it can be run at very low rpm, and also using a boost gauge, which also helps activation from low rpm, or in the higher gears.
23. Is it easy to fix?
A: Yes, and your car will also stay original most of the time. It takes about half to one hour for installation.
24. Will it void my new car warranty?
A: All work will be reversible so there is usually no problem. You will be informed of any alteration and we will proceed only with your permission. Please check with your agents if unsure. There has not been a case of lost warranty.
25. Can I fix it with an open air filter?
A: Yes, for most cars. The Surbo goes into the airhose or modified pipe, so for such cars, you can fix the open filter at the beginning of the airhose or pipe. To avoid bypass, the Surbo needs a 6 inch long channel before any other minor air tube coming out of the main airhose, such as the oil cooling tube. If there is no such space, especially when there are many tubes running out, then please retain your original box filter as we will fit the Surbo before the filter. (This is true for Nissan Sunnies with rectangular box filters near the battery). For a tubeless, horizontal filter with no place for Surbo insertion, convert it to our Twin_Surbo-ready pipe design.
26. Isn't there a constant air fuel ratio to be maintained in an engine? So what happens when you put in more air (when a Surbo is used)?
A: 1. Yes, every part of fuel needs at least so many parts of air to burn completely. Part of the increased air that goes in through the Surbo goes to combustion with the lesser fuel that goes in (due to a smaller throttle opening), and the rest of the air helps to raise the engine compression, which raises power immediately.
2. The Surbo prevents instances of overfueling in original engines (more fuel than air supplied, leading to unburnt, wasted fuel, that can be smelled in the exhausts of even modern cars). This will normally occur during acceleration, when a driver may floor the accelerator for maximum power, in a non-Surbo engine. As the driver can reach the same rpm as quickly using a Surbo at a smaller throttle opening, overfueling can be lessened. Therefore the Surbo evens out the air-fuel ratio. It will save the driver fuel too.
27. What is the air purge you mention, and why do you stop it?
A: Stopping the purging makes sure that all the air pressure is kept inside, all going through the engine for higher compression so maximizing power and economy.
27A. Why was the purge system designed into the car in the first place?
A: For cars '92 and up, the purge system was introduced as an emission control system. Air pressure is removed through the purge filter before it is let out into the atmosphere. This is because in a normal engine, air pressure leads to a higher fuel pressure (the fuel pressure regulator is air pressure driven), meaning additional fuel input which cannot be burnt easily (leading to higher emissions) so the air pressure has to be taken out first. That's their method.
However, the purge system has become redundant as the Surbo (with the purge system deactivated) has been proven to reduce emissions even more than the original car (see the Environment page). This is because the Surbo raises the air density, and less of a throttle opening is required for idling during emission testing. The amount of fuel injected at any moment is proportional to the no. of cylinders x rpm x throttle travel. With a smaller throttle opening, less fuel is put in. More of that is burnt by the abundant air. See also the How It Works page.
28. Will I see instant improvement on my car?
A: Most definitely. No feel, no sale. We guarantee red line on the rpm meter with half throttle. If your car is automatic it will have much better throttle response.
29. Do you use it in your own cars?
A: Yes, because the Surbo is fun. It's also the accelerator equivalent of power steering. Without it, you'll have to press much more on the accelerator.
30. Shouldn't you have a few Surbo sizes to cater to different engine capacities?
A: What the Surbo does is to raise the air intake pressure from the outside (atmospheric pressure, a constant) to the engine back pressure (the woo-woo sound when you decelerate suddenly, as the air is pressed back), also a constant. So, we have to keep the Surbo's pin pressure setting between these 2 constants, in a narrow range. This design can already maintain the higher intake pressure for any capacity up to the 3 litres tested, at any rpm and rate of change of rpm that the engine was capable of originally. The other advantage of having just one size is the transferability. Of course, if we can come up with a better design, that will be a breakthrough.
31. Does it matter if the Surbo/s are put before or after the filter? If it's before the filter, how is the air going to spin in to the engine?
A: The air is not going to spin into the engine, before or after the filter, as it's too far away! The vortex generated by the Surbo ends in a few inches, and beyond that to the cylinders, there is just greater air density. This air pressure was already there at the cylinders, as it was generated backwards from the engine to the Surbo, whether it is after or before the filter. The Surbo system uses back pressure (the air-jam that occurs between the throttle and the Surbo when the throttle opening is varied). This back pressure causes the air to spin out of the Surbo into an air-compressing vortex. For more details read How It Works.
Note: the Peugeot 405 achieved positive results in the dynamometer test, with Surbos before the filter.
32. Can you use 2 Surbos for 1 car?
A: Yes, and that is the Twin Surbo, 2 Surbos in series. If you have a Surbo already, you can add another in line. This makes the car even better to drive. See the Twin Surbo page.
If you have an automatic car, please read our Auto page for more details.
33. My car is already modified (with added power). Will adding a Surbo help?
A: Yes, it can still help. Read this testimonial, "The Real Thing".
34. How much power can a Surbo give?
A: The owner of a 4-door 125 bhp Civic ESi (with a Surbo) sprinted with his friend's 3-door 160bhp Civic VTi, and the ESi won by half a car up to gear 3. This shows that in the lower gears, it can give up to 30% (=160/125) more pick up power. As the Surbo gives an average of 10% improvement in fuel economy, we'd say the average power increase would be 10%, based on your cycle and loads (and not test conditions in the Surbo's favour).
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