Twin Surbo

Perodua Kelisa: Twin Surbo installed on the air filter inlet

Kia Cerato: Twin Surbo fitted at outlet of air filter case

Hyundai Matrix: Twin Surbo fitted at outlet of air filter case and pipe afterwards

Here's how to get a Twin Surbo:

1. Use just one Surbo first in your vehicle, be satisfied that it works as claimed, meaning the installer did a good job (with no air leaks). This is especially important if your vehicle is automatic and has much less usable power than a manual vehicle. To supervise the installation yourself, look at the diagram below for the single Surbo. For the Surbo to work, all the air must pass through its centre, so proper sealing is necessary. Check that the Surbo's round inlet end is sealed (using rtv silicone or pvc pipe glue) with its rubber adaptor or the main hose pipe, and all pipe joints even if they seem to be tightly clipped are sealed to prevent air leaks. All minor vacuum hoses have to be airtight as well. The oil cap must be tightened and oil dipstick also tightened at its o-ring seal with thin masking tape as they are both air-connected to the Surbo. No other air pass devices should be used as they will cause the air to run around the Surbo. This way, the Surbo becomes ONE with the engine and it will be able to compress the air. As an option, the purge tube (see the lower diagram) can be stopped and sealed both ways to maximise the air pressure.
2. Read the page on How To Use The Surbo to reap the maximum benefits.

If you have a 3-inch metal pipe and cone filter, or if you have no straight line for twin Surbos, here's a Twin_Surbo-ready pipe design. If there is an airflowmeter (AFM), fit the AFM just after the filter (lengthen the wire if necessary) and before the upper Surbo as the AFM can be sensitive to a vortex.

The Twin is stronger than the single Surbo between 2500-3000 rpm by 10% according to the dyno test results, so you won't need to rev much and can change gear upwards sooner. Suitable for engines with a weaker low rpm range, or narrow rpm band like diesels. Usually there will be another 5% more fuel saving if you had gotten 10% fuel saving with the single Surbo. So please prove it to yourself or go after the installer for a thorough check.

Advantages of the Twin Surbo:

1. From a standing start, you'll just need to press a little on the accelerator, by maybe a few mm, and the car pulls like it's got a bigger engine. No need to extend your engine to high revs so it's quieter and smoother.
2. You can choose not to activate it like you would a single Surbo, and yet it goes willingly. You have the flexibility to floor the throttle right from the start, i.e. drive in a normal pattern.
3. Activate it like you would a single Surbo and you get a surge, and you will find yourself changing gears upwards so that you will not get too close to the car in front, as it comes almost automatically after 3000 rpm.
4. Get to 5th gear in less time, or skip 4th along the way, and maintain 100 kph with a light touch on the pedal.
6. The aircon, slopes and passenger loads become less severe.
7. Stay in a high gear with less need to change to a lower gear, due to the increased torque at low rpm.

The list of Twin Surbo vehicles:

ALFA	33 1.7 IE	'95 145 1.6
BMW	'89 316
CHERY	'07 QQ
CHEVROLET	'04 Aveo 1.4
CITROEN	Berlingo 1.9D*	Jumpy 1.9D*
DAEWOO	Lanos 1.5*
DAIHATSU	Charade CX 1.0 '87-'92	Charade 1.0 '84	'01 Extol 1.3 van*	'01 Hijet 660	'02 YRV 1.3
FIAT	Uno 1.0	Palio 1.6*	Punto '06 1.3
FORD	'88 1.3 Laser carb	'98 Courier 4x4 2.5D
Geely	CK 1.5
HONDA	Honda '92 Civic ESi	'92 LSi	'93 VTi 1.6	'02 Civic EXi 1.5	'99 City	'00 City VTEC	'89 Prelude 2.0
HONDA	'91 Accord 2.0 carb	Civic GL 1.3/1.5	'03 VTi^	'04 VTiS 1.7^	'97 VTi^
HYUNDAI	Matrix	'98-'02 Atoz 1.0	'97-'00 Coupe	'97-'03 Elantra	'95-'05 Accent 1.3/1.5
ISUZU	'97 3.0 turbodiesel pickup
KIA	Rio 1.3/1.5	'00 Sephia 1.6	'02 Spectra 1.6	Cerato 1.6
MAZDA	'95 Astina 1.6	'96-'02 323 1.3/1.6
MERCEDES	M140 2.9D
MITSUBISHI	'03 1.6 Lancer^	'98 Lancer MR 1.6^	'93 Lancer 1.3^	'90 L300 2.0 petrol	'90 Lancer 1.3 carb
NISSAN	'01 Urvan 2.7D	'92-'05 Sunny 1.6	Sunny 1.4/1.5 carb	'95-'98 March	'82 Sunny 130Y
OPEL	'01 Corsa 1.4
PERODUA	Kelisa 1.0
PEUGEOT	Partner 1.9D*	'92 405 GLi 1.6	'95 405 GR 1.6	'03 307 1.6*
PROTON	'93 Iswara carb	Iswara 1.5i	Wira 1.5i ^
RENAULT	Kangoo 1.9D	'95 19 1.4	'00 Megane 16V	Clio 16V	'00-'02 Kangoo diesel	Scenic 2.0 4x4
ROVER	600
SEAT	Salsa 1.0	Collage 1.0
SKODA	'95 Felicia 1.3	'02 Fabia 1.4	'01 Octavia 1.6
SUZUKI	Suzuki Swift 1.0i	Swift 1.0 carb	Esteem (Baleno) 1.3	R+ 1.0	Ignis
SUBARU	'97-'05 Impreza	Viki	Vivio
TOYOTA	Soluna	'03 Vios 1.5	'01 Echo 1.0	'83-'91 Corolla 1.3	'78-'92 Starlet 1.0	'90 Corona 1.6 carb
VW	Caddy TDi 1.9	'99 Caddy 1.6

It's faster when tested:
'95 Mazda Astina 1.6 (9.6 secs to 100 kph when new) clocks 8.9 secs with Surbo and 8 secs with Twin Surbo (recall that the Twin has 10% more torque between 2500-3000 rpm, where the Surbo can be activated from).

Twin Surbo '92 Peugeot 405:
A friend from China driving it for the first time unknowingly moved it from idle using the wrong gear--3rd. In the morning or on a cold start (1250 rpm idle) the car will move in first and second with foot off the accelerator. Once warmed the car keeps moving in second gear on a flat road, with no pedal pressure. This shows an increased air pressure accumulation and improvement in the ultra low end. In a long traffic jam, it continued to move easily in first gear without throttle pressure at 750 rpm, even up slight slopes and with aircon--just using idling fuel. The car also managed to climb, in 5th gear, the 10-storey high Benjamin Sheares bridge, approaching at less than 90 kph from the winding and steepest side from Rochore in 5th gear, easily reaching the top at 2000rpm or about 73 kph. For 0-60 mph testing, the time was cut from 14.2 secs to 11.78 secs, same time as for the 1.8 405 so it seems the Twin Surbo adds about 200cc.

Fuel Savings

The Twin Surbo saves more fuel than the single Surbo when operated in the below-4000 rpm band, due to stronger torque there. One good result for Kia Sephia 1.6: 8-9 km/l with one or no Surbo, 10-11 km/l with 2 Surbos--much highway around 100 kph. So too with the Honda Civic ESi, and the fortnight after. Another improvement. Dr Ngoh of Renault Club also had improved economy on his Renault Megane 1.4, up from 13.5 to 14.8 km/l (50/50 highway/city driving). Toyota Starlet 1.0 saves even more fuel with the Twin Surbo. Mr Din (Civic GL twincarb) also said that with the Twin Surbo and carb tuning to 0% CO, his consumption improved from 7-8 km/l to more than 9 km/l.
'95 Peugeot 405 1.6 (11 km/l originally) returns 12.1 km/l with Surbo and 12.8 km/l with Twin Surbo, improving 10% and 16% respectively. These correspond to the torque increases for engine speeds during cruising for the Surbo and Twin Surbo respectively (see dyno graphs).

Important note: we recommend that new customers, expecially those with automatic vehicles (please read our Auto page for more details.), have one Surbo fitted first to test for power and economy, with ensures that there is no leak, and then they can add a second Surbo for a Twin.

Some examples of Twin Surbos

Surbo's Main Website

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