TB gives Astras puff
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• TB Turbos, the Lancasterbased turbocharger specialists, has appointed another firm of turbocharger experts in the south of the country to distribute its turbo kits for the Vauxhall 1.6 litre diesel engine fitted to the Astramax, and Astravans.
BTN Turbo of Uxbridge will also handle the latest turbo kits for the Ford 2.5 litre direct injection diesel engine used in the Transit, and the 1,6 litre indirect injection diesel engine that powers the Ford Escort range of vans.
The Vauxhall turbo kit is to be marketed as a dealer-fitted extra on new vehicles, priced at £995 plus VAT. It will also be available for used vehicles for 2895 plus VAT, excluding fitting. The turbo boosts the Above: BTN Turbo will be distributing the turbo kit in the south of the country. It hopes to attract the interest of Bedford dealers and fleet users.
maximum engine power of the engine from 40kW (54hp) to 55kW (74hp), and the company also claim a 30% increase in torque.
So far 12 Astras have been fitted with the kit. It takes around six hours to fit. Both manifolds are removed and replaced, and an oil cooler, a new exhaust down pipe, and a larger air cleaner are also fitted. Bedford's warranty will continue to operate on those parts of the vehicle unaffected by the turbo installation, while TB Turbos offer their own warranty on the turbo and ancilliaries.
The engine warranty is a grey area, with neither Bedford nor TB Turbos claiming responsibility but additional insurance is available from the Turbo company to cover the driveline components.
Driving impressions
We have driven the BTN Turbo demonstrator, which is fitted with the Vauxhall 1.6 litre IDI diesel engine and the TB Turbos conversion. The engine has done about 6,500km, and was converted when new.
The turbo does not affect the engine's pre-heat performance, and after the required fifteen seconds or so a turn of the key results in the muted idling noise characteristic of engines using the Ricardo Comet prechamber system.
While the engine doesn't suffer from a major lack of low down torque, there is a small 'hole' at very low revs. This is most noticeable when crawling forward at very low engine speeds in heavy traffic. It is very easy to stall the engine in these circumstances, although there is no problem when making a normal start.
The engine seems to run quite hot in traffic with the fan cutting in frequently but it did not overheat in spite of the very hot day. Out of the town, the performance comes as a revelation in comparison to the naturally-aspirated Vauxhall unit. Revving the engine through the gears results in sprightly performance, with more than enough power to exceed the maximum speed limit, at low noise levels.
Surprisingly, the mid-range acceleration is also excellent, with sufficient power to propel even a laden van up to the speed limits quickly. Apart from the earlier criticism, which could be solved by fitting a rev counter so that the driver can avoid the 'hole' in the engine power, the conversion is very a pleasant change from the standard Vauxhall power unit.
BTN Turbo has only been marketing the kit for about a month, but if it can gain the enthusiasm of Bedford dealers and fleet owners it hopes that its break-even figure of 100 kits per year will be easily exceeded.