Re: can you turbo-charge a 2 cycle engine?
In a two stroke engine, the best way to gain power is adding a tuned pipe, which is a supercharger, but with no moving pipes. There is software on the net that will calculate the dimensions of the expansion chamber based on port timing and the rpm range you want to make peak power. The other way to make more power with a two stroke is to increase the duration of the intake and exhaust ports, and also increasing compression ratio. <br /><br />The things to be aware of are, when you go to radical in the port timings, your bottom end disapears, and your motor may no longer have sufficient bottom end torgue to get you up on plane. The other thing is more power means more wear and tear on the engine and bottom end. Also carburation becomes more critical on highly tuned engines. All many ways of saying that you can turn your trusty reliable motor into something that'll barely run. <br /><br />Highly tuned two stroke engines can produce tremendous amounts of power from small displacement, but there is a tremendous amount of development required to maximize the air/fuel flow through the engine to make those levels. The top 125cc single cylinder engines are making over 40 hp at 12,500 rpm, the 500cc 4 cylinder GP bikes are approaching 200 hp and 100cc kart motors are turning 20,000 rpm.<br /><br />I don't know what the displacement on your motor is, but assuming in the 300-400 cc range, you should be able to add 10 hp without fear of grenading the motor, and it may be possible to double the power, but the life of the internal parts would be dramatically shortened.
