Maximum Boost: Designing, Testing, and Installing Turbocharger Systems (Engineering and Performance)

'Maximum Boost' gives these reasons and also exposes some of the false logics that you may have heard. It didn't just teach me about turbos, but a whole lot about modern engines in general.

At the end of the day, I feel alot more confident about designing a turbocharger system to fulfill my personal needs in a safe and reliable manner.

The only thing I would have added to this book (probably in one short chapter), is some more information on diesel engines. But for now I am satisfied.

Bottom line: If you are into high-performance autos, get this book. Get Maximum Boost.


One of the best   April 16, 2002
6 out of 7 found this review helpful

This is one of the best books about any automotive subject that I have ever read. This is for several reasons:
1. The book is very readable and does not come off as overly dry or hard to digest. After reading it you feel like you might just have sat through a tech session taught by Mr Bell.
2. The ideas and opinions presented are all backed up by numbers and examples. The author does not just blow smoke.
3. The author has obviously had extensive experience accomplishing the tasks described, unlike some authors who have only a casual understanding of their subject matter.
4. The exentensive number of pictures, charts, and graphs helps to clarify what the author is describing.
If you are thinking of turbocharging your car, whether with an aftermarket kit or one you build on your own, you must read this book. I have several other books on turbochargers and this one is by far the best. If you drive a car which came from the factory with a turbocharger installed, you should read this book. One of the parts I found most interesting was how to properly care for a turbocharger system to get long life and continually good performance from it. In all, I highly recommend this book.


Exactly what it should be   July 11, 2006
Jeremy (Tucson, AZ USA)
6 out of 7 found this review helpful

Let me start by saying that you shouldn't expect this book to answer really specific questions like which HKS turbo is best for a street RX-7. I'm tired of seeing reviews where people complain about a book not having some information that they wanted it to have. A book, from an information standpoint, should only be critiqued on whether or not it is what it was supposed to be, and Maximum Boost does an excellent job of being itself. It is meant to take an average enthusiast who knows nothing about constructing a turbo system up the ladder to not just building one but understanding the essential theories and math needed to operate it in a healthy and efficient manner and also make it strong, reliable, and street legal. Between explaining the relationships of connecting rod and crank loads and teaching you about what types of bends and materials your piping should be made of, the book covers virtually everything in easy to understand detail from a general standpoint making the book useful to anybodies specific project. The absolute only problem I have with the book is that Bell doesn't cover blow-off valves but for good reason. He seems to focus more on practical street turbocharging which involves light boost rather than the obscene 30+ psi found on cars like 900 HP Supras.


Maximum Boost :   September 23, 2001
Richard Nichols (San Diego, CA United States)
4 out of 5 found this review helpful

Bell's book is a bible for those with turbocars. It's written in easy-to-understand language, it's organized logically, its materials are up-to-date. Real-world working turbocars such as the Ford 2.3T validate Bell's sizing, flow and power guidelines. Taken with the engineering data of MacInnes' book (which book is otherwise hopelessly out of date) one can build a working spreadsheet for sizing turbos, inlet tracts, intercoolers, and exhaust systems for upgrading a current installation intelligently. A must-buy.