First TCD e34 M30 Turbo Kit Delivered today.

[George M]

With all due respect Todd...an intelligent owner doesn't have anything to do with a boosted motor's propensity to pre-detonate. Even the very early E-23 745i turbo factory BMW M-30 engines with dished pistons and reduced compression replete with more primitive Motronic then later NA M-30's had a knock sensor...and for good reason.
If you spend $2K on a turbo set up...the least you can do is run a knock sensor to prevent melt down, low boost or not if you get less octane than you bargained for.
An occassional chipped NA M-30 is reported to detonate on high octane fuel. Not a remote stretch for a boosted turbo motor to do the same thing with much higher consequences.

[TCD]

With all due respect Todd...an intelligent owner doesn't have anything to do with a boosted motor's propensity to pre-detonate. Even the very early E-23 745i turbo factory BMW M-30 engines with dished pistons and reduced compression replete with more primitive Motronic then later NA M-30's had a knock sensor...and for good reason.
If you spend $2K on a turbo set up...the least you can do is run a knock sensor to prevent melt down, low boost or not if you get less octane than you bargained for.
An occassional chipped NA M-30 is reported to detonate on high octane fuel. Not a remote stretch for a boosted turbo motor to do the same thing with much higher consequences.

Listen George,

We made the decision that a knock sensor is not necessary. A knock sensor in fact will not save a motor from a catastrophic failure. It is the responsibility of the Owner of the car to shut it down if detonation occurs. Detonation is painfully obvious. It is not a ghost that someone cannot hear. The motor will not mysteriously self destruct because it has no knock sensor. Yes, a knock sensor is ideal if you are running on the edge all the time but our systems are set at a very conservative psi that is nowhere near the edge.

My biggest battle is convincing people that we know what we are doing. To each his own. No problem.

Todd

[Craig]

My biggest battle is convincing people that we know what we are doing. To each his own. No problem.

Haha, this seems to happen quite a bit. Todd, you should make up a standard disclaimer that you post each time you mention your turbo kit, kind of like Shawn D's "E28 air vent diagram" that he uses.

George-

Todd's done a shitload of turbos on M30 motors- I doubt there is anyone around anywhere with more firsthand M30 turbo experience than him.

To everyone else- go to mye28.com and ask about Todd. Do a search there for his posts and you'll see he's not making a "slipshod" product here. Todd's kits are at least as good as any other- and the Kormann kit makes the same boost levels but I don't see people here running about calling it "****." Even though for some unknown reason I'm building my own turbo kit, if I were shopping I'd buy Todd's without hesitation.

[winfred]

i guess you could run a apc system from a junkyard saab like the volvo turbo guys, it's a knock sensor controled airbleed for the wastegate (if i remember right) i think it's a stand alone system, it's been a while since i hopped up a turbo volvo (i shouldn't of sold my 5 speed wagon )

the least you can do is run a knock sensor to prevent melt down, low boost or not if you get less octane than you bargained for