Beyond The Dyno - BorgWarner EFR Feature Set Explained

BorgWarner EFR Turbo Feature Set
This power chart should obviously only be used as a guideline for

turbo selection. Check back on BorgWarner's EFR site in the near
future for an extremely in depth turbo sizing app. You forum nerds
are going to have plenty to argue about when that's released.
Did you know that BorgWarner is currently the largest OEM
turbocharger supplier in the world? The BW turbo brands also
include BorgWarner, KKK (Kuhnle, Kopp & Kausch, not the cone
heads), and Schwitzer. Despite being as big as they are, BW is
planning the release of the Series EFR turbos designed specifically
for the performance aftermarket and racing. For the past year, Brock
(aka Brockstar) and his team of engineers and techs have been hard
at work developing the EFR product line. This is extremely fast for a
http://www.motoiq.com/MagazineArticles/ID/1750/BorgWarner-EFR-Turbo-Feature-Set.aspx
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company the size of BW with very stringent design and

manufacturing standards. BW isn't a 5 person shop that copies a
Garrett compressor wheel, rescales it in CAM software so there's an
infinite amount of trims available, hogs one out of aluminum bar
stock on a CNC machine and then proceeds to stuff it into virtually
any compressor housing without compressor or turbine mapping
(let's not forget about giving these hogged out turbos nonsensical
names while they were at it). BW products must go through
extremely stringent OEM style durability testing and multiple
validations before product release. So a complete line of
turbochargers released in about a year is actually light speed for a
company the size of BW.
Here's an EFR on a high temperature gas rig that constantly

increases gases to 950 degrees C and then cools the gases to 200
degrees C. This is one of the tests performed for 175 hours to
validate the turbine section's durability.
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Here's a BW EFR being tested with a Cosworth 2.6L stroker EJ257B

engine.
Cosworth was selected by BW as one of their pre-release testing
partners to supply additional feedback, expanded real world
application testing, and in the case of the Sierra Sierra EVO, a real
world application in torturous conditions. With our ultra repeatable
engine dyno test cells, small displacement high performance
gasoline engine knowledge, and involvement with the Sierra Sierra
EVO, the partnership just made sense. Perhaps Cosworth's
involvement in high level motorsports and a potential Global Racing
Engine release had something to do with it? Regardless, it was
perfect timing for the Peformance Parts division of Cosworth since
we were already starting to plan a line of high end turbo hardware
and setup kits for the serious customer base. Whether on the engine
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dyno, in CAD, plugged into an engine simulation, or in the workshop

physically test fitting the turbos on engines/cars, these past couple
months at Cosworth in Torrance, the product development team has
been working a lot with various prototype EFR turbos. As a result,
Cosworth will be including BW EFR turbos in future set up kits and
bolt on turbos. The set up kits will be targeted toward the
medium/high power customer having his car built at a shop that can
add the finishing touches such as fuel system, tuning, etc. The bolt
ons will be using EFR centers, but with Cosworth designed turbine
housings for direct fit applications. So far I'm very impressed with the
hardware and the feature set. You'll be able to read a list of features
anywhere, but I'm going to break down the features to you Beyond
the Dyno style.
Here's a prototype EFR 7670 adapted to the factory EVO X exhaust
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manifold via adapter that maintains the advantage of twin scrolls.

The adapter is also a prototype that we made at Cosworth in an
attempt to test a potentially "reasonable" cost turbo upgrade.
Optimizing gas flow is tricky with adapters, but the dyno tells all and
the engine is scheduled to go back on the engine dyno in late
December. If the adapter sucks then we will not be offering the
adapter. In fact, it is unlikely that we will because we (as in Tyler and
I) don't believe it will perform to our satisfaction. But I've been fooled
by perception many times: THE DYNO TELLS ALL. The Cosworth
engine dynos that is...
BTW, the EFR turbos are at the higher end of the aftermarket
turbocharger price spectrum. The reason why is because they are so
feature rich. The idea is that by using an EFR turbo, you'll end up
saving some money at the end of the day by not having to purchase
external items such as blow off valves, wastegate solenoids,
wastegates, and paying for labor using difficult to work with
turbochargers. As I wrote before, the EFR turbos are a clean sheet
design specifically designed for flexibility during installation which is
worth a bunch to the DIY enthusiast, tuning shop, or engine builder
in itself. If you're a low buck turbo guy, you'll probably want to stop
reading here. If you look for quality and don't mind spending a
premium then keep reading.
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Here's an EFR turbo on an NVH test rig to measure noise, vibration,

and harshness (aka NVH).
Gamma-Ti Turbine Wheels
The heart of Series EFR's impressive feature set is the titaniumaluminide turbine wheels. BW claims that the EFR turbine wheels are
nearly 50% lighter than the same sized wheel made from Inconel.
What this means to you is superior transient response from the ultra
low inertia and lower stress on the turbine shaft and bearing section
which will result in longer turbo life. Have you ever revved an engine
with an ultra light clutch and flywheel (e.g. Tilton carbon 7.5 twin
plate) and noticed how it sounds almost like an F1 car? It's a similar
http://www.motoiq.com/MagazineArticles/ID/1750/PageID/2471/BorgWarner-EFR-Turbo-Feature-Set.aspx
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deal here except when the turbo accelerates faster, air is

compressed faster, and your turbo lag will be reduced. With such a
low inertia, the turbine wheel will accelerate much quicker even with
less exhaust gas energy. The downside to titanium-aluminide turbine
wheels is that they are more brittle. Where an inconel or GMR turbine
wheel will bend, the titanium-aluminide turbine wheel will probably
chip. During BW's destructive testing it was discovered that there
was zero loss in turbine wheel efficiency even when a couple of
blades were missing.
Difficult and expensive to cast, but well worth the effort,

EFR titanium-aluminide turbine wheels reduce inertia by over 50%.
Investment Cast Stainless Steel Turbine Housings
Stainless steel of course offers superior corrosion resistance so
there'll be no more rusty iron turbine housings. Another benefit of
300 series stainless steel is it's superior strength which allows a
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thinner wall casting. When I say thinner, I mean thinner for an OEM
level manufacturer. Large turbo companies like Garrett, IHI, and BW
actually test their turbos for burst containment. So when a turbine
wheel explodes, the casting will contain the exploding turbine wheel
rather than you getting a ninja star to your face. The investment cast
surface quality gives the housing a much smoother cast surface
which also benefits gas flow. The only downside to an investment
cast stainless steel turbine housing is going to be cost, but if you
want the best, you'll need to cough it up.
The investment cast housings provide smooth walls for gas to flow
undisturbed. This increases flow and reduces backpressure which
equals MORE POWER.
Super Buff Bearing Section
Brock and his team wanted the triple throw down, big power, no
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whammies, ultra strength bearing section. The dual row ceramic ball
bearings and M50 metal cage offer a massive reduction in friction
from a turbo with a thrust bearing. There are actually two sizes of
Series EFR turbos, B1 and B2. The B1 turbos have a smaller bearing
cage, but it is still substantially larger than their competitor's
bearings. The B2 has the monster bearing section designed for
extreme duty applications. The turbine and compressor sections are
sealed with DUAL piston rings at BOTH ends to virtually eliminate oil
leaking into either housing. The only downsides to all this trickness
are cost and a longer physical length. As an example, a BW EFR8391
is 16mm longer than a GT40R. This probably isn't going to be a
problem with a longitudinal engine configuration, but in a transverse
application with A/C or power steering, this is going to make things a
bit tight.
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You didn't know that Brockstar was a hand model too, huh? On the
bottom you have the most common ball bearing cage on the market
today (brand G). On top in the EFR B2 bearing cage. Notice the dual
piston ring grooves on both the turbine shaft and dynamic seal. Now
there's a good chance your turbo won't get polluted blow by gasses
even if your engine builder sucks.
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Flexible Compressor Housing
On the large type C compressor housing found on the two largest
EFR turbos, the outlet is machined so that you can either use a hose
connection or a v-band with o-ring connection for an added degree
of flexibility. I recommend the v-band connection with solidly
mounted engines and the hose connection with rubber engine
mounts. Don't believe me? Try a v-band connection with rubber
engine mounts and over time you'll find the v-band clamp will
spread, the o-ring will fail, and the aluminum flanges will crack. This
all of course depends on your intercooler tube design and the
amount of movement in your engine.
Integrated Blow Off Valve
An integrated compressor recirculation valve (CRV) is included with
every EFR turbo. An optional block off kit accessory is available from
BW in case you still want to use your ricer spec valve. The excess
charge air is released directly back at the compressor wheel in an
attempt to reduce lag further. The diaphragm used in the BW CRV is
actually the same part that BW has sold millions of to the OEMs and
were designed to last the life of the car. How's that for a reliable
track record? The CRV has a fairly low valve lift and isn't very large,
but it is more than enough to relieve pressure to avoid compressor
surge. There's a general misunderstanding in our little tuning
industry of how large a blow off valve really needs to be to get the
job done. Large external BOVs (e.g. TiAL 50mm, Turbosmart
Raceport, etc.) definitely have their place however. The BW CRV
works great on the Sierra Sierra EVO though. Good enough for Sierra
Sierra, good enough for you.
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All three EFR compressor housing sizes have integrated CRV, BSCV,
and turbo speed sensor bungs. Notice that the two larger
compressor housings also utilize a ported shroud to enhance the
compressor maps.
Forged Milled Compressor Wheels
Another great feature of the Series EFR turbos are the super robust
compressor wheels. They are milled from 6000 series aluminum
forgings for the ultimate in strength and durability. Sure, some of the
smaller turbo shops make billet compressor wheels out of bar stock,
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but the grain structure and surface hardness of a forged part is

superior in every way. What this means to you is less rock chips and
jacked up blades.
The EFR compressor wheels span 6 different exducer sizes between

62mm-91mm to cover 200-1000bhp. All EFR compressor wheels are
forged and milled.
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How good is the machining quality on these wheels? Pretty damn

good.
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Turbo Speed Sensor Bung
I'm not sure why any turbo supplier hasn't done this in the past, but
for about 15 minutes of thought, BW engineers just did the
professional engine tuner and engine builders the biggest favor ever.
No turbo that I know of in the aftermarket has an already included
bung cast into the compressor housing. It's already machined for
you too. All you have to do should you want to purchase the optional
turbo speed sensor is to drill through the blind hole using a 1/4 drill
bit. Then the BW turbo speed sensor drops right in to the perfect
sensor gap height. There's no dicking around with an oscilloscope to
verify your sensor gap or anything of the sort. I LOVE THIS FEATURE.
If you have an advanced ECU like the Pectel SQ/MQ series or
Cosworth ECPro, you can directly connect the speed sensor to one
of the many spare digital inputs at the ECU and start utilizing the
many turbo speed and boost control strategies offered. If you don't
have a baller ECU, not to worry. There are various suppliers of
frequency to 0-5v converters that you can buy and rig up. Turbo
speed is a fairly important, but often ignored parameter that can help
the monitoring of turbo performance. It's also an indicator of charge
system health since turbo speed goes up considerably when there's
a boost leak of some sort. Once you have it, you hate to live without
it.
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EFRs come pre-machined for the optional BW turbo speed sensor,

but the sensor hole is left blank in case the owner opts not to use a
speed sensor. To insert the sensor, a 1/4" drill bit must be plunged
into the larger hole on the left. Be careful not to touch the walls with
the drill bit as the speed sensor seals via o-ring against the machine
walls.
Boost Control Solenoid Valve
A three port solenoid is included with the purchase of every EFR
turbo. What? You're not using electronic boost control? Step into the
21st century, buddy. This isn't 1965 and you aren't driving a Chevy
Corvair. The included solenoid is ultra reliable and is supplied by
Pierburg who supply boost control solenoids to Ford, Bugatti, and
Prodrive to name a few. It's a 23 ohm, sub 30Hz solenoid that is
compatible with most ECUs for flexibility.
High Flow Internal Wastegates
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On the housings with internal wastegates, the large valve areas are
designed to bypass as much as 40% of the exhaust gases from the
turbine wheel. For the T25 flanged turbine housings, the wastegate
valve is 36mm and for the T3 and T04 turbine housings the
wastegate valve is 42mm. If your application requires a twin scroll
T04 flange, then you're in luck: the twin scroll T04 housing bypasses
gasses from both scrolls making this the first aftermarket
performance and racing turbocharger to offer a twin scroll internally
wastegated turbine housing. This also makes it ideal for diesel
applications since most diesel internal wastegate twin scroll
housings only pull from one scroll. To date most internal wastegate
turbine housings from other turbo manufacturers are really just
housings intended for OEMs, but adopted for use in the aftermarket.
What this means is that the housing and internal wastegate were
optimized for a 205hp 2.0L 4 cylinder and not your 500hp 2.2L 4
cylinder. This is where BW's clean sheet design can potentially
benefit your application.
Ease of Orientation and Wastegate Positioning
Have you ever taken an internal wastegate turbo designed for
another car and then tried to install it into another? It was a serious
pain in the ass wasn't it? You probably had to fabricate a new
wastegate actuator bracket, fabricate or locate another turnbuckle
on the actuator, and then found that you could only really clock the
turbo and actuators at certain angles due to the lack of flexibility. It's
not the turbo manufacturer's fault since the turbo was probably
originally designed for a Nissan, Subaru, Ford, or Pontiac. The BW
Series EFR turbos address the flexibility issue by utilizing an
ingenious method of wastegate actuator and bracket positioning and
a ridiculously simple turnbuckle system that also allows for simple
wastegate preload adjustment. Wastegate actuators are available in
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three different preloads (low, medium, and high). These features are
great for the DIY guy and professional alike.
There are holes on the backside of the backplate almost 360

degrees around to accomodate the wastegate actuator bracket
positioning for almost any imaginable position.
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The wastegate actuator bracket is super buff, manufactured from

thick stainless steel, and attached to the back plate via three
countersunk screws. You can see how easy it is to rotate the
actuator bracket with the wastegate door.
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Clamp Plate Flexibility
Since the EFR compressors use a v-band to hold the compressor
housing onto the backplate, there are no compressor housing
clamps. While it gives the turbo a commercial diesel look (my
opinion), it does give the installer a super quick way to re-clock the
compressor housing. On turbos that use clamp plates to hold the
turbine housing to the center section, they're almost always a bitch
and a half to work on either because of water or oil fittings getting in
the way or corrosion and bolt fatigue (in the case of a used turbo).
Another ingenious feature of the BW EFR turbos are clamp plates
that rotate out of the way. I LOVE THIS FEATURE ALSO. This makes
life about 15000x easier in custom applications where you need to
re-clock housings or need to service something regularly that
requires turbo removal.
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You only need to rotate the plates and tighten the bolts to clamp the
turbine housing to the center housing. There are no difficult to work
with multiple plate bolts that require complete bolt removal for plate
and housing removal.
Aerodynamic Wheel Designs
EFR compressor and turbine wheels are designed using modern
aerodynamics. Some of the wheels are similar to the BW Airwerks
line of turbos, but all of the EFR compressor wheels are forged and
milled. If you take a look at the compressor maps, don't be surprised
that you're looking at a map of a compressor section with a
compressor wheel that is substantially smaller than the competitor's.
As an example, the EFR8391 turbo's compressor wheel is capable of
flowing 95lb/minute of air, but only has a 67.3mm inducer and a
91mm exducer. That's actually pretty small for a compressor capable
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of such high flow. Compare it with this turbo's compressor map

which has a 74.7mm inducer and a 102.3mm exducer.
The EFR compressor maps all have one thing in common: they are
ultra wide, high pressure ratios, and have very wide efficiency
islands which are all really good things.
Drawbacks to EFR
There's no way in hell you can have your cake and eat it too. The
world doesn't quite work that way. The one major drawback for you
guys looking to retrofit an EFR turbo in to an existing fitment, is you'll
find that the Series EFR turbos are unlikely to directly retrofit into
existing T25/28, T3/T4, or GT30/35/40/42 fitments. This is great for
manifold suppliers like Full Race who are another one of BW's testing
partners. Since the EFR turbos are so highly optimized, the turbos
occupy a slightly larger envelope. While there's probably not going to
be any issues in race cars and rear wheel drive cars, I can see some
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potential difficulties fitting EFR turbos in transverse, front turbo

engines (e.g. Honda B/D/H series, SR20 FWD, etc.). This would be
especially true where A/C, power steering pumps, engine mounts,
bellhousings, or radiator fans could prevent EFR turbo fitment.
Another possible drawback is that the turbine housings are not
available in various A/R sizes due to specific gas flow optimization for
the housing and wheel shapes. It is possible that BW may release
other A/Rs in the future, but for now the T25 inlet wastegated
housing is only available in 0.68a/r, the T3 open volute (single entry)
wastegated housing is only available in 0.85a/r, the T4 divided (twin
scroll) wastegated housing is only available in 0.95a/r, and the T4
divided (twin scroll) non-wastegated housing is only available in
1.05a/r. If you are designing your turbo system from scratch, the BW
turbine housing and wheels selections allow for nearly infinite
increments of gas flow, BUT if you are stuck with an existing
installation (e.g. T3 flanged exhaust manifold that you wanted more
top end power on) then you would not have any other a/r choices.
The positive side to all this is that with such a low inertia turbine
wheel and high efficiency turbine stages, you may find that the
0.85a/r housing will do just fine and possibly even respond better
than whatever you had before that might have been a smaller A/R.
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Look on BorgWarner's EFR site or the Cosworth USA site soon for
details like drawings and dimensions.
All in all, quite an impressive feature set isn't it? The guys at
Cosworth and I will be continuing to work with EFR turbos so I'm sure
there will be an update in the future. Be sure to follow MotoIQ for
updates soon!
Sources
BorgWarner
24/10/16, 15N44
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Beyond The Dyno - BorgWarner EFR Feature Set Explained

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BorgWarner EFR Turbo Feature Set

This power chart should obviously only be used as a guideline for

company the size of BW with very stringent design and

Here's an EFR on a high temperature gas rig that constantly

Here's a BW EFR being tested with a Cosworth 2.6L stroker EJ257B

dyno, in CAD, plugged into an engine simulation, or in the workshop

Here's a prototype EFR 7670 adapted to the factory EVO X exhaust

manifold via adapter that maintains the advantage of twin scrolls.

BorgWarner EFR Turbo Feature Set

Here's an EFR turbo on an NVH test rig to measure noise, vibration,

deal here except when the turbo accelerates faster, air is

Difficult and expensive to cast, but well worth the effort,

BorgWarner EFR Turbo Feature Set

but the grain structure and surface hardness of a forged part is

The EFR compressor wheels span 6 different exducer sizes between

How good is the machining quality on these wheels? Pretty damn

BorgWarner EFR Turbo Feature Set

EFRs come pre-machined for the optional BW turbo speed sensor,

There are holes on the backside of the backplate almost 360

The wastegate actuator bracket is super buff, manufactured from

BorgWarner EFR Turbo Feature Set

of such high flow. Compare it with this turbo's compressor map

potential difficulties fitting EFR turbos in transverse, front turbo

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