you have asked many complicated questions, i will do my best to address each one, one at a time, i hope you have some time to read because this is going to be a long one.
1. if tuned correctly a turbocharged car should have minimal problems with daily use, you just need to check your oil often, make sure you change oil every 2000 miles, and make sure your fuel system and plugs are always good.
2. all engines are good candidates for turbo, some are better than others, i will explain why in my answer to questions 6. so keep reading.
3. there are a lot of good turbo companies out there like garrett, IHI, mitsubishi heavy industries, borg warner, turbonetics etc... how long they last depends on you. if well maintained (oil changed on time/using a turbo timer/using an oil restricor if necessary/proper bov) and depending on how hard you drive the car, and how much boost your making the turbo put out. they should last you a decent amount of time. companies like greddy/hks/blitz design and sell turbo's as well but they actually dont build them, they usually have them built by a more reputable turbocharger comany for example:
HKS turbos are built by garrett
Greddy turbos are built by mitsubishi
Apexi turbos are built by IHI
4. this is hotly debated issue, turbo is free horsepower as it uses exhuast energy to make power, supercharger uses the crank to make power so it actually takes power to make power, usually takes about 15-30hp to spin a supercharger.
there are 2 main kinds of superchargers ROOTS aka positive displacement and cintrifugal. each has an intended application and accels in its own area, read on to learn more about each type of supercharger and turbochargers:
ROOTS/positive displacement supercharger
pros: easy to install, boost pressure is instant so as soon as you hit the gas you have loads more tq and hp even at low revs.
cons: runs off the crank so its not as efficient as a turbo, by design as rpm increases efficiency decreases so these things usually max out at around 12-15psi and dont make very much power past that. they are very hard to intercool so you get a lot of hot air in your motor which can cause detonation.
what there good for: low revving engines, vehicles that tow/haul, street driven cars that dont want the complexity of a turbo or centrifufal SC and dont mind sacrificing hp and tq.
any vtec b-series motor with this type or SC will have approximately 200whp or below, most likely below and the top end power will not be very strong. but you will have more tq at lower revs.
turbocharger
pros: free hp, makes the most top end hp and the most TQ, a good turbo will spool very early almost as early as a roots type supercharger so it will make power down low aswell, turbo's generally make more tq at higher revs. by design as rpm increases power production increases so its a perfect design for high reving honda engines, easy to intercool. HUGE selection of different turbochargers/parts/accessories to fit your need. makes the most power.
cons: harder to install, heats up engine bay, takes more time to do the research and find the right turbo for you, can be more expensive as some turbos cost more than an entirec supercharger kit. takes up a bit more room than roots sc.
what there good for: depending on how its set up there is a turbo that will fit any application, with that said, turbos are good for everything.
any b-series vtec with a good turbo/manifold and tune will have approximately 230-290whp!!
centrifugal supercharger
pros: designed after turbocharger but spins off the crank so its kind of a good compramise between the two, easy to install, easier to intercool than roots, make more top end power than roots but less than turbo. street friendly, require less maintenance than a turbo.
cons: belt drive design requires power to make power, does not make as much top end as a turbo. does not make as much low end power as a roots or a properly sized turbo.
what there good for: street cars, people who dont want the complexity of a turbo kit but still want more top end power than a roots can give. higher revving motors.
any vtec bserise with this type of SC will have approximately 200-230whp
5. turbo maintenance is important, you want to check your oil level ever week if you can, just to make sure you have enough oil as turbo's sometimes burn oil when driven hard. also good to make sure your spark plugs are good and your fuel filter is good.
6. what your friend is referring to is compression, the higher the compression the more chance it will detonate underboost however this can all be corrected with proper tunning, that is the reason i have chosen to purchase AEM EMS for my turbo project as the b16b is high compression and can deotnate if not tuned properly. if tuned properly you can turbo any compression engine, even 12:1!!
hope this helps, i think im going to make this a sticky since it took me like 30 mins to type
my opinion is high revving honda engines are best suited for a turbocharger, if you street drive your car and NEVER go into the higher rpms then you may enjoy a SC over a turbo.
