Ben

Really?

Scott

Yeah, which you wouldn’t think.

Ben

Wow, that’s some high tech engineering right there.

Scott

Exactly, I don’t have any idea what the materials are, the cost of them versus the fluid bearing, but I can’t imagine the cost. It’s got to be a race application.

Ben

I’m gonna make a totally unfounded prediction, and say that those kind of bearings are either coming from Germany, Japan or Italy.

Scott

Really?

Ben

I would – Maybe the U.S., maybe the U.S.

Scott

I don’t know, I don’t know, I just don’t know where the big ball bearing manufacturers are because you’d be surprised where some of these little components crop up.

Ben

True, you know what, fair enough, but I’m saying just as far as track record for high end automotive, or just precision engineering -

Scott

You’re feeding the stereotypes.

Ben

Am I feeding – are they stereotypes?

Scott

I think you are.

Ben

Really?

Scott

I think so.

Ben

Oh man, I’m sorry if I’ve offended anybody.

Scott

It’s okay. You may be exactly right, and then I’ll have to eat my words, but -

Ben

I would never want you to have to eat your words, man. I’m totally o
n your team. We’ll just forget it ever happened.

Scott

Okay. Fair enough, fair enough. We’ll look into it.

Ben

So seriously, the physical ball bearings would be better than the fluid bearings?

Scott

In some situations yes because – Now I’m sure there are some lousy ones out there, that happens. You know, someone makes cheap turbo. Now we’re talking about the extreme high end very, very expensive turbos that they use the ball bearings versus the fluid bearings, and the fluid bearings are more typical, believe it or not, and it sounds like something kind of exotic, but it’s not.

Ben

Yeah, it’s kind of counterintuitive really.

Scott: Yeah, yeah. I mean they’re expensive systems, anyway. They’re not cheap. Let’s see, I guess we can talk about – There’s a wastegate on a turbo, which the supercharger does not have. A wastegate, all it does really is release excess pressure that’s built up, so if the turbine blades aren’t spinning fast enough, and the gas pressure builds up too much, the wastegate pops open. You’ve probably heard it on a turbo care before. You hear it kind of accelerate away. It wines, and then you hear it kind of like an exhale almost. It’s like a (sound effect).

Ben

Oh!

Scott

Yeah, and you’ll hear it between each gear. If they get to the very top end of the revs, you hear that sound. That’s the wastegate opening up. That’s adjustable on some turbos, and that’s, I don’t know, that’s kind of an interesting thing, that – if you pay attention, you’ll hear that often in some of the sport import tuner type cars that you’ll see on the road.