Quote:
Originally Posted by lucid
That data will still not establish cause and effect to the extent that one can say one configuration is inherently more reliable than the other since there are other significant variables such as quality of the engineering design, build quality, usage behaviours/consumer base, etc. Engines from the same manufacturer using similar design expertise and manufacturing processes would need to be tested in a controlled fashion which simulates an acceptable life cycle. Even then, one can argue some manufacturers have more expertise in designing a specific type of engine, but are not necessarily as effective when dealing with another configuration.
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Very true - engineering effort increases reliability and often cost can as well. However, this would be about as real world as we could hope to get. I think you actually want these effects (all human factors type things) included. If turbos have way more engineering (which they do in part just because of the additon of the turbo itself) thay may be enough to push the overall turbo reliability numbers higher. Again I doubt they would be pushed higher than NA, but this could absolutely be an effect. Specifically if we could drill down to engine reliability the data may be useful in this discussion.