Turbo Question.

What purpose do the holes on the inlet side serve? I have seen them on a few turbos and can never figure it out.
http://www.rx7store.net/v/vspfiles/photos/Garrett%20T04Z-2.jpg

Speed Holes!!!

I dont know but I would guess maybe some sort of cooling aid for the wheel.

Good site http://www.turbobygarrett.com/turbobygarrett/tech_center/turbo_tech101.html

Surge is the left hand boundary of the compressor map. Operation to the left of this line represents a region of flow instability. This region is characterized by mild flutter to wildly fluctuating boost and “barking” from the compressor. Continued operation within this region can lead to premature turbo failure due to heavy thrust loading.
Surge is most commonly experienced when one of two situations exist. The first and most damaging is surge under load. It can be an indication that your compressor is too large. Surge is also commonly experienced when the throttle is quickly closed after boosting. This occurs because mass flow is drastically reduced as the throttle is closed, but the turbo is still spinning and generating boost. This immediately drives the operating point to the far left of the compressor map, right into surge.

Surge will decay once the turbo speed finally slows enough to reduce the boost and move the operating point back into the stable region. This situation is commonly addressed by using a Blow-Off Valves (BOV) or bypass valve. A BOV functions to vent intake pressure to atmosphere so that the mass flow ramps down smoothly, keeping the compressor out of surge. In the case of a recirculating bypass valve, the airflow is recirculated back to the compressor inlet.

A ported shroud compressor is a feature that is incorporated into the compressor housing. It functions to move the surge line further to the left on a compressor map by allowing some airflow to exit the wheel through the port to keep surge from occurring. This provides additional useable range and allows a larger compressor to be used for higher flow requirements without risking running the compressor into a dangerous surge condition. The presence of the ported shroud usually has a minor negative impact on compressor efficiency.

http://www.turbobygarrett.com/turbobygarrett/images/tech_center/tech_103/enlarged_Images/Fig2_enlarges.gif
http://www.turbobygarrett.com/turbobygarrett/images/tech_center/tech_103/enlarged_Images/fig3_enlarged.gif

anti surge.

would you still need a BOV?

Yes.