We live in an amazing time within the automotive industry, especially those of us who love horsepower. Superchargers and turbochargers have become a common addition to engines to produce a significant boost in power while maintaining a level of drivability that closely resembles a vehicle’s factory street manners. Turbochargers are often utilized because of the ability to control boost levels with wastegates. Superchargers, on the other hand, are controlled by the pulley diameter, and the amount of boost produced is determined by the pulley size. However, that is no longer the case with the introduction of the SmoothBoost electronic bypass valve. 

We recently spoke with the team at West Bend Dyno Tuning to get the details on how they are controlling boost levels on the supercharged vehicles they build. According to West Bend Dyno, the SmoothBoost controller is the first and only retrofit electronic bypass valve for superchargers. Typically, a supercharger uses a vacuum-operated bypass valve. The SmoothBoost electronic bypass valve replaces the vacuum-operated unit and increases the vehicle’s drivability and predictability.

Other features found in the SmoothBoost controller are what really make it stand out. The electronic dial included as part of the SmoothBoost system allows the driver the ability to control the amount of boost the supercharger is producing, much in the same way that a wastegate controls boost in a turbocharged application. If you don’t want the maximum amount of boost that your supercharger makes with a given pulley diameter, simply turn the dial down on the SmoothBoost controller. Conversely, if you are at a track and want all the boost your supercharger can force into the engine, all you have to do is turn the dial up to its maximum setting.

Additionally, the SmoothBoost controller is electronically programmable giving you a more linear throttle response and it makes the tuning of your supercharged engine an easier process. The SmoothBoost electronic bypass valve can also be controlled by a standalone ECU with the addition of the SB-DCA signal converter through (-) PWM outputs that enable boost control similar to how a wastegate is controlled, and it allows for things like boost cut safeties and boost scramble overrides to be programmed. Furthermore, with the popularity and benefits of E85 fuel and running flex fuel sensors, the SmoothBoost controller incorporates the ability to have a flex fuel sensor connected to it and allows boost control based on the ethanol content of the fuel in the vehicle.

The SmoothBoost electronic bypass valve revolutionizes supercharger tuning and control. It can increase the drivability and safety of a supercharged vehicle, and West Bend Dyno is utilizing the SmoothBoost to give its customers a new way to make their high-horsepower cars more streetable and more controllable on the track. For more information and to get your SmoothBoost contact West Bend Dyno Tuning.