Rumors have been running wild about Turbosmart’s new boost controller. One rumor we heard, was that it was going to be integrated into a wrist watch, then a second mentioned that it came with its own personal assistant. With rumors like this, there was only one way to get to the bottom of it! Go straight to the man himself, Marty Staggs, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Turbosmart. If anyone would know what’s going on, it would be him.

So, we asked what’s up with the new controller. Marty smiled and walked away… Can you believe that? Lucky for us, Kirstin Stone was slightly more willing to gossip! “We would encourage any serious diesel enthusiasts to stop by our booth at the PRI Show (#347), and see what the hype is all about. We’re excited to be heading into uncharted territory in the world of diesel boost control. It’s a definite game changer,” said Stone, Marketing Manager for Turbosmart USA.

If you aren’t familiar with a boost controller (many of us in the diesel world don’t use them) a boost controller does just that, it controls boost pressure. To do this, the controller is connected to a solenoid that is in-line with the pressure feed to the wastegate. By varying the pressure to the wastegate, you are varying how much drive pressure is being fed to the turbo. This slows down or speeds up the turbine wheel, to drive the compressor wheel harder and create more boost pressure.

There is a host of reasons why someone would run a boost controller on a diesel. With aftermarket parts, sometimes traction is difficult. So, by reducing the amount of power in certain gears, traction can be increased. This is one of the biggest reasons to add a boost controller. There are many others and if you guys want us to write an article about boost controllers and how they work, let us know! We value your feedback.