How many times have you heard that a crankshaft, connecting rod, or even forged piston is good for 13 psi of boost? On the surface, this seems reasonable, but the reality is that boost is far from being any type of reasonable yardstick. In the example above, boost is being used as a measurement of power or at the very least cylinder pressure. While it is true that power (and average cylinder pressure) increases with boost, the mere fact that a blower or turbo supplies a given boost level does not equate to any given power or (cylinder) pressure level.

Call it a pet peeve of mine, but it bothers me when manufacturers (or enthusiasts) rate a particular performance component based on boost.