Lubricity. It's a slick word that describes the capacity to reduce friction. Without proper lubrication, our engines would come to a grinding halt (literally). The same can be said for centrifugal superchargers, as they too rely on adequate internal lubrication to operate properly.
For years, the centrifugal blowers from Paxton Automotive (and many others) relied on tapping into the engine's oiling system to lubricate and cool the internals of the blower unit, namely the transmission and the bearings. A line is attached to the oil-sending unit to feed the blower, and a drain hose relies on gravity to feed the oil back into the pan. It's a well-laid-out plan that has worked flawlessly in the NOVI line of centrifugal superchargers.
Times are changing, however, and Paxton is revamping its offerings with the NOVI SL blowers. The "SL" nomenclature signifies self-lubricating, something that hasn't been part of the Paxton lineup since the original ball-driven units from the early days of late-model Mustang performance, and even decades prior when Paxton debuted a centrifugal blower. The SL unit isn't meant to replace existing oil-fed superchargers, but rather complement them and offer customers more choices when selecting a system.
"There is a variety of reasons why Paxton would design a new blower," says Paxton Automotive's Motorsport and Media Relations Manager Ricky Best. "Having a self-lubricating supercharger offers many benefits with the systems. It eliminates punching a hole in the oil pan for those who aren't comfortable with that modification. The SL blowers also shorten installation time, saving money for the customer. Converting to this line will also help us in other markets where mounting the supercharger has become a bit troublesome. The Mustang market doesn't have any mounting complications, but other vehicles simply lack room under the hood to mount a supercharger and have efficient drainage back into the oil pan. By using a SL blower, we have more flexibility in mounting the supercharger cleanly and easily."
The engine compartment won't...
The engine compartment won't change much from this photo. The Paxton NOVI SL is a direct-replacement item to the company's oil-fed blowers, available to anyone who wants to change head units. While our test vehicle already had a NOVI 2200 on board, those with smaller NOVI units can upgrade to larger ones and utilize the SL series. John Franco added an eight-rib pulley system while we had the supercharger off the car.
The SL blowers utilize as...
The SL blowers utilize as many components as possible from the oil-fed lineup. It keeps manufacturing costs down and ensures both supercharger systems operate similarly.
The outside casings vary slightly...
The outside casings vary slightly from each other; the oil-fed blower has some more CNC work done to the case cover.