The Guessing Game of Throttle Body Spacers
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Posted: Friday, July 20, 2007
by Andrew Bernhardt
AutoAnything
For easy performance upgrades, there’s no more debated bolt-on part than a throttle body spacer. Is it a magic source of ass-grabbing horsepower and acceleration, or is it an expensive trinket not unlike the garbage found close to the register of your local auto parts store? Scores of auto nuts could line up on either side of the argument. So, let’s explore the mystery of throttle body spacers right now.
Throttle body spacers. Who’d have known so much controversy could surround such a small part? Most auto novices hear about throttle body spacers from a TV commercials, or from a friend who’s been lucky with one installed for a few weeks. Ads claim noticeable gains in horsepower, acceleration, gas mileage and more. Some people who buy one get all of those things. Others don’t.
For some, a throttle body spacer becomes a $150 paperweight, doorstop or garage wall decoration. The horsepower and throttle response are nowhere to be found, and their gas mileage has dipped while trying to find those elusive HP boosts. What’s even worse, cheap throttle body spacers can be ineffective and excruciatingly noisy to boot. Specifically, drivers notice a high-pitched whistling coming from their new spacer. A lack of impressive results and an abundance of screeching usually lead to pulling the spacer as fast as it was put in.
How is it supposed to work? A throttle body spacer is designed to straighten the airflow snaking through the crooked plumbing of a vehicle’s factory air box and intake tubing. The idea is that the straightened flow is much more prone to efficient atomization, pairing better with fuel molecules and burning more completely than before. Some spacers even offer another twist: a machined vortex pattern in the surface that swirls the incoming air, much like the integrated parts in GM’s Vortec engines (you’ve probably also seen this in products like the Tornado).
Truth be told, throttle body spacers work quite well for some people who give them a shot. Some, like the Airaid PowerAid Throttle Body Spacer, boasts a bevy of online testimonials about the extra performance the purchaser feels in the seat of their pants after installation. Some even report a 1-2mpg boost in fuel economy. Other combinations of spacers and vehicles leave the driver with nothing to show for their cash—reviews like these litter message boards across the auto community.
Should you play this expensive game of roulette with a machined aluminum block which has no backup use if it fails to thrill? Absolutely not—which is why research is critical before making a purchase. First, read a trusted message board for enthusiasts who own your vehicle. Chances are, somebody has tried a throttle body spacer and posted a detailed account of their experiences for all to read. Look for a driver with your specific engine who tried the same spacer brand you’re considering buying. Next, don’t be persuaded by overwhelming opinions for or against the spacer. Look only for people who have actually tried the part out. Weigh the actual accounts, and you’ll know whether or not to buy. Also, remember that everybody’s driving style is different, which will make the experience different too.
To close it all up nicely, throttle body spacers work well in certain circumstances, and they’re a complete waste in others. Do your homework before deciding to buy, focusing on real-world accounts from drivers with the same make, model and engine. That way, you’ll be more likely to get the advertised horsepower and acceleration gains instead of dead weight.
Throttle body spacers, like Airaid Poweraid Throttle Body Spacers, can be hit or miss. Do your homework before buying.
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Top-level comments on this article: (7 total)Throttle-body spacers are like thigh-cream. Some people rave, but guess what-- no *real* quantifiable data is being gathered. Fact of the matter is, if you understand anything about physics, this is a product for gullable people. If someone puts one on and notices an improvement-- it's because they are driving differently. Just easing away from stop lights instead of 'normal' habits can gain you 4mpg. I kid you not. The *only* known way to increase airflow into your engine, is with a compressor (aka 'blower'), which increases the volume of air being sucked in, causing increased oxygination. The truth to any burn of anything is increasing the amount of oxygen available to the reaction. Heck, with enough oxygen present, a bag of flour will explode.Another way is to reduce air restriction :Dveryyy FALSE1) headers reduce engine backpressure.. leading to more power2) intake systems decrease the amount of energy it takes to get air in, more power3) porting and polishing (much like tb spacer) improves airflow, more power4)lighter engine parts decrease rotating mass leading to more whp5)nitrous cools the air charge and adds more 02, leading to more hp6) cams increase the torque in a certain rpm range, which can lead to more hp (by sacrificing driveabilitynone of those are blowers and they ALL work i promise :)and lets not forget the real winner, the turbo, 100times for efficient than a blower, justttt sayingthe point being there are TONS of things you can do to an an engine besides "adding a blower!" some things work well on some engines others do not, just as the original post said
Nicely written high school essay, but a waste of my time reading it.
:) btw good article
Did this help me? that's a definite maybe!!
I like the article, it gives you a good refernce point. Low flow exhaust not always the answer. Key is . what works good for you may not work for someone else. I had a 91 chevy tbi 5.7. K&N airfilter tbi spacer and Turbo muffler, 3inch. exhaust and no cat. fuel econ. went down around town about 2 mpg. went a a trip 6 months later, hwy mpg was up 3-5 mpg at 65mph. Is it worth it for hwy only?Lost it in city, gained on hwy. 2years later, removed intake and exhaust, went back to 2 1/2 exhaust to mufler than 2inch back to bumber. all around fuel economy went back up 2-3 miles per gal.For me, Best was a stock system. read well before purchase!!!!!!!!!
I like the article, it gives you a good refernce point. Low flow exhaust not always the answer. Key is . what works good for you may not work for someone else. I had a 91 chevy tbi 5.7. K&N airfilter tbi spacer and Turbo muffler, 3inch. exhaust and no cat. fuel econ. went down around town about 2 mpg. went a a trip 6 months later, hwy mpg was up 3-5 mpg at 65mph. Is it worth it for hwy only?Lost it in city, gained on hwy. 2years later, removed intake and exhaust, went back to 2 1/2 exhaust to mufler than 2inch back to bumber. all around fuel economy went back up 2-3 miles per gal.For me, Best was a stock system. read well before purchase!!!!!!!!!
I like the article, it gives you a good refernce point. Low flow exhaust not always the answer. Key is . what works good for you may not work for someone else. I had a 91 chevy tbi 5.7. K&N airfilter tbi spacer and Turbo muffler, 3inch. exhaust and no cat. fuel econ. went down around town about 2 mpg. went a a trip 6 months later, hwy mpg was up 3-5 mpg at 65mph. Is it worth it for hwy only?Lost it in city, gained on hwy. 2years later, removed intake and exhaust, went back to 2 1/2 exhaust to mufler than 2inch back to bumber. all around fuel economy went back up 2-3 miles per gal.For me, Best was a stock system. read well before purchase!!!!!!!!!
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