What exactly is a throttle body spacer and will it benefit me? I have a 3.8?

 

i am no mechanic, but will give you what i know. it goes between the throttle body and the intake-hence tb spacer. it essentially allows more air into the intake.
they say more air in more hp out
if its cheap i would get it- i havent looked into them. but i would not expect to go out and beat mustang GTs with that alone.

 

It seems pretty cheap....does anyone have one? Is it one of those things like the 160 degree thermo that people have different feelings about

 

Its probably one of those deals people have mixed feelings on, like an air foil.

 

Keeps your TB cooler, so more air comes in. But they also say about the SLP intakes, that it doesn't matter that they are metal and retain heat cause air goes through so fast it has no time to heat up. Both of those statements can't be true. Save your money.

 

Actually, what a Throttle body spacer, or Carburetor spacer does is to raise the heighth of your plenum. The Throttle body spacer fools your intake into thinking it's bigger than it really is. So it can hold more air and more fuel. So yes they do work, and the gain is usually worth the money. On average between 10 to 15 horsepower can be gained from a throttle body spacer. If you have a force inducted engine, it benefits you even more.

Throttle body spacers are well worth the money. Check back issues of Hot Rod magazine. Their dyno pulls often show considerable gaines using one. In fact, there has only been one engine setup they built that made less power than without it. But they were already running a tunnel ram intake manifold with dual carbs. Usually the throttle body spacer is one of the last things they add to an engine, when they are seeking a certain horsepower goal. The throttle body spacer usually puts them over their mark. Whether it be 400, 450, 500, or 600.

 

Am I missing something? I don't recall seeing a lot of hype or advertisement towards TB spacers.

 

do you read hot rod magazine?

 

PHR (for about a year now). I'll have to look closer. But also, I don't remeber seeing them at any online performance parts sellers. But, then again, I really haven't been looking.

 

its funny how this post just came up recently. the day before i read it i was discussing with blig that they do indeed make them for the 3.8. they are not the biggest item on the market for sure, but i bet you get another magazine to do an article on them and i bet they start selling more of them.
the reason i ask if you read hot rod is cause not many people do- most people stick to other mags specifically to chevy or ford and blig reads them all. the tb spacer only needs a good review in a better read magazine or tv show, and i bet they become more popular. just my thought. cause if you ask me, i think remote fan switches are more popular than tb spacers.

 

Yeah, I just did a quick search and found a few testimonials but nothing about any testing or performance results. It seems stir up the same emotions as "do I de-screen, or not". I'll be looking for more info in the future.

 

So if my intake held more air it would somehow get more air into the engine? Without changing the cam it would somehow put more air into the engine? Expain that from an engineering perspective. Also 10-15hp from a TB spacer on a 3.8 series II?

 

The nice thing about a TBS (Throttle Body Spacer) is that, it is not big enough to require aftermarket tuning. The OEM computer can and does compensate by allowing more fuel into the engine to match the new incoming air charge. An engine is basically a big air pump. Air in, and air out. The more air (and fuel) you run the more power you make. Without getting too technical a TBS does allow for more air, and by doing so, it promotes a rich oxygen atmosphere for the fuel to burn completely - better atomization. As said, the computer will keep you from running in a lean condition. The result of more air and fuel is more power. TBS's don't get as much recongnition as do Carburetor spacers. *removing the screen won't make any difference...at least not for the positive* Carburetor spacers have been around ever since aftermarket intakes have been around. I guess there isn't much 'hype' about them simply because they are pretty much widely known that they will help 99% of all engine setups. Just about every Hot Rodder with a Carb and Intake, will have a Carb. Spacer. TBS's didn't come around until (obviously) the Throttle body did, and hence fuel injection. Which has been on the market for about 15 years now. One reason that some people such as LT1 and LS1 folks don't run a TBS is that they upgrade the Throttle Body all together, or have the stock one ported. A bigger Throttle body is basically the same as swapping to a bigger carb. The Carburetor and Throttle body are responsible for mixing air and fuel together, and a bigger one will mix more and and more fuel and give you more power. So, the TBS is sidestepped for just a plain bigger Throttle Body. The TBS will make you more power and efficiency no doubt! But its like anything else. It's certainly not a supercharger so you can only expect so much. Those that aren't in perfect tune with their cars won't notice any difference at all. Its the same as a Ram Air system, so will tell you "Wow what a difference it made, especially at faster speeds", and others will tell you, "I felt nothing, it was a waste of money, don't bother buying it" Those same people by the way have never been to the track or dyno. So, take it with grain of rice. However, with the 231, you'll still see about a 10 horspower increase, 15 is not out of the question depending on how big the spacer is, and how well the stock computer will cope with it. If I can get my hands on one, I will install one. Its super simple to do, takes about 10 minutes if you don't know what you're doing. And for the horsepower or even if only gas mileage it saves you, they are well worth it.

 

Wow that is a great explanation...thanks so much. Is it possible to upgrade my throttle body in a 3.8 series II....if so what should I get?

 

That is a very good question. Didn't think of it before. There might be a chance that the L32 throttle body may be bigger since it is incorporated into the engine with a supercharger. It might need to move more air and fuel. So that might be something to check out. If there is an aftermarket company that sells a Throttle Body I'd be all over it. I checked the specs and I can't seem to find out how big our Throttle body is. My guess would be 46-48mm but ??? Without using a dial indicator.

My deal right now is trying to figure out a way to using a non-slanted Throttle body on a 98-98 L36. The reason I mentioned it to Nino, is because an angled Throttle body may be able to give me a boost in power, but also allow for a straight shot for the air intake charge.

It take some machining but seems possible.

Will let you know if I do find anything