Not worth the money, no noticeable improvement at all. I had installed the Airaid one @ a dealer I worked for and yes they do whistle and it gets annoying! and I was just road testing them!
Throttle body spacers
Hey guys, just had a few questions about them and wondered what you thought about them. First off, I have heard both ends saying they are worth it and can feel a little bit of difference, but have also heard not worth it and can't feela difference at all. What do you guys think?
Also I have heard about a whistling noise? Something about smooth bore gets a whistling noise where the others do not? What does this whisteling sound like? Is it annoying or does it make it sound something like a turbo-type of whistle?
And I am looking at buying the Trans-dapt or Airaid from Summit Racing.
Also I have heard about a whistling noise? Something about smooth bore gets a whistling noise where the others do not? What does this whisteling sound like? Is it annoying or does it make it sound something like a turbo-type of whistle?
And I am looking at buying the Trans-dapt or Airaid from Summit Racing.
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Does it really? What does it sound like?
I gotta agree, they arent worth the money (although I did keep one I bought to use as a paper weight and reminder not to waste money on foolish items).
The whistle is almost the same as when you have a window cracked and are running down the highway at speed.
The whistle is almost the same as when you have a window cracked and are running down the highway at speed.
yea not worth the money and time... wont add much noticable power if any. the whistle isnt that bad it sounds kinda turboish but may get annoying
I would have to say that it really depends on the application because some vehicles do benefit from installing a TB spacer. I put one on my 87 Blazer 350 TBI and MAN what an improvement! I do understand it's like comparing apples to oranges with my Blazer compared to the newer Vortec engines but I had to speak up because my spacer did me good!
Ya, thanks for a positive story. Because I had been looking elsewhere to see what everyone else is saying and other people have actually had good experiences with them. Plus, the Trans-dapt has a no whistle design if that is what was so annoying. and at $63 shipped witha little bit of gain, it sounded like a good idea.
from what i have heard it can depend on alot of the other mods you have as far as intake and exhaust, if you really want to give it a good power gain, do new intake, tb spacer and full exhaust.
this may just be the tuner car coming out from me but my intake on my celica whistled and i got asked all the time what kind of turbo i had. granted this was a toyota product with only 4 cylinders and not 8
this may just be the tuner car coming out from me but my intake on my celica whistled and i got asked all the time what kind of turbo i had. granted this was a toyota product with only 4 cylinders and not 8
from what i have heard it can depend on alot of the other mods you have as far as intake and exhaust, if you really want to give it a good power gain, do new intake, tb spacer and full exhaust.
this may just be the tuner car coming out from me but my intake on my celica whistled and i got asked all the time what kind of turbo i had. granted this was a toyota product with only 4 cylinders and not 8
I agree. My TB space only really made a differance after I did my coldair intake and a bigger exhaust. Don't really get the whistle through. Mabey I should turn the radio down.
Well, I have exhaust, not a full system just 1 in 2 out with 3" tips. I am working on getting a k&n CAI but havent been paid for playing in our basketball band yet. So once I get that money I will likely be able to get my intake and go ahead and start looking for spacers then due to the fact that they are around $60 shipped. It is not so much that I am looking for power gains, more so on the efficiency gains. Every little bit will help. However, you know, if I do gain power I won't argue 
Well, I have exhaust, not a full system just 1 in 2 out with 3" tips. I am working on getting a k&n CAI but havent been paid for playing in our basketball band yet. So once I get that money I will likely be able to get my intake and go ahead and start looking for spacers then due to the fact that they are around $60 shipped. It is not so much that I am looking for power gains, more so on the efficiency gains. Every little bit will help. However, you know, if I do gain power I won't argue
yeah no kidding, im dying here with this big motor, all my money goes to gas so i have no money to put stuff on my truck to help me save gas lol
Shoot, I don't even have a V8. I feel for ya man.
The TB Spacers on a dry TB won't do a damned thing. The reason dwill3105 got a positive result is that his spacer is downstream of a TBI unit. Your 4.3 won't benefit as the injectors are in the ports.
YOU WILL BENEFIT by pulling out the Throttle Blade restrictor and going with the throttle blade "naked". A lot of the S-10 guys are doing this and get a BIG Boost in performance, throttle crispness, mid rpm response, and a slight boost in mpg. AND its FREE, as long as you take out your own throttle blade and take off the piece that looks like a orange slice in shape. Then fill the holes and put it back in. The change in my 4.3 was like at 1st having a 2bbl rochester and then putting a staged 2bbl (Hollley 2150 comes to mind) or even kicking in the secondaries on a small 4bbl.
One other thing. The airbox on the 4.3 is very adaptable to modifications. If you "SWISS" the box, and or open the front/side closest to the rad support, you do pretty much what a K&N will do for giddy up, and is one heck of a lot cheaper. Try it and then it you just have to go with a K&N, it's your money. Personally I can think of better things to do with $250-300. Like a Hypertech P-III programmer or a Wait4me performance PCM at minimum.
My S-10 has benefitted from all of the above and the Hypertech I was able to sell to my son for his silverado. I WAS getting 12-13 mpg, and performance was mediocre. After a tuneup, airbox mod, corvette and billet 4th servos, the hypertech and the W4M PCM, I now get 17-18 mixed and performance is a heck of a lot better. Shifts are crisper, throttle response is RIGHT NOW, and pick up is push you back in the seat HARD.
Larry
YOU WILL BENEFIT by pulling out the Throttle Blade restrictor and going with the throttle blade "naked". A lot of the S-10 guys are doing this and get a BIG Boost in performance, throttle crispness, mid rpm response, and a slight boost in mpg. AND its FREE, as long as you take out your own throttle blade and take off the piece that looks like a orange slice in shape. Then fill the holes and put it back in. The change in my 4.3 was like at 1st having a 2bbl rochester and then putting a staged 2bbl (Hollley 2150 comes to mind) or even kicking in the secondaries on a small 4bbl.
One other thing. The airbox on the 4.3 is very adaptable to modifications. If you "SWISS" the box, and or open the front/side closest to the rad support, you do pretty much what a K&N will do for giddy up, and is one heck of a lot cheaper. Try it and then it you just have to go with a K&N, it's your money. Personally I can think of better things to do with $250-300. Like a Hypertech P-III programmer or a Wait4me performance PCM at minimum.
My S-10 has benefitted from all of the above and the Hypertech I was able to sell to my son for his silverado. I WAS getting 12-13 mpg, and performance was mediocre. After a tuneup, airbox mod, corvette and billet 4th servos, the hypertech and the W4M PCM, I now get 17-18 mixed and performance is a heck of a lot better. Shifts are crisper, throttle response is RIGHT NOW, and pick up is push you back in the seat HARD.
Larry
Sweet, that really helped a lot. Seeing as I am not "automotive-savvy" I might end up just not buying the TBS and maybe the intake if the air box mod doesnt work. The fact is that I found out the my bro can get me a K&N intake for $205. Sounded like a very good deal to me. So I will have to try a couple of those things. Thanks a lot for the great post!!!
So on a 5.3 with hypertech, CAI, cats and exhaust, a TBI would be a waste of money?
Here's how to see if a throttle body spacer may do any good..
CHECK the type of Fuel injection. If it's an OLDER "WET" sytem it will probably help. By "WET" I mean Throttle Body Injection ONLY!!! Injectors are BEFORE the Throttle Plate and fuel mixes with air in the manifold.
All other systems are DRY!
CHECK the type of Fuel injection. If it's an OLDER "WET" sytem it will probably help. By "WET" I mean Throttle Body Injection ONLY!!! Injectors are BEFORE the Throttle Plate and fuel mixes with air in the manifold.
All other systems are DRY!
The whistle is only heard when you're on the throttle and if you have the radio, even low, the whistle can't be heard. It sounds a like the whine of a supercharger. As far as performance you can't really tell unless you have an intake kit. However, I have an '01 Silverado with the KN intake kit and I had to cut about 3/4 inch off the end of the intake tube because the spacer pushed the tube out into the fan. Not a big deal though cutting it.
We noticed a pretty big difference when we put a TBS on my sisters 98 1/2 ton chevy TBI 350. And for like 30 bucks, i'll prolly end up throwin one on my 95 1/2 ton and Trans Dapt makes the no whistle ones and have even had stories of improving mpg's by a little..
There is a thread on TBS ... I'm running an Air Raid ... I like it, weather it makes more hp/torque who knows ... maybe when I get the time I might put the truck on the dyno with and without the TBS !
both the throttle body spacer and the hypertech are a waste of money... heh...So on a 5.3 with hypertech, CAI, cats and exhaust, a TBI would be a waste of money?
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