[SoonerSilverado11]

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.

 

[Gmcsuvguy]

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!

 

[SoonerSilverado11]

Does it really? What does it sound like?

 

[tbplus10]

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.

 

[Pete95Sierra]

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

 

[dwill3015]

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!

 

[SoonerSilverado11]

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.

 

[sheep]

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

 

[crane3447]

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.

 

[SoonerSilverado11]

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

 

[sheep]

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

 

[SoonerSilverado11]

Shoot, I don't even have a V8. I feel for ya man.

 

[larryderouin]

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

 

[SoonerSilverado11]

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!!!

 

[b5davis]

So on a 5.3 with hypertech, CAI, cats and exhaust, a TBI would be a waste of money?

 

[larryderouin]

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!

 

[jerm1978]

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.

 

[GMTruckManiac]

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..

 

[randomsandwhich]

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 !

 

[06MonteSS]

So on a 5.3 with hypertech, CAI, cats and exhaust, a TBI would be a waste of money?

both the throttle body spacer and the hypertech are a waste of money... heh...