Hey guys. I had a Helix Power Tower Throttle Body Spacer installed on my truck last year (no noticeable changes. It wasn't even my idea.). If I were to get a Spectre CAI kit from Autozone, is it possible to install the CAI with the throttle body spacer in place? I cannot remove the throttle body spacer because I do not have the original hardware.

Also with the two combined, would I be achieving better performance and gas mileage than with just one of them installed? Nowadays, I do mostly high speed highway driving getting around 18-19 mpg depending on speed. Thanks.

Also: With CAIs, does the risk of hydrolock increase? I don't drive through ANY standing water or anything, but I do drive through heavy rains at times.

 

I can't weigh in on much here, but I can say this: i drive in a LOT of rain. I live on the rainy side of a mountian 1 hour from the coast.... A LOT of rain. I have not had so much as a moist filter yet. If you want extra protection, look no further than this guy: FTW! <-- just to show you the PRODUCT, this is not for YOUR filter.... you will have to get it for your size filter

Also hwo the hell do you make 17 one way trip anywhere? Do you have a teleporter?!

 

Ok thanks for the filter advice.

Haha, no teleporters here. If I did, this truck would have ALOT less miles put on it in the past 3 months. I mean one trip from home to college or college to home is a "one-way trip". I just said that to differentiate from a round trip. I usually go home every other weekend because I can't stand it here on weekends. Most people do anyway. Sorry for the confusion.
Teleporter: Nice idea if the Jimmy lasts another 30 years. Might rip out the engine and replace it with a teleporter.... Cut trip times and mileage by 99.999%!

 

The biggest thing to stress when installing an aftermarket or custom air intake is to keep it isolated. You want "cold" air to the intake, not hot engine bay air. Most of the cheap aftermarket intakes leave the filter out in the open to suck in hot air which makes it less effective than the factory box with paper filter.

As far as gains from the combination of TBS and CAI, I doubt they would complement each other by much. As you have already found out, the TBS doesn't do anything on these engines.

As far as being more susceptable to sucking in water, I would say no. Air will always flow through the filter easier than water. So long as you keep a good portion of the filter area water free, it shouldn't pull in water. Fully submerge it and you'll definitely suck in water...

 

Ok thanks alot. Spectres come with a "heat shield" if that helps, so that should do nicely. Just got to make sure it clears the oil lines without trouble. I guess I can have someone bend it to clear the lines if it touches them like the airbox is now. Should be no biggie.

 

bend it. cut and line it. add additional insulation. paint it. you can do as you please. You may want to look into adding something like a door sweep to the top (flexible rubber flap) that will bend and create a better seal from the top of the shield to the bottom of you hood when the hood is down.
The premade shields have been noted to leave a bit to be desired in the seal department.

 

If you want some more power from your stock air box and if your Elcheapo like me you could just cut your box. Cut it away from the motor so it doesn't suck up the hot air.

This would not be as much as a gain as a real CAI but it is truly FREE hp!

 

One heat shield that I have seen that really stuck out as being genius was made out of a rubbermaid desk sized trash bin. Simple, cheap, and available just about anywhere home supplies are sold. Easily cut to form to the contours found on the underside of the hood. Open at the front for sealing against the back side of the radiator core support. So simple it's not even funny!

 

I like the home made CAIs made out of dryer tubing, works great flexible, simple, and cheap!

 

Watch it with that stuff. Dryer tubing is not 100% sealed when in a vacuum. It is meant to be under pressure and really is not 100% sealed then either.