throttle body spacer
Beginning Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 10
I would like to hear frome one person who actually has a throttle body spacer on his 2nd gen blazer. All I hear is dont waste your money but I know for a fact that they work on other vehicles. And which one the individual has. The problem is that people all go by the "feel in the pants gauge," and the manufacturer uses ideal situations. So "please does anyone acutally have one installed with any info that will help determine if it is really a waste of money?"
Starting Member
Joined: Jan 2010
Posts: 193
From: pa
I would like to hear frome one person who actually has a throttle body spacer on his 2nd gen blazer. All I hear is dont waste your money but I know for a fact that they work on other vehicles. And which one the individual has. The problem is that people all go by the "feel in the pants gauge," and the manufacturer uses ideal situations. So "please does anyone acutally have one installed with any info that will help determine if it is really a waste of money?"
I have a helix power tower, I have had it for 3yrs no problems of any kind from it. Now as for gains its nothing crazy, but they add some power. This link explains the idea of it pretty good
http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5009750...acer-work.html
Last edited by LowLife; Feb 25, 2010 at 10:42 PM.
They work, given the right conditions. I have explained how they work in past posts. They increase the volume of air in the plenum which lowers the RPM at which peak torque occurs. On a motor with a 3500-4500 RPM torque peak that starts off pretty low, the gains will be more substantial. But on a motor like the 4.3L that has 90% of peak torque available off idle and peaks out at ~2800RPM, it will do VERY little. Couple that with the fact that the intake plenum is HUGE on these engines and the runners are very short, you really aren't gaining much on the low end, but you are sacrificing more on the top end. The helix bores are also a waste and serve only to entice those that don't know any better.
I have designed, manufactured, and sold throttle body spacers for the 3.5L and 3.3L Dodge Intrepid engines. Those engines saw decent gains with the spacer, but they also had a relatively high RPM torque peak.
I have designed, manufactured, and sold throttle body spacers for the 3.5L and 3.3L Dodge Intrepid engines. Those engines saw decent gains with the spacer, but they also had a relatively high RPM torque peak.
Beginning Member
Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 10
Thank you! Used to have a phenolic spacer on my 79 chevy. The idea between the phenolic was not only the air travel but to keep the heat transfer away from the carb. Is the aluminum going to disipate the heat as much as the phenolic?
The helix bore is something engineers have worked with for a long time. Being able to swirl the air alows you to get a better and consistant air/fuel ratio. Each cylinder would get the same amount of fuel compared to each cylinder fighting to get it. It actually works if you can accomplish doing so without slowing down the air flow.
The helix bore is something engineers have worked with for a long time. Being able to swirl the air alows you to get a better and consistant air/fuel ratio. Each cylinder would get the same amount of fuel compared to each cylinder fighting to get it. It actually works if you can accomplish doing so without slowing down the air flow.
Last edited by swartlkk; Feb 26, 2010 at 07:37 PM. Reason: *Combining Consecutive Posts* - Please use the EDIT function to add additional information to your post if another member has yet to reply.
The main reason to want to keep heat away from a carb is to reduce the temperature of the fuel. Since the newer engines are fuel injected, the heat dissipation aspect is moot.
And the helix is pointless. There is absolutely no way that the minuscule swirling effect that is created by that 3/4 to 1" thickness that is the spacer will make it down into the intake runner where it could have any appreciable affect on air and fuel mixing. If one were to try to swirl the air enough that it would actually make an effect down at the intake port in the head, the helix would have to protrude into the air stream so much that it would hinder flow.
To take that a step further, the Vortec cylinder heads are designed in such a way that the air/fuel mixture swirls as it enters the combustion chamber so that part is already done for you. It is done at the valve, not way up at the throttle body.
Your 'fighting for fuel' comment has no bearing on a fuel injected vehicle. Even on a carb'd motor, I would highly doubt that a helix bore carb spacer would show any appreciable gains over a smooth bore spacer.
And the helix is pointless. There is absolutely no way that the minuscule swirling effect that is created by that 3/4 to 1" thickness that is the spacer will make it down into the intake runner where it could have any appreciable affect on air and fuel mixing. If one were to try to swirl the air enough that it would actually make an effect down at the intake port in the head, the helix would have to protrude into the air stream so much that it would hinder flow.
To take that a step further, the Vortec cylinder heads are designed in such a way that the air/fuel mixture swirls as it enters the combustion chamber so that part is already done for you. It is done at the valve, not way up at the throttle body.
Your 'fighting for fuel' comment has no bearing on a fuel injected vehicle. Even on a carb'd motor, I would highly doubt that a helix bore carb spacer would show any appreciable gains over a smooth bore spacer.
Junior Member
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 249
From: New York Mills/Morrisville, NY
The main reason to want to keep heat away from a carb is to reduce the temperature of the fuel. Since the newer engines are fuel injected, the heat dissipation aspect is moot.
And the helix is pointless. There is absolutely no way that the minuscule swirling effect that is created by that 3/4 to 1" thickness that is the spacer will make it down into the intake runner where it could have any appreciable affect on air and fuel mixing. If one were to try to swirl the air enough that it would actually make an effect down at the intake port in the head, the helix would have to protrude into the air stream so much that it would hinder flow.
To take that a step further, the Vortec cylinder heads are designed in such a way that the air/fuel mixture swirls as it enters the combustion chamber so that part is already done for you. It is done at the valve, not way up at the throttle body.
Your 'fighting for fuel' comment has no bearing on a fuel injected vehicle. Even on a carb'd motor, I would highly doubt that a helix bore carb spacer would show any appreciable gains over a smooth bore spacer.
And the helix is pointless. There is absolutely no way that the minuscule swirling effect that is created by that 3/4 to 1" thickness that is the spacer will make it down into the intake runner where it could have any appreciable affect on air and fuel mixing. If one were to try to swirl the air enough that it would actually make an effect down at the intake port in the head, the helix would have to protrude into the air stream so much that it would hinder flow.
To take that a step further, the Vortec cylinder heads are designed in such a way that the air/fuel mixture swirls as it enters the combustion chamber so that part is already done for you. It is done at the valve, not way up at the throttle body.
Your 'fighting for fuel' comment has no bearing on a fuel injected vehicle. Even on a carb'd motor, I would highly doubt that a helix bore carb spacer would show any appreciable gains over a smooth bore spacer.
Super Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 1,255
I would like to hear frome one person who actually has a throttle body spacer on his 2nd gen blazer. All I hear is dont waste your money but I know for a fact that they work on other vehicles. And which one the individual has. The problem is that people all go by the "feel in the pants gauge," and the manufacturer uses ideal situations. So "please does anyone acutally have one installed with any info that will help determine if it is really a waste of money?"
New Member
Joined: Jan 2009
Posts: 66
From: Louisville, ky
I just bought the "Street and performance" HELIX throttle bodie spacer, so for anyone reading this older post I will update once I put it on and let you all know what I think about it. I also have the volant cold air intake on the way so i will do a comparision with only the Helix tower and then with the cold air intake and let everyone know exactly what it does to my 2002 Blazer.