Do throttle body spacers really help?
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: Iowa
Posts: 260

Do they ones with the helix on the inside to mix the air the fuel better?
and i might get a k&n cool air intake off my cousins s-10 he is selling (the truck) so would it be worth buying with having the intake? it cant make it worse can it.
and i might get a k&n cool air intake off my cousins s-10 he is selling (the truck) so would it be worth buying with having the intake? it cant make it worse can it.
#2
Short answer, no, they really do not help the 4.3L engine.
A throttle body spacer works by increasing the volume of air in the intake plenum which effectively lowers the torque peak RPM, shifting the torque curve lower in the RPM range. This makes the engine feel more powerful off the line. Problem is, by shifting the torque curve lower also has a negative effect on the upper RPM horsepower due to increased friction in the intake path, a result of increased runner length.
On modern fuel injected vehicles, the results are negligible at best. With the 4.3L already having so much torque available off the line as well as running out of breath at the top end, a spacer will only hurt the top end even more.
A throttle body spacer works by increasing the volume of air in the intake plenum which effectively lowers the torque peak RPM, shifting the torque curve lower in the RPM range. This makes the engine feel more powerful off the line. Problem is, by shifting the torque curve lower also has a negative effect on the upper RPM horsepower due to increased friction in the intake path, a result of increased runner length.
On modern fuel injected vehicles, the results are negligible at best. With the 4.3L already having so much torque available off the line as well as running out of breath at the top end, a spacer will only hurt the top end even more.
#3
i added a power-aid tb spacer to my 4.3ho and i feel that acceleration is stronger as well as smoother all the way through the rpm's. i also picked up 2 mpg's to get mine over 20.
#4
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location:
Posts: 7

i feel a good increase in the low end all the way thru to the red line and i noticed a huge difference in my MPG i think i get anywhere from 22 to 24 mpg on the highway
#5
Beginning Member
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location:
Posts: 24

I have a poweraid spacer under my quadrajet on my 350 and I get 13 MPG around town.
#6
New Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Thunder bay, Ontario Canada
Posts: 68

lol Quadrabog. Should just find someone with a bucket to dump gas down there
#7
Starting Member
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location:
Posts: 172

quardajets can be a great carb IF ( this is a very big if ) they are set up right. id rather have a q-jet then a holley.
#8
New Member
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location:
Posts: 49

well my frined has the same blazer as me before he bought one he got 21 MPG after the TBS he now gets 26 MPG
#10
Starting Member
Join Date: Dec 2008
Posts: 219

I found with my Spacer I really didnt get any gains from it, other than the whistle and even thats isnt as loud as i have heard.... Quick stupid question here, If by some stupid chance I installed the stupid thing upside down would this explain my poor results?
Last edited by OILCOUNTRY; 03-03-2009 at 10:42 PM.





