10-07-2010, 07:30 AM
Wonder what helps your car to be in a good condition with good horsepower and enhanced combustion in its engine cylinders? Ladies and gentlemen, it is a small car part called as throttle body spacer or throttle spacer. It is fixed on the top of car's throttle body. It is basically meant to improve fuel efficiency and give extra power to the engine. It functions in a way similar to that of a carburetor, although, on a non fuel injection engine. If this interests you, may be you have something interesting coming up on throttle body spacer in cars.
What is a Throttle Body Spacer
Simply put, a throttle body spacer refers to a tiny aluminum block, which is added on the throttle body of a car. Basically, what it does is creates a bigger area around the throttle body. It is fixed between the air filter and car's intake manifold. They consist of either a single port or more than that in its center. Typically, these throttle spacers have serrated edges or even helical cuts along the walls of the ports. It functions akin to how a carburetor works, on an engine which is a non-fuel injection one. The accelerator and throttle are connected by a throttle cable in a fuel injection engine. This is basically how a throttle body controls the air flow to the engine in tandem with the fuel injection system. It has throttle plates and a butterfly valve regulating air flow.
Operation of a Throttle Body Spacer
Taking ahead, from the earlier point, throttle body regulates the air flow to the engine, teaming up with fuel injection system. The throttle cable, connecting the throttle and accelerator leads the throttle linkages, causing in turn opening of the throttle plate. All this ultimately gives more airflow to the engine. Once the valve in the throttle body opens, the throttle spacer permits more than normal amount of air to go through the valve. After all this, the engine does not have to work overtime for letting the air enter the vehicle, necessary for combustion. Moreover, there is no remarkable throttle body spacer sound in this process, unless there is something wrong. That can be checked with the help of symptoms of a bad throttle position sensor.
Throttle Body Spacer Benefits
After getting a grip of what is a throttle body spacer, it goes without saying that we have to know how does it benefit the car's functioning. Here is more.
Benefit #1
The good news for a car having a throttle spacer is that the overall performance of the car is enhanced. This part greatly improves the vacuum response of the carburetor, which imparts added velocity to the air. The runner length of the intake increases manifold, simultaneously enhancing the plenum volume.
Benefit #2
Throttle body spacer installation in a car leads to increased horsepower. It is because of the increase in the velocity of air in the car engine and creating an airflow vortex, resulting in increased atomization. Moreover, the design of the throttle body spacers - spiral flow or helix culminates in better combustion and improved horsepower, at any RPM. This is more so, if the throttle spacer is a spiral flow type. A throttle body spacer therefore is one of the possible answers to how to increase a car engine's horsepower.
Benefit #3
An additional torque is provided to the car on account of a throttle spacer. The enhanced combustion and velocity of the air intake of the car, results in better torque as well. The mantra is simple - increase the speed, increase the engine's torque output.
Benefit #4
In addition to all the above, a throttle body spacer provides extra height for the air and fuel mixture. A gradual flow in the intake ports of the manifold, ultimately generates increased torque response.
At the end of the day, even if the throttle body spacer has all these benefits, there is a controversy engulfing it about, 'throttle body spacers - do they work'. The bone of contention being some expert opinions referring to the fact that the benefits of a throttle body spacer are over rated.
What is a Throttle Body Spacer
Simply put, a throttle body spacer refers to a tiny aluminum block, which is added on the throttle body of a car. Basically, what it does is creates a bigger area around the throttle body. It is fixed between the air filter and car's intake manifold. They consist of either a single port or more than that in its center. Typically, these throttle spacers have serrated edges or even helical cuts along the walls of the ports. It functions akin to how a carburetor works, on an engine which is a non-fuel injection one. The accelerator and throttle are connected by a throttle cable in a fuel injection engine. This is basically how a throttle body controls the air flow to the engine in tandem with the fuel injection system. It has throttle plates and a butterfly valve regulating air flow.
Operation of a Throttle Body Spacer
Taking ahead, from the earlier point, throttle body regulates the air flow to the engine, teaming up with fuel injection system. The throttle cable, connecting the throttle and accelerator leads the throttle linkages, causing in turn opening of the throttle plate. All this ultimately gives more airflow to the engine. Once the valve in the throttle body opens, the throttle spacer permits more than normal amount of air to go through the valve. After all this, the engine does not have to work overtime for letting the air enter the vehicle, necessary for combustion. Moreover, there is no remarkable throttle body spacer sound in this process, unless there is something wrong. That can be checked with the help of symptoms of a bad throttle position sensor.
Throttle Body Spacer Benefits
After getting a grip of what is a throttle body spacer, it goes without saying that we have to know how does it benefit the car's functioning. Here is more.
Benefit #1
The good news for a car having a throttle spacer is that the overall performance of the car is enhanced. This part greatly improves the vacuum response of the carburetor, which imparts added velocity to the air. The runner length of the intake increases manifold, simultaneously enhancing the plenum volume.
Benefit #2
Throttle body spacer installation in a car leads to increased horsepower. It is because of the increase in the velocity of air in the car engine and creating an airflow vortex, resulting in increased atomization. Moreover, the design of the throttle body spacers - spiral flow or helix culminates in better combustion and improved horsepower, at any RPM. This is more so, if the throttle spacer is a spiral flow type. A throttle body spacer therefore is one of the possible answers to how to increase a car engine's horsepower.
Benefit #3
An additional torque is provided to the car on account of a throttle spacer. The enhanced combustion and velocity of the air intake of the car, results in better torque as well. The mantra is simple - increase the speed, increase the engine's torque output.
Benefit #4
In addition to all the above, a throttle body spacer provides extra height for the air and fuel mixture. A gradual flow in the intake ports of the manifold, ultimately generates increased torque response.
At the end of the day, even if the throttle body spacer has all these benefits, there is a controversy engulfing it about, 'throttle body spacers - do they work'. The bone of contention being some expert opinions referring to the fact that the benefits of a throttle body spacer are over rated.
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