Throttle Body Spacer Anyone?

[mytyeerinpie]

I added one in my old 89 Jimmy and I noticed a difference in my gas mileage and power, has anyone added on to their 4runner? They sell them but in all my reading on the forums I haven't seen anyone that has one. Are they as beneficial to the 4runner as it was in my Jimmy?

 

[pat161]

They do sell them for the 4Runner and there seem to be mixed feelings about them. The concensus seems to be that they offer little or no benefit on the 4Runner. I have read posts where some have claimed to feel the difference that you speak of, so who is right is hard to say. Try one and let us now how you like it, Airraid is one that comes to mind.

 

[mytyeerinpie]

They do sell them for the 4Runner and there seem to be mixed feelings about them. The concensus seems to be that they offer little or no benefit on the 4Runner. I have read posts where some have claimed to feel the difference that you speak of, so who is right is hard to say. Try one and let us now how you like it, Airraid is one that comes to mind.

Yeha I was going to do the HID projsctor up grade and a guy was going to hook me up with everything I needed for about $400 but I just spent 600 in batteries, so I couldn't justify 400 for lights, SO I thought I would try to find something a little more performance oriented. The airraid one I found is like 113 bucks. But it they are worthless, whats the point. I though I would see if anyone esle has used one before and liked it or hated it

 

[mytyeerinpie]

Well from what I read on 4-5 threads on yotatech they are worthless because of the way our cylinders are. Oh well any ideas for another 100 dollar upgrade to add some HP

 

[johnpsmith84]

i just bought a brand new one from craigslist, when i install it, i will tell you if i notice a difference. i just need to figure out how to take the throttle body off?

 

[RonMAIDEN]

The 3.4 is a direct port injection motor which means a TBS simply cannot do anything to improve performance since air and fuel don't meet til in the cylinder.

TBS are a waste of money.

 

[mytyeerinpie]

i just bought a brand new one from craigslist, when i install it, i will tell you if i notice a difference. i just need to figure out how to take the throttle body off?

Ok thanks man, apparently there were a # of folks that got them or wanted to on yotatech, but no one actually dynotested it to see if there was a gain. One guy claimed it added power, but someother guy said it was impossible because of the way the cylinders are that the vortex of air that the TBS creates cannot actually get into the cylinder to help create better compression.

 

[mytyeerinpie]

The 3.4 is a direct port injection motor which means a TBS simply cannot do anything to improve performance since air and fuel don't meet til in the cylinder.

TBS are a waste of money.

So then what is there to do that can help add a lil? Besides the other mods like the deckplate etc?

 

[LINY4Runner]

i just bought a brand new one from craigslist, when i install it, i will tell you if i notice a difference. i just need to figure out how to take the throttle body off?

when you get it installed let me know, because i have a very difficult time believing that they do absolutely nothing and are still on the market. i have been eyeing the airraid forquite a while

 

[johnpsmith84]

when you get it installed let me know, because i have a very difficult time believing that they do absolutely nothing and are still on the market. i have been eyeing the airraid forquite a while

ill do that, it was just 36 bucks so yeah. i have not got it yet, but ill chek in here when i get it in the mail.

 

[96runnerOME]

if nothing else....they make a cool whistling sound right?:biggrin2: ...not worth over $100 but for around $30 why not? Id be interested to see a dyno to prove if they do anything for the 3.4 because I can't understand how it possibly could

 

[johnpsmith84]

might be a dumb question, but where do you get a dyno done, how much is it?

 

[Stick Figure]

dyno is usually like $80+ for the first hour, and a bit less for any hour after that. You can find a shop to do them for cheaper if you get a group together just for a couple pulls each for a test. Well worth it for tuning, but for testing something like this, its probably not worth it.

 

[DewRunner]

yeah i had one on my 2.7 it just wisled. i would say DP mod with a k&n and like a flowmaster. in the states that put me out around $200 USD. but my truck came with k&n so it was only 150 for me this set up makes it scream

 

[mytyeerinpie]

I don't know for as many people say it doesn't wk there are plenty that think it does. If someone actually got it dyno'd then it would settle the debate once and for all. I for one want to see it proven on the dyno that it doesn'/does wk.

 

[RonMAIDEN]

It might work on some motors and older carbed engine but there's no need to dyno prove that a TBS does anything since all you need is an understanding of specifically most newer Toyota engines. If such a simple piece actually worked than why don't cars already have them from the factory? TRD doesn't even make one.

3rd and 4th gen 4Runner motors are direct port injection;a TBS works by mixing the air and the fuel before it get to the cylinder but direct port means the gas is injected into the cylinder as the air comes in thus negating any need to "swirl" or "tumble" the air for better atomization and rendering a TBS useless and it doesn't need to proven by wasting someone's hard earned money. It's simple understanding of the engineering that proves they don't work.

There is info on the net showing that TBS and the Tornado and those things don't produce what's promised and I've even seen tests that show negative increases.

Here's a link debunking them and good luck in finding real proof they do anything on a modern engine.
http://www.ideamarketers.com/?The_Throttle_Body_Spacer_Debate&articleid=441708


These products don't go away because there's alot of gullible people out there and really want to believe that these things will work magic. If I was making them and they kept on selling I wouldn't stop making them.

 

[mytyeerinpie]

I get it thats why it did work on the Jimmy with its 4.3L because the throttle body actually had the fuel coming out of it and the spacer sat right under it mixing it together. Sorry I haven"t taken apart my 3.4L yet so I don't really know how it works. Yes then in fact it is useless. Thanks for explaining it better. Some of us do not have the knowledge that you do, Ron, and explaining it the way you did in your 2nd post really helped.

 

[LINY4Runner]

so you're not gonna buy it? if not let me know, i'll buy it for $30

 

[RonMAIDEN]

I figure it's good info for people to know so they can make a more informed choice to buy one or not.

People who claim they work and "feel" the gain are just trying to justify the money they spent. Even if it gave 10hp increase very few people's asses can detect that small of an increase.

 

[mytyeerinpie]

I figure it's good info for people to know so they can make a more informed choice to buy one or not.

People who claim they work and "feel" the gain are just trying to justify the money they spent. Even if it gave 10hp increase very few people's asses can detect that small of an increase.

Yeah I know on the Jimmy, I added the TBS and a HUGE k&N like 14" around and I could chirp the tires at a stoplight after, it could feel a difference. I dunno what HP it added if any maybe just a lil torque.