Throttle Body Spacers for NA cars - what are they worth?

Adam West · Post by **Adam West** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 10:38 pm

Thinking about getting one of these for my 99 legacy GT...

I'd love hear iif anyone here has any experience with these? Basically I'd like my NA to be a little more peppy and better gas mileage is a bonus too. Getting one of these do that?

Thanks in advance for advice and knowledge.

~Adam

clip<<<<Throttle Body Spacers
Fits: 1999-2004 2.5 RS, Phase 2 2.2 liter NA Subarus
Price: $85US + Shipping

Product Highlights:
* 6061 T6 Aluminum
* Precision Milled
* Kit includes:
o Throttle body spacer
o Throttle cable bracket
o Longer throttle body bolts
o New gasket
o Longer vacuume hose
* 100% made in Canada

Benefits:
* Increases Torque on NA subies
* Perfect for getting back lost torque when aftermarket intake or headers are used.
* Increases fuel economy
* Can be tapped with 1/8NPT for meth/water injection****
* Looks damn cool!>>>end clip

http://www.rs25.com/forums/showthread.p ... ge=1&pp=20

Here's a photo of one installed...(bottom page 3 of thread)

http://www.rs25.com/forums/showthread.p ... ge=3&pp=20

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Fri Apr 20, 2007 11:07 pm

What does it do? Just extend the effective intake runner length? I can't imagine that little bit will make that big a difference, but it should move your power band down a little lower, while sacrificing a little off the top. How much, I don't know, but I would think hardly any. The intake pulses in the runners reflect back upon hitting the larger volume of the intake manifold main body to a degree, so lengthening the intake at the throttle body wouldn't have a huge effect on changing the optimized rpm of pulse charging.

BAC5.2 · Post by **BAC5.2** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 1:53 am

It increases plenum volume.

I spoke to Clint at Turn-In-Concepts about the one he sells. Apparently, it does make a butt-dyno noticeable difference.

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Sat Apr 21, 2007 3:27 pm

So this would primarily be of benefit to a boosted car, I would think. Does an N/A pull so much air from the plenum that the throttle body becomes a noticeable restriction? These aren't really high rpm engines, though I guess a 2.5 is fairly large. I'm just surprised that small increase in volume would make a noticeable difference on an N/A. I would think you'd have other restrictions that would be of greater benefit to resolve, though a combined effort would probably make a fair difference.

Post by **DLC** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 7:59 pm

Interesting, but I don't think my Cobb intake would fit properly if I installed that.

Oh well

555BCTurbo · Post by **555BCTurbo** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 8:04 pm

Kinda sounds like the ole' Carb spacer...

(which doesn't do shit btw)

evolutionmovement · Post by **evolutionmovement** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 9:08 pm

That was my first thought.

n2x4 · Post by **n2x4** » Mon Apr 30, 2007 11:15 pm

I had a TB spacer on my last car. Butt dyno said it gave a little more low end torque. I'd say it's cheap enough to try.

greg donovan · Post by **greg donovan** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 5:59 am

sounds like it would be worth trying on our rallycross car if it had a phase 2 ej22. but it doesnt so...

Post by **DLC** » Wed Jun 27, 2007 7:51 pm

There's a few threads on NASIOC in the NA forum about this. Pat Olsen did some dyno testing, with and without, and with his modifications he saw no "real" evidence that a TB spacer does anything.

On a relatively unmodified car, it's been shown to give 1HP.

Now phenolic spacers on the other hand...

dropdfocus · Post by **dropdfocus** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 4:22 am

555BCTurbo wrote:Kinda sounds like the ole' Carb spacer...

(which doesn't do shit btw)

Correction on that. Carb spacers on V8 motors ARE proven to work via dyno results. The ones that work the best create a vortex for the air. It's the same idea as raiser intakes.
As for a fuel injected car, I doubt it's worth even wasting a few brain cells over.

siouxbe · Post by **siouxbe** » Sat Oct 06, 2007 5:44 pm

DLC wrote:There's a few threads on NASIOC in the NA forum about this. Pat Olsen did some dyno testing, with and without, and with his modifications he saw no "real" evidence that a TB spacer does anything.

On a relatively unmodified car, it's been shown to give 1HP.

Now phenolic spacers on the other hand...

I got the 8mm Phenolic spacers from Grimmspeed.
I haven't tried installing them yet cause someone on another
board said that the EGR tube needs a 8mm extension to fit.
Anyone on here tried installing 'em yet?
I have 2.2l N/A

Post by **Legacy777** » Mon Oct 08, 2007 5:37 pm

The first gen legacies do not have EGR, so you don't have to deal with that.

siouxbe · Post by **siouxbe** » Tue Oct 09, 2007 5:16 pm

Duh
Thanks Josh, I forgot about that

siouxbe · Post by **siouxbe** » Wed Oct 10, 2007 3:17 pm

Dave, Care ta chime in?

Post by **DLC** » Thu Oct 11, 2007 12:02 am

Intake manifold and TB spacers are doing different things.

From what I can tell, the TB spacer is just giving volume to the intake plenum and the material is aluminum, IIRC.

Intake spacers are keeping the heat transfer from the heads to the manifold to a minimum, but also creating more volume in the intake tract, which should help those of us NA guys.

I bought the GrimmSpeed phenolic intake manifold spacers but have not installed them yet. No big rush, just participated in the NASIOC GB and wanted to get a respectable price.

Danteandsoob · Post by **Danteandsoob** » Thu Jun 12, 2014 9:37 pm

DLC wrote:Intake manifold and TB spacers are doing different things.

From what I can tell, the TB spacer is just giving volume to the intake plenum and the material is aluminum, IIRC.

Intake spacers are keeping the heat transfer from the heads to the manifold to a minimum, but also creating more volume in the intake tract, which should help those of us NA guys.

I bought the GrimmSpeed phenolic intake manifold spacers but have not installed them yet. No big rush, just participated in the NASIOC GB and wanted to get a respectable price.

I know this thread is quite old but DLC, did you ever install them? what model did you get from GS (I'm assuming this one http://www.grimmspeed.com/phenolic-ther ... n-a-98-06/ ), and did it make any noticeable difference in low end torque?

kimokalihi · Post by **kimokalihi** » Thu Jun 12, 2014 11:39 pm

I installed them but noticed no difference. However the intake manifold is not as hot to the touch as before.

James614 · Post by **James614** » Fri Jun 13, 2014 1:50 am

I like the idea of the manifold spacers, but im skeptical about how much of the heat from the runners actually soaks the air charge. It must be at least measurable, since manufacturers have go to things like thermoplastic intake manifolds and valve covers, which do run noticeably cooler than metal ones.

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Throttle Body Spacers for NA cars - what are they worth?

Throttle Body Spacers for NA cars - what are they worth?

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