Last Updated on November 21, 2022 by Lily Connel
The idea behind a TPS is to make as much air as possible enter the engine as possible. The more airflow you have, the better it is for horsepower; however, if there’s too much airflow, backpressure will cause problems such as loss in fuel mileage and poor idling quality. That’s why a TPS helps by setting the maximum amount of airflow allowed into your engine. A stock TPS can direct about 40% of airflow going into your car’s motor compartment, while a thick TPS will make this number increase to 80%. On the other hand, The downside of a cold air intake is that the calculations for optimizing fuel injection pulse duration will be off since you’re adding a spacer. This means that your car will run less efficiently than it could with the most optimized settings.
A throttle body spacer (TPS) is a metal plate that sits between the air filter and the throttle body of an internal combustion engine. It makes more room for the airflow to enter the engine and thus, increases its power.
Pros and Cons Of Throttle Body Spacer – The Comparison Table
| Serial | Pros Of Throttle Body Spacer | Cons Of Throttle Body Spacer |
| 1. | Improved acceleration and 5-20% more horsepower throughout the power band & fuel economy improved by 4%-8% | The purpose of the throttle body is to adjust the airflow into the engine for proper air/fuel ratio. The spacer blocks off part of the throttle plate making airflow reach the engine slower and denser while combustion speed remains the same which will decrease power output. |
| 2. | Closes intake air leak | The imbalance between each cylinder that causes vibrations may occur due to the difference in negative pressure (vacuum) between each cylinder caused by the throttle spacer. |
| 3. | Easier starting in cold weather eliminates ‘pinging’ when the engine is warm 5. prevents moisture from entering into the intake manifold through a filter or past throttle plate, especially in wet climates that use a fogging oil inside the car to prevent windows from fogging up | Throttle spacer blocks at least 3-4% of the total airflow through your intake manifold by creating turbulence throughout your entire manifold runners resulting in lower MPG, and less horsepower because you’re not getting as much air to your engine. |
| 4. | Provides better throttle response and idle stability | Potential for accuracy problems in fuel injection because significant air leakage could occur due to differences in intake manifold runners volumes. |
| 5. | Reduces heat soak by cooling down incoming air from over 75 degrees cooler independently tested at Southern California Rod & Custom Association’s dyno. | The spacer blocks off the vacuum reference port which is located on the lower part of the throttle body, if this port gets blocked or damaged it will cause your car not to start or run properly. |
| 6. | Protects the engine from fuel foaming caused by hot summer climate conditions, making your car easier to start in Summer & run smoother & more efficiently | The throttle spacer reduces the direct contact with manifold heat resulting in poor heat transfer and may lead to engine overheating at high speeds |
| 7. | Prevents intake air leaks for better traction in water crossings | Throttle body spacers are essentially just fancy-looking aftermarket fans that are only cosmetic. They do nothing but take up space! Many people have bought these thinking that they’re going to help cool their engines and they don’t realize that the only thing they actually do is take up space. |
| 8. | Allows you to turn off equipment under the hood while driving affecting performance because it closes the exhaust gas blow-by vent behind the throttle body, giving you true bypass of items not needed while driving (air pump, power steering, etc,) | Throttle body spacers have been known to cause a check engine light on OBD2 cars because they alter the airflow meter signal which is one of the most important sensors in a car’s computer. A rich air/fuel mixture can affect oxygen sensor readings and alter them, sometimes even disabling them completely. If your car’s check engine light comes on after you installed the throttle body spacer, it most likely means that something with your engine isn’t right, you might be losing power and gas mileage, or worse – the boat ran fine before installing the throttle body spacer but now it doesn’t want to start – this could happen if vacuum reference port was blocked while installing spacer. |
| 9. | Eliminates throttle plate ‘stick-‘ that can cause hesitation or ‘jerking’ while driving | All throttle body spacers are not made equal. Some are designed to fit perfectly on your car’s throttle body, others are pretty much crap because they don’t have proper measurements which means you might have to relocate or modify certain parts of your engine just so it’ll fit if you want a good quality spacer always ask the seller for detailed information about measurements and specs before buying anything. |
| 10. | Protects your engine from moisture & double-digit heat soak that’s common with the stock intake system | Lack of adjustability – It makes no sense why would anyone buy something that doesn’t have any adjustment options available. These kinds of things should be adjustable in order for them to work exactly how they’re supposed to, that way customers wouldn’t have problems getting their gears shifting properly when they install one of these on their car. |
| 11. | Less harmful emissions because it reduces back pressure caused by the factory air box, leading to cleaner-burning fuel for a more efficient combustion cycle reducing hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, and NOx up to 50%+ 13. saves money by running better, smoother, and cooler | The throttle body spacer usually doesn’t fit on your throttle plate perfectly, it makes it stick out of the manifold. Some people like that look but most don’t because you can see them immediately and they just ruin the whole aesthetic appearance of your engine bay. |
| 12. | Improves horsepower and torque independent dyno tested & proven results verified 4hp-11 hp gains on a stock car independently tested at Southern California Rod & Custom Association’s dyno | If you live in an area where there’s snow during a certain time of the year, your throttle body spacers will probably ice up if water drops accumulate or humidity gets inside intake manifold runners which means you won’t be able to drive until everything thaws. |
| 13. | Increases horsepower because your engine can now breathe easier giving you faster speeds in higher gears & making your car faster | |
| 14. | Easy installation because it comes with all the needed tools to install it correctly | |
| 15. | Gives off a stock appearance to other buyers interested in other mods, unlike other brands that stick out like a sore thumb | |
| 16. | One size fits all years and makes of cars because throttle body spacers come in multiple sizes for intake manifolds to work right on your vehicle | |
| 17. | Lasts longer than other brands leading the market because our throttle body spacers are made using durable materials while others use cheap & weak materials that can break under pressure or get brittle over time, ours are proven for years of durability tested by Southern California Rod & Custom Association’s dyno | |
| 18. | Throttle body spacers are velocity stack intake spacers that are designed to make your car more efficient by allowing the engine to breathe easier, boosting power, fuel economy, and performance all in one go without any hassles because it’s easy to install on most models with no cutting or drilling required. |
Everything You Need To Know About Throttle Body Spacer
What’s more, having a throttle body spacer can also improve the air/fuel ratio of your car. When you get more air into your engine, it needs more fuel to keep up with it. This is because combustion in internal combustion engines requires both air and fuel—the two are not separate substances. With increased airflow, you need an increased amount of gas to “feed” the power-hungry motor. However, what really changes when you install a TPS? The space between the intake manifold and the battery increases which causes there to be less pressure surrounding it. All things being equal (like temperature), pressure plays a part in how much vacuum or suction is in a cylinder. This means that there will be less pressure in the manifold when it’s farther from the battery, resulting in more airflow.
In theory, installing a TPS on your car increases its horsepower and torque because you can add an aftermarket air intake system to your car without causing too much back pressure which would only decrease the power of your engine. It also helps improve your fuel consumption rate as well as prevent knocking. A thicker throttle body spacer allows for more airflow, producing better performance during acceleration and smoother idling.
Installing a throttle body spacer requires removing the factory intake manifold, and then carefully bolting up the new one—which presents an additional challenge for those who are mechanically challenged.
Conclusion
Another thing to consider (if your car’s stock engine is fuel injected) is that there may be other sensors in the intake manifold that will also be affected if you replace it with one for a different model of car—sensors like the oxygen sensor, EGR valve and so on. That said, it would be best if you took your vehicle to an auto mechanic who has experience working with aftermarket parts before you get started.
It’s also very important to note that cleaning up your air filter is imperative before installing the throttle body spacer because it ensures better airflow into the motor which means more power gets directed towards moving your car instead of just heating up inside the engine compartment.
