Last Updated on November 27, 2022 by Lily Connel
A throttle body spacer is a device placed in front of the throttle body on engines, like in cars and trucks. The throttle body spacer’s main function is to reduce drag by increasing airflow through the engine. It also increases horsepower which improves performance. The downside of spacers is that they shift the original optimization calculations. The re-calculated fuel and air flow might not be as efficient as before. So, you’ll get less power than you did with the factory setup.
The throttle body spacer works when there are low-pressure installed exhaust gases that cause drag when they pass across the throttle plate, but it allows for more airflow into the engine at all times. The spacer increases the flow of air by eliminating turbulence.
Pros and Cons Of Throttle Body Spacer – The Table Comparison
| Serial | Pros Of Throttle Body Spacer | Cons Of Throttle Body Spacer |
| 1. | A Throttle body spacer increases the horsepower of an internal combustion engine by reducing air resistance inside it. It can even out the pressure gradient between different chambers, resulting in more power. By increasing horsepower, the throttle body spacer boosts your vehicle’s overall gas mileage. | Can make the warranty void. Like many things, the concept of a performance spacer is not new; however, when it started to become popular, many manufacturers started to make claims about how spacers could damage the vehicle, void warranty, etc. |
| 2. | Its profile looks great under the hood custom-made throttle body spacers are designed to match the exact shape of the original equipment and install without hassle, so your engine bay looks and sounds amazing! | It is not any cleaner, spacer gets dirty in a matter of time |
| 3. | A Throttle body spacer preserves the life of a car’s engine by protecting parts from corrosion and wear. It reduces carbon build-up and optimizes the fuel intake capabilities of the whole system: which means better control over internal oxidation and reduced deposit formation when running on a low or rich mixture. | The spacer causes air leaks on the throttle bodyside, resulting in reduced performance which people mistake for reduced power of the car thus making them pour even more money on it by buying another spacer to fix this problem caused by the first spacer. This makes the whole idea of cheap mod utterly useless and counterproductive since you end up spending more money on it instead of saving that acquired with no harm at all if not anything good did happen or had happened. |
| 4. | You can install a throttle body spacer yourself with no special tools or previous experience required just clean the surface of the intake manifold, remove the factory gasket and apply a layer of included high-strength adhesive to attach your brand-new spacer in place. It can be easily removed if necessary. | You keep on increasing the accelerator pedal to get a boost rather than increasing RPMs. |
| 5. | A Throttle body spacer is a cost-effective upgrade: you don’t have to buy expensive new parts, just add it on top of what’s already installed and might as well get the most out of your investment. | Can affect the mapping reading of ECM resulting in incorrect readings for fuel injectors, and ignition timing. etc. Some people claim they have gotten their cars tuned back to factory setting but I personally believe that this might be ECM making adjustments to compensate for errors caused by improper mapping because it would read wrong or may simply fail after some time since my experience is that after you plop an eBay spacer in your car there isn’t anything left unchanged and if something changes then it is changing for the worse. |
| 6. | No holes are drilled through your intake manifold, which means that if your engine needs servicing your throttle body spacer can be completely removed. | The spacer causes air leaks on the throttle bodyside, resulting in reduced performance which people mistake for reduced power of the car thus making them pour even more money on it by buying another spacer to fix this problem caused by the first spacer. This makes the whole idea of cheap mod utterly useless and counterproductive since you end up spending more money on it instead of saving that acquired with no harm at all if not anything good did happen or had happened. |
| 7. | Throttle body spacers are available for a range of different engines, from small economy cars to heavy-duty trucks. | You can get less power by using a manifold gasket instead of a throttle body spacer. |
| 8. | A custom-fit throttle body spacer will never need to be remounted or readjusted. Once you install it, that’s the way it will stay. | Less space occupied better heat insulation/less heat emission. |
| 9. | The throttle body spacer is designed to keep all emission system parts operable. | Even though spacers are made out of non-conductive materials they block the electrical signals between the body and the throttle. |
| 10. | Most throttle body spacers are designed to be free of openings and cavities, so they’re even resistant to fuel vapours and moisture condensation! No more rust or corrosion inside your engine bay. | Effect on fuel economy? no change whatsoever, if anything it might even worsen the fuel economy since the engine is using more energy to produce the power you are looking for with a spacer |
| 11. | Throttle body spacers are designed to be durable enough for everyday use. They’re extremely resistant to high-temperature liquids and exhaust fumes produced by an internal combustion engine running on a rich mixture at its upper RPM range. | Performance spacer usually requires cutting of 3-4 plastic clips held in an air box and then replacing them after you put the spacer in but there is no guarantee that it won’t slip away from the place while driving so even if your car sounds cool when you are around people who have no clue about what’s under the hood it may sound like an old school bus or a garbage truck when driving. |
| 12. | A well-designed throttle body spacer provides optimal flow velocity for maximum power, torque, and horsepower gains throughout the entire RPM range. | You can get a clean intake manifold by cleaning it properly but you cannot get a clean throttle body once it is covered by carbon deposits after some time due to heat emission which can be reduced by lessening heat emission in the first place. But there still aren’t any guarantees so you could end up having a dirty throttle body making your car sound like an old diesel truck when idling. |
| 13. | The Throttle body spacer is replaced with ease once it’s been put back together again. | The throttle Body Spacer will decrease your car’s power. |
| 14. | It also reduces turbo lag by directing higher volumes of air into the intake manifold at lower speeds compared to stock intake manifolds which restrict airflow under low engine loads. | Might not be worth saving money on gas with performance spacers since it is still unknown whether or not they might affect fuel economy for the worse. |
| 15. | It has no effect on the vehicle’s diagnostic computer, oxygen sensor, or any other electronic devices, so you can drive worry free! | There are reports which claim that throttle body spacers have caused cars to burn oil. |
All You Need To Know About Throttle Body Spacer
The throttle body can sometimes be a source of pressure drop-in engines, this is where the throttle body spacers come into play. The purpose of such devices is to reduce the engine’s intake restriction and raise engine performance. This is generally achieved by using bulky components that can increase airspeed while entering the cylinders, which causes better fuel atomization and mixture preparation.
The higher flow of air substantially lowers cylinder temperatures and also raises power output on turbocharged and supercharged engines. By reducing intake restriction by up to 50%, horsepower gains can be realized with little or no effect on peak torque.
A typical mid-size car has an air cleaner box with an airflow restriction that is equivalent to adding a 78-millimetre (3.1 in) pipe. By removing the air cleaner box entirely, an additional 9% more airflow can be achieved with no drop in engine power or torque.
The throttle body spacer usually comes in two pieces attached together with Velcro, which allows for easy installation and removal. It attaches to the outside of the air filter box via clamps, screws, or double-sided tape. Installation can take between 30 minutes to an hour depending on what type of car it’s being used on.
This device is also beneficial to people who run “Dyno tuning” which requires different amounts of power by increasing horsepower while still maintaining fuel efficiency. The device increases airflow by eliminating turbulence resulting in lower cylinder temperatures, which allows for more horsepower without sacrificing fuel economy. Unlike other modifications that are made on cars to increase torque and horsepower, the throttle body spacer is far better as it doesn’t cause any wear and tear on the engine and it improves performance.
Conclusion
A throttle body spacer also reduces exhaust back pressure by venting the gases through either a mesh or holes drilled into its sides. This causes an increase in airflow and improved fuel economy without breaking the bank. Throttle body spacers reduce intake restriction by up to 50% unlike other methods such as tuners, decanted/high-flow cats, x-pipes, and catless DPS.
