Yesterday I recieved my monthly Summit junkmail, er, catalog and while I glanced through its pages over breakfast, I noted the description under the throttle body spacers for other vehicles (like my Dodge). Nearly all stated "increased bottom and mid range torque" and "better fuel economy." Anytime I see the word "torque," it draws my attention. So I thoght, why not space out the TB on the Kia? it's proven even with carburetors to improve the power curve, especially down low. So I popped the hood and had a look. It would be much more complicated from a parts standpoint, and more expensive than most, but I think it's do-able. Here's the idea:

A 1/2 inch (12.5mm) spacer between the throttle body and the intake manifold. Another between the intake manifold and the cylinder head, and inexpensive non-precision spacers under the support brackets that go from the head to the intake.

It would require new studs/bolts at the head and the throttle body, and you would need to do both to retain the intake mounting points on the rocker cover, but it would effectively be a one inch longer intake runner length, which is all that the spacers on other vehicles do. I don't have time to do this currently, because I'm prioritizing the fuel tank skid plate development. But if someone out there had a spare intake and maybe even the TB, you could maybe have a local machine shop do some measuring with a Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) and make a "cheap" one out of some mild steel for testing before spending the money on aluminum or phenolic material... I bet it would work. SOMEBODY tell me they can do this, otherwise my "to do" list just got longer by one and increased the timeline by a couple months at least.

Anybody? At least some supporters? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

I could do a set at work, but I doubt they will offer any benifit!

If you take it to a machine shop they will charge you (or at least I would) 5 hours of labour plus mats, for the first piece, than depending on machining time the cost of any aditional pieces would change.

Of the top of my head $500 for the first set, $80 for each additional set with a minium order of 50 units! we are talking just the spacers here.

So yes it can be done!
<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/nana.gif" alt="" />

But i still don't see that it will offer any noticible increase. and you'd might be running into interferance issues with the hood.

I was thinking more along the lines of "this buddy of mine works at a tool shop..." so you might pay for materials and a case of beer or 2 rather than forking over hundreds for a one-off that may or may not be useful.

I'm also curious why you believe that it would not be worthwhile, besides clearance issues. I'm not trying to be a know-it-all, just looking for your opinion or thoughts.

I know where you are coming from, spacing out a carb and TBI's can give an increase in preformance and I use them on other vehicles. What makes me think it won't be worth it on a sporty is the fact the air flow has to navigate a 180 degree turn to get into the engine, so what ever increase in air flow you gain by the spacer at the throttle body will be lost the second the air hits the 'wall'.

To get the most out of a spacer it has to smooth out the air flow and help mix the air fuel mixture, those little 'vortex' and 'tornado' TBI inserts claim to do this, and help increase gas miliage as well, but if they work as good as they claim why haven't the car companies started putting them on in the factory? We live in a age there green is good, better gas milage is rewared and preformance is a selling point, so why, if, these wonder inserts work, arn' they being used?

I use spacers on a down draft Weber set up that shoots straight into the clyinder head, and on an side draft SU set up that shots straight as well, both work well, but it's really hard to tell when the spacers are only one of a dozen mods done to an engine at the same time. It's the 180 corner in the sporty that make sme think it won't be worth while! Not unless you polish the inside of the intake!

..the Sporty engine starts to live at 4000 rpm. My transport pushrod 3.8 has tremendous low end torque..but fades out above 4000 rpm. Has someone experienced a DOHC with low end torque? DOHC are intended to allow for higher rpm and bring torque at these high rpm so it translates into hp...and this means cam design and timing arranged for that purpose....and the almost inevitable consequence is loss of low end torque...unless they come with variable timing cams or finally drop the cams and install electrically driven valves....that then can be conputer controlled for any condition.
IN the mean time...I don't believe in miracles..but would like to.

Okay, point taken. So I'll do one for my Dakota this summer. You're probably not familiar with it, but the 90s Magnum truck engines have intakes that are shaped like a roots blower housing. Air comes in at the top, goes all the way to the flat bottom, turns a sharp 90 degrees towards the cylinder heads and rather than going directly into the chamber, the intake runner takes the air along the outer wall of the intake up and around to the opposite cylinder bank. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/zombie.gif" alt="" /> This straightens out the airflow eventually, but if a TB spacer can work on this, it might be worth a shot on our setup.

At the very least it'll give me something to do on my lunch break at work. Thanks for your input.

And to the immediately previous post, I'm not expecting diesel-type torque from this engine, but a little extra power off-idle never hurts.

hmmm.... this got the wheels turning! I may just have to wait and do some research now before i go and build my snorkel!

If the spacer provided "gravity" flow increase as in vertical flow, the idea would work just like teh 1.5" plate below the tbi on my Suburban, it made a difference. But in a horizontal config, it might even defeat by wasting vacume pressure "pulling" the mixture through the tube.........Solition, weld up a intake that puts the TB vertical and use ram air!..........oops, the Mopar in me is talking. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

have u put a chip in it and had it re-tuned to run premium fuel? what about seeing if u could get some adjustable cam wheels? a snkorkel with a hiflow airfilter, exhaust and extractors???

ive heard some say high flow exhaust will rob us of what little low end torque we have,and would only benenfit from it at high rpm wide open throttle,i'll need exhaust within a couple years and have been wondering what to do there.
the chip has to be shipped off and hardwired,or reflashed or something. dont have a spare. dont want to have to run premium at these prices.
did the cone filter,little louder under the hood,hard to tell if it helped,so couldnt have done much.
what is an extractor?